[rancid] Re: Cisco Pix "Configuration last modified" random time stamp

[Jethro R Binks]

On Thu, 5 Feb 2009, Jason Ellison wrote:

> Cisco PIX Security Appliance Software Version 7.2(4)
> Device Manager Version 5.2(4)
> Hardware:   PIX-515E, 64 MB RAM, CPU Pentium II 433 MHz
> 
> pix# show ver | include modified
> Configuration last modified by enable_15 at 16:38:15.162 CST Wed Feb 4 2009
> pix# show ver | include modified
> Configuration last modified by enable_15 at 16:38:14.792 CST Wed Feb 4 2009
...

Wow, I'd never noticed that.  If I do the same:

asa1# sh ver | inc mod
Configuration last modified by admin at 14:22:04.182 UTC Wed Feb 4 2009
asa1# sh ver | inc mod
Configuration last modified by admin at 14:22:04.549 UTC Wed Feb 4 2009
asa1# sh ver | inc mod
Configuration last modified by admin at 14:22:04.009 UTC Wed Feb 4 2009
asa1# sh ver | inc mod
Configuration last modified by admin at 14:22:04.248 UTC Wed Feb 4 2009
asa1# sh ver | inc mod
Configuration last modified by admin at 14:22:04.578 UTC Wed Feb 4 2009
asa1# sh ver | inc mod
Configuration last modified by admin at 14:22:04.427 UTC Wed Feb 4 2009

it similarly changes (slightly), even though 14:22 Feb 4 was a couple of 
days ago.  So it is broadly correct, but there's obviously some rounding 
or timing issue while calculating the fractions of a second.

> While using RANCID I have noticed that the pix "Configuration last 
> modified" keeps changing even though the device has not been modified.  
> This creates an email every time RANCID is run.
>
> I know this is not a RANCID problem, but I thought someone on this list 
> has likely seen and maybe even solved this issue.

I do not get this from rancid.  The "Configuration last modified" line is 
not represented in the processed output at all: looking at the ShowVersion 
subroutine, it is very specific about which lines it is interested in and 
doesn't just verbatim reproduce all the "show version" output.  Which 
version of rancid are you running?  There have been many fixes for PIX/ASA 
in the last several alpha releases: 2.3.2a9 works much better for me and 
others.

Jethro.

-- 
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Jethro R Binks
Computing Officer, IT Services, University Of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK