Elevate your network management: Maximizing efficiency with ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager

As technology evolves, so do our networks. Today's sprawling network infrastructures are intricate ecosystems, demanding more from IT teams than ever before.  Configuration management, compliance enforcement, and firmware & software updates are just a few of the growing requirements that strain manual processes.

While manual network management might have sufficed in simpler times, it hinders scalability in complex environments. It can also introduce security vulnerabilities and leave your network prone to human error.

To navigate this new reality, organizations need a better approach—they need to leverage a network configuration management tool.

Now, let's explore how a network configuration management tool can help revolutionize your modern network, unlocking a new era of scalability and security.

Key Topics:

• Manual Configuration Challenges: Leveraging Configuration Management Tools
  • Scalability Hurdles
  • Backup Maintenance
  • Configuration Tracking
  • Firmware Vulnerability Management
  • Adherence to Compliance Standards
  • Streamlining Mundane Tasks
  • Report Maintenance
• Selecting the Right Configuration Management Tool for your Network
  
  • Vendor Versatility
  • Backups
  • Change Management
  • Compliance Management
  • Vulnerability Management
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Device Onboarding
• Network Configuration Manager: Your All-In-One Configuration Management Tool
• Summary

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Manual Configuration Management Challenges: Why a Configuration Management Tool is a Game-Changer

Let's explore some common challenges in manual configuration management and how the utilization of appropriate configuration management tools can effectively address them.

Scalability hurdles: Networks are in a constant state of expansion and transformation. Manually incorporating new devices or adjusting configurations across various vendors can be overwhelming. However, by harnessing the capabilities of a configuration management tool that supports multiple vendors, scalability concerns are alleviated. These tools seamlessly accommodate network growth, facilitating the addition or modification of devices with ease.

Backup maintenance: Oversight in backing up crucial devices during manual management can lead to disruptive network downtime. Configuration management tools equipped with an automated backup functionality mitigate this risk by autonomously ensuring backup procedures are consistently executed. This proactive approach minimizes network downtime, ensuring operational continuity.

Configuration tracking: Real-time tracking of configuration changes is paramount for network stability. However, this task is impractical to perform manually. Through the implementation of an adept configuration management tool, you gain peace of mind. These tools offer comprehensive features, such as change notifications, role-based access control, configuration versioning, and labelling. This enables you to vigilantly monitor changes, swiftly identify stable configurations, and seamlessly restore previous versions, if necessary, thereby bolstering network resilience.

Firmware vulnerability management: Managing firmware vulnerabilities across a diverse array of devices manually is a daunting undertaking. The sheer volume of devices and configurations compounds the challenge, leaving networks susceptible to breaches. By leveraging a robust configuration management tool, organizations can proactively address vulnerabilities in real time. These tools facilitate automated vulnerability tracking and patch application, pre-emptively fortifying the network against potential threats.

Adherence to compliance standards: Ensuring compliance with industry-grade policies is paramount for safeguarding organizational integrity. Manual verification of device configurations for compliance is arduous and prone to oversights. However, with a proficient network configuration management tool, you can uphold compliance effortlessly. These tools offer predefined policies, real-time compliance monitoring, and immediate alerts for any violations, enabling organizations to maintain regulatory adherence without compromise.

Streamlining mundane tasks: Automation is pivotal in alleviating the administrative burden associated with routine tasks. Configuration management tools streamline operations by enabling bulk configuration deployment, compliance remediation, and SNMP management across multiple devices simultaneously. This liberates you from mundane duties, empowering you to focus on enhancing network scalability and efficiency.

Report maintenance: Comprehensive network reports are indispensable for monitoring and auditing network operations. Manual report maintenance is time-consuming and prone to inaccuracies. However, with an adept network configuration management tool, you gain access to a plethora of preconfigured reports, ensuring comprehensive visibility into network activities without the burden of manual compilation.

Choosing the right network configuration management tool can be daunting amidst the plethora of options available in the market. The subsequent section offers invaluable insights into selecting the optimal tool tailored to your network requirements.

Selecting the Right Configuration Management Tool for your Network

Vendor versatility: Does your network boast a diverse vendor mix of Cisco, Brocade, Palo Alto Networks, and more? Your chosen tool should seamlessly support configurations across all these brands.

Backups: Look for a tool with robust backup capabilities—automated, scheduled, and bulk backup capabilities become your safety net for immediate restoration during unprecedented downtime.

Change management: Stay on top of every tweak! Features like change alerts, user access control based on roles, and side-by-side configuration comparisons are essential for meticulous change management.

Compliance management: Simplify compliance with built-in features. Policies for industry standards like the CIS benchmarks and the PCI DSS should be readily available, with the ability to create custom policies for added control.

Vulnerability management: Proactive protection is crucial. The tool should actively track new vulnerabilities from trusted sources like the NIST and flag affected devices for swift action.

Automation: Repetitive tasks? Finish them in minutes! The tool should have proactive automation functionalities that allow you to push mundane tasks to multiple devices simultaneously, boosting network scalability and saving you precious time.

Reporting: Gain a bird's-eye view with comprehensive audit reports. The tool should track every network operation, providing insights into potential issues and areas for improvement with real-time reports.

Device onboarding: Streamline device discovery with prebuilt templates for various vendors. This ensures a smooth and efficient onboarding process for new devices.

By prioritizing these features, you'll be well on your way to selecting a configuration management tool that empowers you to conquer your network challenges and achieve optimal performance.

Network Configuration Manager: Your All-In-One Configuration Management Tool

ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager is a versatile network change and configuration management solution that supports multiple vendors, facilitating comprehensive control over the configuration management life cycle of all your network devices.

Key functionalities of Network Configuration Manager include:

• Configuration backups
• Configuration change management
• Firmware vulnerability management
• Automation through Configlets
• Compliance management
• Report generation

Configuration backups

With Network Configuration Manager, you have three methods to execute backups:

1. Manual or bulk backup: Select any number of devices required for backup and initiate the operation in a simple click:

Network Configuration Manager - Manual or Bulk backup - (click to enlarge)

2. Scheduled backup: Schedule backups for essential devices, specifying the time and date, and the tool will autonomously execute the operation, generating reports as required:

Network Configuration Manager - Automating tasks - (click to enlarge)

3. Automated backup: Activate change detection for devices, allowing the tool to automatically monitor for alterations using syslogs, and perform backups when changes occur.

Network Configuration Manager - Change Detection - (click to enlarge)

Configuration Change Management

Network Configuration Manager offers a comprehensive set of features to facilitate efficient change management, including:

1. Change notifications: Receive notifications via email, SNMP traps, syslogs, or tickets, according to your preference, whenever a change is detected.

Network Configuration Manager - Change Notification - (click to enlarge)

2. Role-based access control (RBAC): Utilize the RBAC feature to regulate user access to devices, empowering you to oversee all changes before implementation:

Network Configuration Manager - Role Base Access Control - (click to enlarge)

3. Versioning and labelling: The tool automatically assigns ascending versions to each change made while also allowing users to label configurations as stable or baseline for easy identification during unexpected downtime and restoration:

Network Configuration Manager - Versioning and Labelling - (click to enlarge)

4. Configuration rollback: Employ the rollback feature for critical devices in your network, enabling automatic reversion to the previous version or a baseline version during unexpected downtime.

5. Configuration comparison: Quickly identify modifications, deletions, or additions in configuration lines by comparing two versions of the same device or different devices side by side, with color-coded highlights for clarity:

Network Configuration Manager - Configuration Comparison - (click to enlarge)

Firmware vulnerability management

Network Configuration Manager boasts a specialized vulnerability management functionality, receiving daily updates on vulnerability data from the NIST and other vendors. It provides comprehensive lists of vulnerable devices, including essential details such as CVE ID, base score, severity levels, and links to potential patch solutions. Additionally, users can employ the time filter option to review vulnerabilities detected within specific time frames.

Network Configuration Manager - Firmware Vulnerability Management - (click to enlarge)

For closed networks, there's flexibility to import vulnerability data in a specified format. To access the latest firmware vulnerability data and learn more about manual import checksums, click here.

Automation with Configlets

You can utilize Configlets, which are automated script templates, to simultaneously apply bulk configurations across multiple devices, update passwords across multiple devices, enable or disable SNMP on multiple devices, and more. This capability allows you to streamline and expedite administrative tasks that would otherwise be time-consuming, enabling you to complete them in a matter of minutes.

Network Configuration Manager - Automation with Configlets - (click to enlarge)

Compliance management

Network Configuration Manager comes equipped with default compliance policies for the CIS benchmarks, SOX, HIPAA, and the PCI DSS. Moreover, it offers the flexibility to tailor custom policies according to your specific needs. Configlets can be employed to address rule violations effectively. Network Configuration Manager supports CIS benchmark adherence for Cisco ASA and Cisco IOS devices.

Network Configuration Manager - Compliance Management - (click to enlarge)

Report generation

Network Configuration Manager offers over 20 reports across five distinct categories:

1. Network reports

2. Configuration reports

3. Vulnerability reports

4. User reports

5. Other reports

Network Configuration Manager - Report Generation - (click to enlarge)

Additional features

Integrations: Network Configuration Manager offers support for a range of both in-house and third-party tools, including ServiceDesk Plus, ServiceNow, Password Manager Pro, and PagerDuty. Additionally, seamless integration is available with OpManager or NetFlow Analyzer.

Network Configuration Manager - 3rd Party Integration Options - (click to enlarge)

Scheduling: Ensure timely execution of critical tasks, such as backups, report generation, compliance checks, Configlet execution, device discovery, and configuration syncs, by scheduling them accordingly. Timestamp options include hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and one-time executions.

Network Configuration Manager - Scheduling Tasks - (click to enlarge)

Mobile apps: Access the functionality of Network Configuration Manager while on the move with the Android and iOS mobile apps. Please note that this feature requires the installation of a functional desktop version of Network Configuration Manager.

Summary

Managing configurations is a critical aspect of networking, and with ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager in your toolkit, you can address every facet necessary for robust and efficient network configuration management. This tool not only ensures comprehensive coverage but also delivers a significant return on investment.

Moreover, the Enterprise edition of Network Configuration Manager facilitates centralized management of distributed networks with its Central-Probe architecture, leaving no aspect of network configuration management overlooked.

To experience the advantages firsthand, download a 30-day, free trial of Network Configuration Manager now, and instantly elevate your network to a scalable, efficient, and secure environment.

Interested in obtaining accurate pricing for your network? Just complete our quote form to receive precise information.

Eager to explore the product's capabilities firsthand with guidance from our experts? Fill out our demo form to schedule a comprehensive demonstration.

For information regarding the system requirements of Network Configuration Manager, click here.

Additionally, to discover the Cisco devices supported by our platform, refer to the table below:

• Cisco Intrusions Prevention Sensor IPS
• Cisco Meraki devices
• Cisco IOS Routers
• Cisco IOS Switches
• Cisco WLAN Controllers
• Cisco Aironet Access Points
• Cisco Access Servers
• Cisco ASA Firewalls & MultiContext
• Cisco CatOS Switches
• Cisco MDE
• Cisco Media Convergence Server MCS
• Cisco ISDN Access Routers
• Cisco LightStream ATM Switches

For further information on the supported Cisco devices and other device models from leading vendors, click here.