Ways to edit network configs
You can use NCM to streamline complex configuration changes and make bulk changes to the configs on multiple nodes. To edit a config, you can manually run a script against a node or use a config change template. Read below about the differences between using a script and a template to decide which method is right for your task. The troubleshooting and remediation section provides an example of a config change that had a major impact on a network and how a system administrator used tools to discover and fix the problem.
Scripts
If you do not need the advanced logic available with config change templates, executing a command script is the most effective way to change configurations on multiple devices. Scripts can be executed manually or scheduled. Users who write scripts must know command line interface (CLI) commands required to make the config changes on a specific device type.
Several tasks can be automated with command scripts. For example, you can:
- Download configuration files
- Upload configuration files
- Upload IOS images
- Update login banners
- Update access control lists (ACLs)
Config change templates
Config change templates are based on a programming language that enables you to create sophisticated config change routines using conditional logic, control flow, and string and value comparison. This method removes the chance of incorrect script syntax creating network errors.
Examples of tasks that can be completed using a template include:
- Change VLAN membership by device port
- Configure device interfaces based on description
- Enable IPSLA for VOIP implementations
- Manage a NetFlow collection at the source device
You can use the config change templates provided with NCM out-of-the-box, import templates from THWACK, or create your own.
The framework for creating config change templates depends on the SolarWinds Information Service (SWIS). SWIS is an API that is installed with NCM and interacts with inventory data in the SolarWinds Platform database. Any device that is not inventoried in NCM cannot be targeted with a config change template. Each object in a device inventory is a SWIS entity that can be referenced in specific ways within scripts.