Junos Rescue Configuration: Saving and Loading
Which TWO statements about the rescue configuration are correct? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the rescue configuration with the factory-default configuration or assume it is automatically saved, leading them to select options A or B incorrectly.
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
✓
The rescue configuration is designed to provide a method of last-resort recovery.
Option C is correct because the rescue configuration exists specifically as a last-resort recovery mechanism, allowing an administrator to return a device to a known-good configuration when the active configuration is broken or inaccessible. Option D is correct because on Junos devices the rescue configuration is created and stored by running the operational-mode command 'request system configuration rescue save', which snapshots the current candidate configuration as the rescue configuration. Option A is wrong because the rescue configuration is not saved automatically on every commit; it must be saved explicitly by the administrator. Option B is wrong because 'rollback rescue' loads the previously saved rescue configuration, not the factory-default configuration, which would be loaded with 'load factory-default' or 'rollback 0' depending on context. Option E is wrong because the rescue configuration restores the entire saved configuration, not just a subset of 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.
- ✗
The rescue configuration is automatically saved after every commit.
Why it's wrong here
The rescue configuration is not saved automatically at any point in the commit process. A user must explicitly issue the operational-mode command 'request system configuration rescue save' to capture the active configuration as the rescue configuration. Because a commit only updates the active configuration and its rollback log, the rescue file remains untouched until manually overwritten.
- ✗
The 'rollback rescue' command loads the factory-default configuration.
Why it's wrong here
The 'rollback rescue' command loads the previously saved rescue configuration, not the factory-default configuration. When you issue this command, Junos replaces the active configuration with the rescue configuration that was captured by an earlier 'request system configuration rescue save' operation. Factory defaults are a separate baseline that you load with 'load factory-default' or by deleting the rescue configuration and rebooting.
- ✓
The rescue configuration is designed to provide a method of last-resort recovery.
Why this is correct
The rescue configuration exists as a deliberately preserved, known-good configuration snapshot used for last-resort recovery. If a misapplied change makes the device unreachable or unusable, an administrator can invoke 'rollback rescue' from the CLI or a console to restore the device to a previously working state. This provides a safety net distinct from the normal rollback log, which may be lost or overwritten after many commits.
- ✓
The rescue configuration can be saved by issuing the 'request system configuration rescue save' command.
Why this is correct
To save the rescue configuration, the correct operational command is 'request system configuration rescue save'. This command takes the currently active configuration and writes it to the rescue configuration file, typically stored in /config/rescue.conf on Junos. This is an explicit, manual action; it is not triggered by commit or by any other automatic process on the device.
- ✗
The rescue configuration can be used to restore only a subset of the configuration.
Why it's wrong here
The rescue configuration always contains the full active configuration at the time it was saved, and rolling back to it replaces the entire running configuration. It does not support partial or subset restoration, such as restoring only a specific interface or protocol stanza. For selective rollback, you would instead use the rollback log or configuration groups; the rescue configuration is an all-or-nothing recovery mechanism.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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