OPNMGR configuration backups, drift and restores in depth
How OPNMGR (OPNManager) takes, checks, stores and prunes OPNsense configuration backups; how to read drift against an approved baseline like a reviewer (sections, named changes, stale answers); how configuration search's SSH checks differ; and how restores protect the firewall, plus backing up the manager itself.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- About 45 minutes
- Contents
- 3 lessons · 1 video · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 2 Oct 2026
- OPNMGR · open source
Skills you'll practise
- Explain where backups are stored, how they are validated and what the nightly jobs and retention settings do
- Run retention and backup-health checks safely (report before --apply, right user) and interpret their results
- Review a drift report section by section, prioritise exposures and decide between acknowledge, promote and escalate
- Distinguish the ssh_open_to_world and ssh_on_wan checks and the Security Status panel's SSH states
- Describe the restore safeguards and what to back up for the manager itself
Course outline
- 1.OPNMGR backups, drift and restores in depthVideo · 2 min
- 2.How backups are taken, stored and keptLesson · 15 min
- 3.Reading drift like a reviewerLesson · 15 min
- 4.Restores, done safelyLesson · 15 min
- 5.OPNMGR configuration backups, drift and restores in depth: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 16 questions
- 6.An unexplained RDP rule on a dental clinic's firewallScenario
- 7.Final exam9 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- OPNMGR README: compatibility and feature availability, known limitations, upgrading
- OPNMGR CHANGELOG.md: release-by-release history (3.12.0 to 3.77.2)
- OPNMGR docs/UPGRADING.md: upgrading the server and the agent fleet
- OPNMGR docs/SCREENSHOTS.md: captioned tour of every page
- OPNMGR SECURITY.md: agent authentication, secrets at rest, remote commands, roles, sessions, audit log
- OPNMGR .env.example: configuration template
- OPNsense documentation: Backups (config.xml)
See it with your own jobs and topics
Tell us about your team and we'll walk you through setup, from choosing jobs to your first skills check.