Troubleshooting Tip: FortiSwitch Automatically Changes Configuration During Backup

[dwivedis]

Description	This article describes how to troubleshoot situations where a FortiSwitch appears to modify its configurations automatically during the backup process.
Scope	FortiSwitch.
Solution	This behavior is observed when backing up the FortiSwitch configuration from an SNMP server daily. Specifically, the hash values for auth-pwd and priv-pwd in the SNMP user settings change automatically. When executing the command 'show system snmp user', the displayed hash values for 'auth-pwd' and 'priv-pwd' will differ each time. This is expected behavior. The actual configurations and passwords remain unchanged—only the hash values, which are unique representations of the passwords for security purposes, are dynamically regenerated. FortiSwitch employs hash functions to enhance network security by generating unique 'fingerprints' for sensitive data, such as passwords. These hash values are periodically updated to bolster security and protect against potential threats. S448EFTF20-----1 # show system snmp user config system snmp user     edit "admin"         set auth-pwd ENC m5bTiBPGMhLx6grqldv56Li8uc6hYKLuIi/yISGCkt/2y9prQ7ZkmvcdQY/PHkcRBNbWkUV8j61kme8lHoZXQmtD5EzeWQ5VgalCGFnuetiCgBamu2i6P/bFcG+UHArsvUPjUdTlc+F8QCGOKrD1ac4nUDA8DEFQdW+vz14vR85i5Hj1         set priv-pwd ENC SMhh/q7/ljB1EAQcxo8BIzRGOF5rVK2wHj+BhYcLFYN5S+EfvFfIRln1c/a26lHOzBQ/d+/soT0q/mFTcYPta1c6vesb01zBdELknYM/S1hnndavGREDXCIE8FskLQ5fXFWrm+sOogZjcTdFWoih9MY+WRVd70Y1SCg1csaLZqGYB118     next end S448EFTF20-----1 # show system snmp user config system snmp user     edit "admin"         set auth-pwd ENC O85qEglAr/XCGh6kxBk/lG4KSRTuW2Q4NQUDSDJ15ON8hUj7pfdDYiIyGN1d5ftnLr8ui99VCx3XS+Ne4M6QOhu8bj9tEISicaiuyn2/F6HDMNOcfdkLMRY3LdSPJLEK4pi9gjgv9h+UYgQb6XSUeqPi0EINDJ70XopvSZaq2Z1aXUbQ         set priv-pwd ENC 1DXTtyv4D/0Xk5gDo7QJpYP28ZA2+CVTQQwMKQiaDkhmQj56DMmkasgi0Ok3g9RQ3IPsLexM4vPrO+v1bEtJ/LS5I8JWtq9UL0k0fb1G5tNpNnMkM2gYtXi7S8H3EzfAFTXnZdxHBE3WcenI3GxOz5LcSFfg2IpT7caGzeTvyLS/JyGZ     next end