Avaya

This guide covers Avaya (now Extreme Networks) switches running VOSS and BOSS.

VOSS

VOSS (VSP Operating System Software) runs on the VSP families, including the VSP 4000, 7200, and 8000 series.

Create a backup account. Create a dedicated netwatch-backup CLI user and assign the read-only (ro) access level — VOSS uses tiered access levels (ro, rw, rwa), and read-only access is sufficient to display the running configuration. Create the account through the CLI's password/user security settings or via your RADIUS/TACACS+ deployment.

Enable SSH access. Enable the SSH server in the boot configuration / security settings if it is not already on, and confirm the management IP is reachable from the collector. VOSS supports restricting management access — permit TCP port 22 only from the collector's IP where possible.

Notes. In fabric deployments, back up each node individually; there is no single fabric-wide configuration document.

BOSS

BOSS (Baystack Operating System Software) runs on the ERS stackable switches, including the ERS 2500, 3500, 4x00, and 5x00 series.

Create a backup account. Older BOSS releases use fixed read-only and read-write logins rather than named users. Displaying the full running configuration generally requires the read-write (privileged) login, so dedicate the read-write credentials to QUARK, or on newer releases that support additional local users, create a netwatch-backup account with sufficient rights. QUARK never issues configuration commands.

Enable SSH access. Enable the SSH server in the switch's security settings (SSH may require generating a host key first). BOSS supports allowed source IP restrictions for management access — restrict it to the collector's IP. On very old firmware without SSH support, Telnet is the fallback.

Notes. For stacks, target the stack IP address; the retrieved configuration covers all stack members.

Enable backup in Netwatch

Once the device is prepared, open its host in Netwatch (Data collection > Hosts) and add the Config Backup macros — the supported status flag, the model code for this platform, and the credentials you created. See Getting started for the full macro list and values.