Configuration Backup and Restore in a Cisco ASA Firewall

There's an easy way to backup and restore the configuration file in a Cisco ASA Firewall using ASDM.

To backup the ASA config, go to Tools > Backup Configurations.

Click Browse Local > select a folder/directory on local PC > type a file name.

 

Unselect Backup All > select Running-configuration > click Backup.

Click Close when finished.

 

The backup is a zip/compressed file.

 

I tried to opened running-config.cfg with Notepad.

 

I tried to change the hostname and saved the config.

 

LAB-ASA5515x# configure terminal

LAB-ASA5515x(config)# hostname TEST-ASA5515x

TEST-ASA5515x(config)# write memory

Building configuration...

Cryptochecksum: 749bb846 da22d270 e721ff08 18564731

 

5995 bytes copied in 0.760 secs

[OK]

 

 

In order to restore or revert back the ASA config, go to Tools > Restore Configurations

 

 

Click Browse Local > select the backup zip file created earlier > click Next.

 

Select Running configuration > Restore.

 

I'm not running ASA failover (HA). Click Yes to Continue.

 

Click Replace.

 

I re-login to ASDM and notice the hostname was reverted back to LAB-ASA5515x.

 

The ASA restore feature doesn't need a device reboot. Notice the Device Uptime didn't reset.