NetScaler Configuration backup...... it really is simple.

Although now being in the IT industry for over a decade, and reading at least a thousand blogs, this is actually my first attempt at one, I hope at least a few of you reading find it useful, it makes it worthwhile me posting it!

Backing up a NetScaler HA pair is really a pre-requisite prior to any type of Upgrade of Firmware, or major changes to infrastructure on the NetScaler (no I’m not talking about enabling a feature)..

After looking around a little, although this is posted in a few other places, its either drawn out, like you’re having to do some sort of brain surgery, or its not actually telling you specifically how to back it up?

that's part of the reason for me writing this, for some reason (some) Tech heads believe that unless something is really hard to understand/interpret, it means they're stupid? i find the best way of understanding something is to break it down as easily as you can possibly make it.... 

with the right tools, it really only takes about five minutes, here goes!:

1. Log onto the NetScaler with administrative access (surprising I know...), through a telnet/ssh client, PuTTy's a firm favourite here!.
2. Type Shell to get to the right 'piece' of the NetScaler, don't take the piss, a lot of NS admins only use the CLI...
3. Backup the NSConfig folder, using the following command: cvfz/var/tmp/**yourfilenamehere**.tgz/flash/nsconfig
4. I like to use a graphical ftp interface (why make things more difficult??) like WinScp, connect to said NetScaler and copy off the temporary Directory....

That's as difficult as it gets really, obviously this needs to be repeated if you've got HA pairs of NetScaler’s running, which you should have if you value your job?

This is correct, as of any and all versions of NetScaler 9.3... there will be some 10 bits coming at some point, just not yet! :)

Haines