# Expanding a Running Netlab Topology

DevFeed: [Expanding a Running Netlab Topology](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/expanding-a-running-netlab-topology-11214.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.ipspace.net/2025/07/expanding-netlab-topology/>)

Published: 2025-07-07T06:11:00Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [ipSpace.net blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/ipspace-net-blog.md>)

Topics: [configuration](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/configuration.md>), [Cisco](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cisco.md>), [dell](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/dell.md>), [Linux](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/linux.md>)

Tags: [cisco](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cisco.md>), [collect](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/collect.md>), [config](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/config.md>), [configuration](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/configuration.md>), [dell](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/dell.md>), [devices](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/devices.md>), [ios](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ios.md>), [linux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linux.md>), [merge](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/merge.md>), [mikrotik](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mikrotik.md>), [netlab](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/netlab.md>), [nx](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/nx.md>), [sonic](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/sonic.md>)

## AI overview

This tutorial explains how to expand a netlab topology while preserving configuration changes made to existing devices. It recommends collecting configurations to a separate folder, checking whether they can be reloaded, rebuilding the lab with the modified topology, and applying the saved configurations. The procedure has platform-specific limitations and may fail when device interfaces or configuration formats differ.

## Source excerpt

One of the happy netlab users sent me an interesting challenge: He's built a large lab and added tons of extra configuration to the lab devices. Afterwards, he realized he'd like to add a few more devices to the lab and was worried about losing all the changes he had made. Unfortunately, you cannot add new devices to an already-running lab. You must shut down the lab, change the topology description, and start a new lab. However, there are things you can do to preserve the extra work you already did: Read more ...