Site24x7 Network Configuration Manager

Site24x7's Network Configuration Manager (NCM) is a multi-vendor network device change and configuration management solution that helps continuously track and alert on configuration changes, compare configuration versions, perform audits, restore configurations, and automate device configuration backups.

When device configurations are changed, get instant alerts via email, SMS, voice call, or third-party integrations like Jira, Zapier, Slack, Microsoft Teams, ServiceNow, and more.

• Prerequisites
• System Requirements
• How it works
• Enable and add a device to Network Configuration Manager
• Network Configuration Manager credentials
• Current Configurations
• All Configuration changes
• Compare Configurations
• Upload Configurations

Prerequisites

Ensure you have On-Premise Poller version 5.2.0 or above. You can manually upgrade to the latest version if you haven't already.

System Requirements

The chart below shows the hardware and port requirements to start using Network Configuration Manager.

Port Requirements

How it works

When a device wakes up, the startup configuration runs. For every change in the running configuration of the device, the changes must be copied to the startup configuration of the device. When a network device is added for monitoring, NCM tracks the changes in the configuration and keeps a backup of the change in the cloud. NCM also notes the differences between the configuration changes and triggers an alert to the end user about the change.

Enable and add a device to Network Configuration Manager

Enable Network Configuration Manager

1. Log in to your Site24x7 account.
2. Navigate to Network > NCM > Settings.
3. On the Manage NCM  page, choose an On-Premise Poller  from the drop-down.
4. Toggle to Enable. Wait 5-10 minutes.
5. Navigate to Admin > On-Premise Poller and ensure that the On-Premise Poller and the network module are running.

Add devices

1. Navigate to Network > NCM > NCM Devices(+). Alternatively, navigate to Admin > Add Monitor > Network > NCM Device.
2. Enter the following fields:
   • Display Name: Provide a display name to identify the NCM monitor.
   • Host Name/IP Address: Enter the host name or IP address of the device.
   • Vendor: Choose the device vendor from the drop-down.
   • Device Template: Choose the device template from the drop-down. Device Templates define the set of commands to connect, back up, restore, or perform other operations on a device. It is essential to select the correct Device Template for all operations to run properly.
   • Protocol: Choose SSH, SSH-SCP, SSH-TFTP, Telnet, or Telnet-TFTP from the drop-down to connect to the device. We use these protocols to fetch the device configuration.
   • Primary Credential: Choose the primary credential for device authentication or add one by clicking +.
   • SNMP Credential: Choose the SNMP credential of the device from the drop-down or add one by clicking +.
   • Check Frequency: Select the frequency of configuration backups. This determines the frequency at which a backup is taken for a device configuration.
   • Monitoring Locations: Choose an On-Premise Poller to serve as a monitoring location.
   • Click Test and Save

Network Configuration Manager credentials

The NCM Credentials section provides an overview of various credentials associated with your networks or devices. The supported credentials are SSH, Telnet, and SNMP v1, v2, and v3. You can view, edit, or delete the associated credentials from the network devices.

Perform the following actions in this section:

• To associate a new credential, click Add Credential in the top-right corner of the page. Follow the steps in this help documentation to add the correct credentials to your network device.
• To edit the already associated credential, click the pencil icon for the respective network device under the Action column. Make the necessary changes and click Save Credential.
• To delete the already associated credential, click the garbage bin icon for the respective network device under the Action column. Click Delete in the Delete Network Credential  pop-up.
  
  Figure 1. NCM Credentials view

Current Configurations

The device configurations section lets you view the current device configuration information like the running and startup configurations discovered by NCM. Major details displayed include the monitor name, type, version number, configuration capture date, and change type of each device configuration in your network.

The Action  column lets you perform various actions on each device configuration, including Set as Baseline, Mark as Authorized or Mark as Unauthorized, Edit Description, Compare with Baseline, Compare with Startup or Compare with Running, Compare with Previous, Compare with Any, or Upload Configuration. Click the hamburger icon  in the Action column to view these options. This way, you can track your device configurations and take necessary actions if any discrepancy is found.

Figure 2. Current Configurations view

All Configuration Changes

An overview of all the changes, including the list of historical configuration changes for each device, is listed in the All Configuration Changes section. Whenever a device or network associated with a monitor has a configuration changed, its details like configuration type, version, date of capture, and change type are tracked. View, analyze, track, and take action on the historical configuration changes for each device discovered by NCM.

Various actions that can be performed on a configuration change include Set as Baseline, Mark as Authorized or Mark as Unauthorized, Edit Description, Compare with Baseline, Compare with Startup or Compare with Running, Compare with Previous, Compare with Any, or Upload Configuration.

Figure 3. All Configuration Changes view

Compare Configurations

You can compare and analyze the configuration changes made to your device using the Compare Configurations  feature.

Select the device, configuration type, and version for L.H.S and R.H.S. The Changed Date section shares insight into when the configuration was changed.

Figure 4. Compare Configurations

Upload Configurations

1. Log in to your Site24x7 account.
2. Navigate to Network > NCM > NCM Devices.
3. Click the device for which you wish to upload a previous configuration version.
4. Navigate to the Config Summary  tab.
5. Click the hamburger icon  in the Action column to choose the version you wish to upload.
6. Select Upload Configuration. You can use this option to roll back to the Startup-Baseline, Running-Baseline, or a previous configuration version.
   Figure 5. Upload configuration

Related Articles

• Network Configuration Manager (NCM) Device Templates
• Network Configuration Manager (NCM) Credentials

Troubleshooting Tips

• Troubleshooting issues with Site24x7's Network Configuration Manager (NCM)