Documentation forNetwork Configuration Manager
Managing network configurations is a key capability of Hybrid Cloud Observability Advanced and is also available in a standalone module, Network Configuration Manager (NCM). Hybrid Cloud Observability Advanced and NCM are built on the self-hosted SolarWinds Platform.

Specify values for global variables

Global variables allow you to specify common values used to enable NCM to communicate with devices. Global variables can be used in scripts and they can be specified in a device's connection profile.

If you use global variables in scripts and connection profiles, specify the appropriate values for your environment.

  1. Click Settings > All Settings.
  2. Under Product Specific Settings, click NCM Settings.
  3. Under Global Device Defaults, click Global Device Defaults.
  4. In the Device Login Information section:
    1. Specify the Username and Password that NCM should use to connect to devices.
    2. Under Enable Level, select enable if NCM must enter a command to provide a higher level of access on the network devices. On some devices, this command is required to allow NCM to back up configs, upload changed configs, and run certain scripts.

      If a command is required, but the command is not enable, do the following:

      1. Select enable in the connection profile.

      2. In the device template that defines the device-specific commands used to perform actions on that device, include the following:

        <Command Name="EnableCommand" Value="commandForMyDevice"/>

        where commandForMyDevice is the command entered on your device (for example, super).

      If the NCM account has the privileges it needs without having to enter a command such as enable, then make sure enable is not selected in the connection profile.

    3. If you selected enable, enter the password for it.
  5. In the Communication Transfer Protocol section:

    1. For Execute Scripts Using, choose the protocol that NCM should use to execute commands and scripts.
    2. For Request Configs Using, choose the protocol that NCM should use to log in to a device and request a config transfer.

      For more information about Config Request and Transfer Config options, see Protocols NCM uses to transfer configurations.

    3. For Transfer Configs using, choose the protocol that NCM should use to upload and download configs.
  6. In the Transfer Ports section, set the Telnet and SSH ports to the ports allowed on your network.
  7. If device template fields have been set to override global variables and you want to use global variables instead of individually selected values, select Reset All devices to use Global Settings. Select this option for each group of values you want to reset.
  8. Click Test to test the connection.

    If the test fails, click Advanced Test to open the CLI Connection Analyzer dialog. Review the connection settings on this dialog and make changes if needed.

    To run the test again, click Test connection. The CLI Test result page shows the results as well as log file entries to help you troubleshoot any issues.

  9. Click Submit.