JN0-106 Junos Configuration Basics Practice Question
An engineer needs to load a full configuration from a text file onto a Junos device, replacing the entire candidate configuration. Which command should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'load override' with 'load merge' because both load a file, but only 'load override' discards the existing candidate configuration, while 'load merge' preserves it and can cause configuration conflicts or residual settings.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
load override /path/to/config.txt
The 'load override' command replaces the entire candidate configuration with the contents of the specified text file, discarding any existing candidate changes. This is the correct choice because the engineer explicitly needs to replace the full configuration, not merge or patch it.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
load set /path/to/config.txt
Why it's wrong here
`load set` treats the file as a flat sequence of `set` commands in configuration mode. A full configuration file uses the hierarchical brace style (e.g., `interfaces { ge-0/0/0 { unit 0; } }`), not `set` statements. When you run `load set` against such a file, Junos's parser encounters syntax it cannot interpret, aborts the load, and leaves the candidate configuration unchanged, so it cannot accomplish the task.
- ✓
load override /path/to/config.txt
Why this is correct
`load override` reads the text file as a complete hierarchical configuration and replaces the entire candidate configuration with its contents. Every existing statement in the candidate is discarded, and the resulting candidate matches the file exactly. This is the correct command when the goal is to load a full configuration from a text file, because it guarantees that statements absent from the file are removed and the device processes the file as the definitive configuration.
- ✗
load patch /path/to/config.txt
Why it's wrong here
`load patch` is designed specifically for applying a patch file that contains a series of edit commands (such as `edit`, `delete`, `insert`, or `change`) relative to the current candidate configuration. A full configuration text file is not a patch; it lacks the structural markers and directive keywords that Junos expects in a patch. Thus `load patch` will reject the file or produce an error, leaving the candidate configuration unmodified rather than replacing it.
- ✗
load merge /path/to/config.txt
Why it's wrong here
`load merge` takes the statements in the text file and adds them to the existing candidate configuration, but it does not delete or override statements that already exist but are not present in the file. As a result, the candidate configuration after a merge is a combination of the file and the prior candidate, not a pure load of the file's full configuration. This makes `load merge` unsuitable when the intent is to have the candidate exactly represent the contents of a full configuration file.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This JN0-106 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Juniper Networks certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the JN0-106 exam.