Cumulus

This guide covers switches running Cumulus Linux, including NVIDIA Spectrum-based platforms.

Create a backup account

On Cumulus Linux 5.x with NVUE, create a dedicated user with the read-only NVUE role:

nv set system aaa user netwatch-backup role nvue-monitor
nv set system aaa user netwatch-backup password <password>
nv config apply

The nvue-monitor role can run nv show commands and display the applied configuration, which is all QUARK needs.

On earlier releases without NVUE, create a standard Linux user instead:

sudo adduser netwatch-backup

and grant it read access to the configuration you back up. If retrieval requires commands that read privileged files, give the account narrowly scoped passwordless sudo for those read-only commands only.

Enable SSH access

SSH is the standard management method on Cumulus Linux and is enabled by default on the management interface (eth0, in the mgmt VRF on recent releases). Verify the collector can reach the switch on TCP port 22. To restrict sources, permit the collector's IP in the switch's ACLs or host firewall for the management interface.

Platform notes

• QUARK is read-only: it runs show commands and reads configuration state; it never applies or saves configuration revisions.
• Password authentication must be enabled for the backup account, or install the collector's SSH public key for the netwatch-backup user instead.

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.