Automatically backup Pfsense configuration files

[eleanor]

Hello everybody,

I've written an article about automatically backing up Pfsense configuration files. In the http://www.proteansec.com/linux/pfsense-automatically-backup-configuration-files/, I've explained how to do it automatically and most importantly securely.

If you’re using Pfsense as your firewall solution, then you’ve surely wondered about keeping your configuration files backed up. Normally, you have to go to Diagnostics – Backup/Restore to backup the configuration files manually as presented on the picture below.
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Share the article if you think it's worth it.

Thank you

[Thrae]

This seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through when pfSense makes its own automatic configuration backups –- https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Configuration_History --- for any change I've encountered.

These are kept in /cf/conf/backup, which I just periodically make a full backup of.

Of course, your way would be good if you only want to backup a specific section.

[Elludium_Q-36]

Yeah:@https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Configuration_History:

pfSense automatically keeps a backup when a change is made to the configuration. This makes it easy to revert after an undesirable settings change, BUT should NOT be relied upon as a sole means of backup. There are numerous reasons why having an off-system backup is a good practice, especially the case of storage media failure.

@http://www.proteansec.com/linux/pfsense-automatically-backup-configuration-files/:

…manual backups are not really viable solution for enterprise networks, since administrators often forget or don’t have time to manually backup the configuration files.

It's more so the case in, less than, enterprise networks, and SOHO (Small Office Home Office) environs; where the "Admin" might wear many hats.

@Elludium_Q-36:

Wait!  Let me stop doing all my OTHER drudgery, and defer all that is fun, don my "Admin" hat, pull out command cheat sheets, copy and paste, just to do what a self initiating script/cron job could do…

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Yeah...

[MindfulCoyote]

Don't forget the integrated alternative "AutoConfigBackup": https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/AutoConfigBackup

PS. Comes with a copy of the pfSense Book.  ;)

[MindfulCoyote]

@eleanor:

I've written an article about automatically backing up Pfsense configuration files.

Just finished reading it, excellent article. Eleanor, pardon my ignorance, but is there a difference between the config file created using your method and the existing files in /cf/conf/backup? Is it the RRD data? If I didn't care about the RRD data couldn't I simply scp the files in /cf/conf/backup?

[eleanor]

Hello,

Thank you for wonderful comments, it's always a good idea to learn more about the solution you're currently using. I've updated the article accordingly with the new information. I haven't deleted the old information, because it can still be interested by other people.

Thank you

[Elludium_Q-36]

Yes, MindfulCoyote is right, a "gold" or whatnot, subscription to ESF includes the paid support, online "cloud" backups, and a book.

Seems I'm not the only one curious about the release of the bundle of paper for v 2.0.

Alas, not everyone has the budget to "go commercial".  Some think that "commercial", is really the future direction of pfSense & ESF.

Some prefer to run their own "cloud", say, for example, using FreeNAS or NAS4Free.