Cisco Configuration Partitioning

The Configuration Partitioning feature provides modularization ("partitioning") of the running configuration state to provide granular access to the running configuration in Cisco IOS software.

This feature is enabled by default in Cisco IOS software images that include this feature.

The configuration state of a device is retrieved dynamically whenever a user issues the show running-config command. When the Configuration Partitioning feature is enabled, the system groups the configuration state of the device into parts (called "partitions") so that only the configuration state the user wishes to review is retrieved when generating a displayed list of commands in the running configuration. This feature improves performance for high-end systems with complex configurations because only a part of the running configuration state is processed when generating the running configuration command list, as opposed to the existing method of processing the entire system configuration state.

Default configuration partitions are provided by the introduction of this feature; other Cisco IOS software features may define their own command partitions in later releases.

This feature was introduced in software images for the Cisco 7600 series in Release 12.2(33)SRB.

Benefits of Partitioning the Running Configuration

The Configuration Partitioning feature is the latest in a series of Configuration Generation Performance Enhancement Features for Cisco IOS software. This feature improves the system's response time by providing a method for querying only the system component you wish to review when issuing the show running-config command.

When the Configuration Partitioning feature is enabled, the system groups the configuration state of the device into parts (called "partitions") for the purpose of generating the virtual running configuration file (the list of configuration commands). A new command, show running-config partition, allows you to display only the part of the running configuration that you want to examine, rather than having to display the entire running configuration at once, or displaying only lines that match a certain string.

The key benefit of this feature is that it increases system performance by allowing the system to run the NVGEN process for only the collection of system components (such as specific interfaces) that you need to display. This is in contrast to other existing extensions to the show running-config command, which only filter the generated list after all system components have been processed.

The selective processing of the system's configuration state for the purpose of generating a partial running configuration is called "configuration partitioning."

More granular access to configuration information offers important performance benefits for high-end routing platforms with very large configuration files, while also enhancing configuration management by allowing advanced configuration features to be implemented at a more granular level. Advanced configuration options include Cisco IOS software support for provisioning of customer services, Config Rollback, Config Locking, and configuration access control.

Example

show running-config partition ?

Issuing this command will show you the list of running configuration parts available for display on your system.

If the Configuration Partitioning feature is supported on your system and is enabled, you will see the string "config partition is TRUE" as the first line of help output.

If you receive an error message when entering the command syntax shown here, this feature is not supported on your system. See the command documentation for the show running-config command for existing extensions of that command in other releases that allow you to show only part of the running configuration.

Router# show running-config partition ?

 config partition is TRUE 

  access-list       All access-list configurations

  boot              All boot configurations

  class-map         All class-map configurations

common            All remaining unregistered configurations

global-cdp        All global cdp configurations

interface         All Interface specific Configurations

ip-as-path        All IP as-path configurations

ip-community      All IP community list configurations

ip-domain-list    All ip domain list configurations

ip-prefix-list    All ip prefix-list configurations

ip-static-routes  All IP static configurations

line              All line mode configurations

policy-map        All policy-map configurations

route-map         All route-map configurations

router            All routing configurations

snmp              All SNMP configurations

tacacs            All TACACS configurations

As an example, to have the system perform the NVGEN process on only the components associated with the access-list parts of the running configuration state, and display only the access-list related configurations, you would enter the show running-config partition access-list command:

Router# show running-config partition access-list

        Building configuration...

Current configuration : 127 bytes

!

Configuration of Partition access-list 

!

!

!

access-list 90 permit 0.0.0.0 1.2.3.5

access-list 100 permit 10 any any

!

end

Disabling the Configuration Partitioning Feature

Because this feature offers improved performance for existing commands, this feature is enabled by default for Cisco IOS software images that support this feature. However, you may want to disable this feature if you determine that it is not needed, as this feature does use a small amount of system resources (memory and CPU utilization). To disable configuration partitioning, perform the following task, which assumes you are starting in user EXEC mode.  

Router(config)# no parser config partition 

Disabling config partitioning 

Router(config)#