Step-by-Step: Automating Router Backups with Python

Step-by-Step: Automating Router Backups with Python

Introduction

Backing up router configurations is critical in telecom and enterprise networks. Traditionally, engineers log in manually and copy configs — a slow, error-prone process. With Python + Netmiko, we can automate backups for multiple routers in just a few lines of code.

Requirements

• Python 3 installed on your system.
• Netmiko library (pip install netmiko).
• Router IP, username, and password.
• A text editor or IDE (VS Code, PyCharm, etc.).

Engineers can automate repetitive tasks like backups using Netmiko and a few lines of Python.

Step 1: Install Netmiko

pip install netmiko

Step 2: Create a Python Script

Here’s a simple example for a Cisco router:

from netmiko import ConnectHandler
from datetime import datetime

# Device info (edit to your environment)
device = {
    "device_type": "cisco_ios",
    "host": "192.168.1.1",
    "username": "admin",
    "password": "password",
}

# Connect to router
net_connect = ConnectHandler(**device)

# Get running-config
output = net_connect.send_command("show running-config")

# Save with timestamp
filename = f"backup_{device['host']}_{datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d_%H%M%S')}.txt"
with open(filename, "w") as f:
    f.write(output)

print(f"Backup saved as {filename}")

# Close connection
net_connect.disconnect()

Step 3: Run and Verify

Run the script, and a backup file will be saved with a timestamp. You can extend this by looping through a list of devices (Huawei, Juniper, ZTE, etc.).

Python-generated backups are timestamped so you can track changes over time.

Conclusion

Automating router backups with Python saves time, reduces human error, and ensures configs are always available in case of failure. This is a must-have skill for network engineers in Bangladesh as telecom networks grow in scale.