Knowledgebase

How to Import and Export ConfigServer Security & Firewall (CSF) Configuration to Another Server

ConfigServer Security & Firewall (CSF) is a popular security tool for Linux servers. Migrating its configuration from one server to another can save time and ensure consistency in your security settings. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to import and export CSF configuration.

Exporting CSF Configuration

1. Access the Server via SSH:

   • Use an SSH client like PuTTY to connect to your server.

2. Navigate to the CSF Directory:

   • The CSF configuration files are located in /etc/csf/. Navigate to this directory:

     cd /etc/csf/
     

3. Create a Backup of the Configuration Files:

   • Use the tar command to create an archive of the CSF configuration files:

     tar cvfz csfbackup.tgz csf.conf csf.allow csf.deny csf.*ignore
     

   • This command creates a compressed file named csfbackup.tgz containing all the important CSF configuration files.

4. Transfer the Backup File to the New Server:

   • Use scp (secure copy) to transfer the backup file to the new server:

     scp csfbackup.tgz user@newserver:/path/to/destination
     

   • Replace user with your username and newserver with the IP address or hostname of the new server.

Importing CSF Configuration

1. Install CSF on the New Server:

   • Before importing the configuration, ensure that CSF is installed on the new server. Follow the installation instructions provided by ConfigServer.

2. Transfer the Backup File to the CSF Directory:

   • Move the csfbackup.tgz file to the /etc/csf/ directory on the new server:

     mv /path/to/destination/csfbackup.tgz /etc/csf/
     

3. Extract the Backup File:

   • Navigate to the CSF directory and extract the backup file:

     cd /etc/csf/
     tar xvfz csfbackup.tgz
     

4. Set Correct Permissions:

   • Ensure that the ownership and permissions of the files are correct:

     chown root:root /etc/csf/*
     chmod 600 /etc/csf/*
     

5. Restart CSF and LFD:

   • Restart the CSF and LFD services to apply the new configuration:

     csf -r
     service lfd restart