11-9 
At a moment, there are at most one main startup configuration file and one backup startup 
configuration file. You can specify neither of the two files (displayed as NULL), or specify the two files 
as the same configuration file. 
You can specify the main and backup startup configuration files for the next boot of the device in the 
following two methods: 
z  Specify them when saving the current configuration. For detailed configuration, refer to Saving the 
Current Configuration
. 
z  Specify them when specifying the startup configuration file for the next system startup. For 
detailed configuration, refer to 
Specifying a Startup Configuration File for the Next System Startup. 
Startup with the configuration file 
The device takes the following steps when it boots: 
1)  If the main startup configuration file exists, the device initializes with this configuration file. 
2)  If the main startup configuration file does not exist but the backup startup configuration file exists, 
the device initializes with the backup startup configuration file. 
3)  If neither the main nor the backup startup configuration file exists, the device will boot with null 
configuration (boot with null configuration means to boot with the factory default configuration). 
Saving the Current Configuration 
Introduction 
You can modify the current configuration on your device using command line interface. However, the 
current configuration is temporary. To make the modified configuration take effect at the next boot of 
the device, you must save the current configuration to the startup configuration file before the device 
reboots. 
Complete these tasks to save the current configuration: 
Task  Remarks 
Enabling configuration file auto-save  Optional 
Modes in saving the configuration  Required 
 
Enabling configuration file auto-save 
z  After the configuration file auto-save function is enabled, when you save the current configuration 
by executing the save [ safely ] [ backup | main ] command or executing the save filename all 
command and then pressing Enter, the master and a slave will automatically save the current 
configuration to the specified configuration file, and use the file as the configuration file for the next 
startup, thus keeping the consistency of the configuration files on the master and the slave. 
z  If the configuration file auto-save function is not enabled, when you save the current configuration 
by executing the save [ safely ] [ backup | main ] command or executing the save filename all 
command and then pressing Enter, only the master will automatically save the current 
configuration to the specified configuration file, and use the file as the configuration file for the next 
startup; the slaves will neither save the configuration file nor configure the file for the next startup. 
Follow these steps to configure the configuration file auto-save function: