5. • Manual Configuration changes
• Faulty configuration changes.
• Unplanned, unauthorized configuration changes to their network
devices
• Business needs demand frequent, quick configuration changes. Task
becomes complex when multiple administrators manage devices from
multi-vendors.
• Keeping track of configuration changes
Why is a tool needed for configuration
management?
6. NCM offers a perfect solution for all the above issues:
• Designed to automate the entire lifecycle of device configuration
management.
• Process of changing configurations, managing changes, ensuring
compliance and security are all automated.
• Helps in ensuring high levels of security in the network
What does NCM do?
7. Minimum system requirements
2.4 GHz dual-core
processor, or
equivalent
12GB RAM 50GB storage PostgreSQL/MSSQL Windows/Linux
The above given specifications are for an environment with 1000 devices. Refer: System requirements
11. Device template
What are device templates and what are they used for?
Device specific configuration commands :
• Configuration backup
• Configuration upload
• Enable/disable syslog change detection
• Fetching hardware information
13. Device discovery
SNMP Request
SysOID
SNMP Profile
V1, V2, V3
NCM Discovery
Add device & associate with
corresponding device
template
Match received
SysOID with
default/custom
SysOID
Match found
Match not
foundDevice not
added
15. ‘Device is not responding for SNMP requests’
Common causes:
The device is reachable yet not
responding:
- Incorrect SNMP read
community
- Disabled SNMP in the device
Possible error:
16. Device not added
Common causes:
Device reachable & SNMP community is correct but still device is not
getting added:
1. Device SysOID not mapped with any device template
Fix: Add sysOID to device template at SysOID finder in settings.
Possible error:
2. No default device template is available in NCM for the particular
device type
Fix: Add/clone new device template.
or Contact NCM support
17. Manual device addition
Single device
- IP Address/Hostname
- Vendor
- Device template
Bulk addition
-CSV File import
Format: <Hostname/ IP Address>,<Device Template
Name>,<Series>,<Model>
21. SSH/TELNET - TFTP
TFTP
Server
Config backup
commands
Config file transfer
using TFTP
Encrypted
configuration file
stored in DB
NCM
SSH/TELNET -
TFTP
22. SSH - SCP
SCP
Server
Config backup
commands
Config file transfer
using SCP
Encrypted
configuration file
stored in DB
NCM
SSH - SCP
23. SNMP - TFTP
SNMP Request for
config backup
Configuration
file transfer
using TFTP
TFTP
Server
Encrypted
configuration file
stored in DB
NCM
24. How to provide credentials?
Refer: https://download.manageengine.com/network-configuration-manager/Device-Expert-Credentials-Tutorial.pdf
30. Credentials are valid but
file transfer is failed
Common cause:
1. TFTP or SCP servers have not been
started.
Fix: Check running status of TFTP or SCP
servers in NCM server settings. (69 & 22)
2. Timeout due to config file size
Fix: Increase backup timeout value in the
corresponding device template.
Possible error:
31. Configuration backup
• Why should you backup?
• Instant (Single & Bulk)
• Real-time change detection
• Scheduled
32. Real-time change detection
• What is it? Configuration
change made
Configuration
change made
Configuration backup
• Why is it important?
• How does it work?
34. We don’t support Enable Change Detection for
this device.
Common cause:
NCM doesn’t support syslog for the
particular model.
- Fix: Enable syslog by connecting to
the device and executing the
enable syslog commands manually.
or
Contact NCM support.
Possible error:
35. Change detection is enabled but change is not
detected
Common cause:
When the device & NCM support syslog,
- Mismatched ports
- Check NCM syslog server running status in NCM server settings
Possible error:
38. Backup failure
Common causes:
1. Credentials are changed or invalid.
2. Ports blocked or TFTP/SCP server not started
• Check port 69 & 22 (TFTP & SCP) in NCM server settings
3. Huge config file
• Fix: Change the timeout settings in the corresponding device template.
4. Unsupported backup commands
• Edit the commands in device template or create a new device
template by cloning the closest template.
40. Change tracking, versioning, & history
• View all changes made in a device
• Automatic configuration versioning
• Know the who, when & what of each change
• Know the historical change trend of a device
• View the number of modified, deleted & added config lines
41. Compare configurations
• Compare different versions of same
device
• Compare different devices configurations
• View colour coded differences: added,
modified & deleted
42. Disaster recovery
What’s a disaster in networks?
• A network outage
• A security breach
• Performance degradation of
business critical services and
applications
43. How to be prepared?
• Baseline configuration
• Startup/running sync
• Change notification & rollback
• Export configuration | Upload draft
45. ‘We don’t support upload feature for this device’
Common causes:
• TELNET/SSH protocol doesn’t support upload
• Fix: Edit the credential and Change the protocol from
SSH, TELNET to SSH - TFTP, SSH - SCP , TELNET -TFTP
depending the devices.
• When SCP/TFTP protocol is used:
• Device vendor supports but NCM device template
doesn’t have upload commands for the specific device.
• Fix: Clone/create a new device template with
suitable SCP/TFTP commands
or Contact NCM support
Possible error:
46. Startup/running sync
• Why is it important?
• Loss of changes made in running
configuration during device reboot
• How NCM helps?
• Detects conflict
• Sync configurations
47. ‘Upload failure’
Common causes:
1. Command timeout
Fix: Change timeout in device template command settings for the device type.
2. Based on the protocol, check the running status of TFTP & SCP
servers in Server Settings.
Possible error:
48. ‘Change happens, but startup-running conflict is not
detected by NCM in real-time.’
Common cause:
Disabled real-time change detection.
Fix:
- Enable change detection if syslog is supported.
- If syslog is not supported, the startup-running conflict will be detected
and reported after the next successful schedule backup or manual backup
operation.
Possible error:
49. Change notification & roll back
Configure change notifications
• Email
• SNMP Trap for change event
• Trouble ticket
• Generate syslog message for change event
Associate notification profile to devices/device groups.
• Roll back
To previous version
To baseline version