Restore a pfSense using dd

[demux]

Hi,

I have a dd backup of a customized pfSense Plus installation (scripts etc). This dd image is recent in terms of the scripts etc but does not have most recent config.

I would like to restore by pushing the dd image onto the new hd in a new machine. It is the same hardware. Then I upload the lastest config. No magic, I believe.

But when I restore the image onto a new machine I will also restore the old Plus license onto the new machine. Will this be a problem?
Will restoring the old Netgate Device ID to the new machine be a problem? Do I have to register again? Do I get a new Netgate Device ID automatically?

How about the ACB device ID? Does it know the installation and can I restore from ACB? Or does the new machine get a new ACB device ID? I believe not, because the SSH key did not change.

So maybe I should be able to restore the image, register the installation again (if needed) and then start the restore from ACB. Correct?

Btw, ACB Restore shows the wrong dates: Mon, 25 Sep 2023 03:27:02 +0200 is 5 hours ahead

Thanks!
-demux

[stephenw10]

The new hardware will have a new NDI, it doesn't matter what image you put onto it.

The ACB will be retained if it's a recent. That key is stored locally so will be copied onto the new device.

Steve

[demux]

@stephenw10
ACB ID will be generated from the SSH keys, correct? I did not find the ID in the saved config file. So, if SSH keys stay the same, ACB ID will stay the same. If SSH keys change, ACB ID will change, too. Correct?
Btw, how do I regenerate SSH keys? Is there a script that could do this for me or by hand?

[stephenw10]

Yes it's generated from the SSH key. Yes that's stored in the config in recent versions.

See: https://forum.netgate.com/post/893461

[demux]

@stephenw10
Thank you!