Network Configuration Management

Change Management

Contents

Network Configuration Manager lets you automate notifications and actions when specific events occur in the product, such as a configuration backup, a configuration change, a compliance violation, or a firmware vulnerability. This is done using Change Management Templates and Change Management Profiles.

  • Templates define what Network Configuration Manager should do when an event occurs, such as sending an email, logging a ticket, forwarding the event to a SIEM server, executing a Configlet, or rolling back the configuration. Templates are reusable.
  • Profiles define when the templates should run. A profile specifies the event type, the devices, and the trigger condition, and links them to one or more templates.

The following template types are available:

  1. Email - send an email notification
  2. Email based SMS - send an SMS through an email-to-SMS gateway
  3. SMS - send an SMS to a mobile number through an SMS gateway
  4. Log a Ticket - log a trouble ticket in ServiceDesk Plus, ServiceDesk Plus Cloud or ServiceNow
  5. SysLog Profile - forward a Syslog message to a Syslog server
  6. Trap Profile - send an SNMP trap to a host
  7. Configlets - execute a Configlet
  8. Invoke a Webhook - push the event to an external application or service through HTTP
  9. SIEM - forward Syslog messages to your SIEM server
  10. Alarm - raise an alarm in Network Configuration Manager with the selected severity
  11. Rollback - revert the device configuration to the previous or baseline version

Note: Change Management is available from build 12.9.200. It extends the earlier Change Notifications feature.

Change Management Template types in NCM

Event Types

Every template and profile is created for an event type, which decides the event for which it can be used. The following event types are available:

  • Backup - triggers the action when a device configuration backup succeeds or fails.
  • Configlets - triggers the action when a Configlet execution succeeds or fails.
  • Config Change - triggers the action when a change is detected in a device configuration.
  • Startup Conflict - triggers the action when a conflict is detected in the startup configuration.
  • Baseline Conflict - triggers the action when a conflict is detected between the device configuration and its baseline.
  • Compliance - triggers the action when a configured compliance policy or rule is violated.
  • Firmware Vulnerability - triggers the action when a firmware vulnerability is detected for a device.
  • EOL/EOS - triggers the action based on the End-of-Life (EOL) and End-of-Support (EOS) dates configured for a device. You can be notified in advance, such as 30 days before the date.
  • Approval Request - triggers the action when an approval request is raised for an operation, such as Configlet execution, that requires authorization before it proceeds.
  • General - available only while creating a template. Select it to create a template that is not specific to any event type.

Select the event type from the Event Type drop-down at the top of every template.

Event Type drop-down in NCM

Creating a Change Management Template

Creating a template is a simple, three-step process:

  1. Choose the template type
  2. Select the event type and provide a name for the template
  3. Configure the template details and save

To create a template,

  1. Go to Config Automation → Change Management.
  2. Click the Template tab.
  3. Click the + icon at the top right of the list. The Change Management Template page opens with all the template types.
  4. Click the template type you want to create (for example, Email).
  5. Select the Event Type from the drop-down.
  6. Enter a Template Name. Use a name that identifies the purpose of the template, such as "Config Change - Email to Network Team".
  7. Configure the fields specific to the template type, as explained in the sections below.
  8. Click Test Action to verify the template (not available for Configlets, Alarm and Rollback), and then click Save.

Note: The subject, message, description, and other text fields accept replaceable variables such as $message, $host_name, $device_type, and $strModTime. These are replaced with actual values when the template runs. Use the Subject Variables and Message Variables drop-downs to insert them.

Add a template in NCM

Email

Use this template to send an email notification to the desired recipients.

  1. Select the Event Type and enter the Template Name.
  2. Enter the sender’s email address in the From Email Address field.
  3. Enter the recipients’ email addresses in the To Email Address field. To send the notification to multiple recipients, separate the addresses with a comma. To copy additional recipients, click Add Cc.
  4. Select the Mail Format - Plain Text, HTML or Both.
  5. Enter the Subject. The default is $Profile_name - $Template_name. You can edit it or insert variables from the Subject Variables drop-down.
  6. Enter the Message.
  7. Click Test Action to send a test mail, and then click Save.

Email template in NCM

Email based SMS

Use this template to send an SMS through the email-to-SMS gateway of your mobile service provider. The email is delivered to the gateway, which forwards it as an SMS.

  1. Select the Event Type and enter the Template Name.
  2. Enter the sender’s email address in the From Email Address field.
  3. In the To Email Address field, enter the email address provided by your SMS gateway provider for the recipient’s mobile number.
  4. Enter the Subject and Message. Use the Subject Variables and Message Variables drop-downs to insert variables.
  5. Click Test Action and then click Save.

Email based SMS template in NCM

SMS

Use this template to send an SMS to a mobile number through an SMS gateway.

Note: To use this template, configure the SMS Server settings first.

  1. Select the Event Type and enter the Template Name.
  2. Select the SMS gateway from the Select Gateway drop-down.
  3. Enter the recipient’s number in the Mobile number field along with the country code.
  4. Enter the Message. Use the Message Variables drop-down to insert variables.
  5. Click Test Action and then click Save.

SMS template in NCM

Log a Ticket

Use this template to log a trouble ticket in your help desk tool when an event occurs. ServiceDesk Plus, ServiceNow and ServiceDesk Plus Cloud are supported.

  1. Select the Event Type and enter the Template Name.
  2. Click the tab of your help desk tool - ServiceDesk Plus, ServiceNow or ServiceDesk Plus Cloud.
  3. Under Ticket Details, tag the tickets with the required Category, Sub Category, Item, Priority, Group and Technician values from the drop-downs.
  4. Enter the Title of the ticket. Use the Subject Variables drop-down to insert variables.
  5. Enter the Description of the ticket. Use the Message Variables drop-down to insert variables.
  6. Click Test Action and then click Save.

Note: All the ticket fields are stored in cache memory. If the values you updated in ServiceDesk Plus are not listed, click Refresh to update the cache with the latest ticket fields.

Log a Ticket template in NCM

SysLog Profile

Use this template to send a Syslog message to a Syslog server when an event occurs.

  1. Select the Event Type and enter the Template Name.
  2. Enter the hostname or IP address of the Syslog server in Destination Host and the Syslog port in Destination Port.
  3. Select the Severity and Facility of the message.
  4. Enter the Message. Use the Message Variables drop-down to insert more variables.
  5. Click Test Action and then click Save.

SysLog Profile template in NCM

Trap Profile

Use this template to send an SNMP trap to a host when an event occurs.

  1. Select the Event Type and enter the Template Name.
  2. Enter the hostname or IP address of the recipient in Host Name and the SNMP port in Host Port.
  3. Select the SNMP Version from the drop-down.
  4. Enter the Community string.
  5. Enter the VarBinds to be sent along with the trap. Use the Varbind Variables drop-down to insert more variables.
  6. Click Test Action and then click Save.

Trap Profile template in NCM

Configlets

Use this template to execute a Configlet when an event occurs.

  1. Select the Event Type and enter the Template Name.
  2. Select the Configlet to be executed from the Select Configlet drop-down.
  3. To create a new Configlet from here, click the + icon next to the drop-down.
  4. Click Save.

Configlets template in NCM

Invoke a Webhook

Webhooks are user-defined callbacks over HTTP. Use this template to push the event details to a specified URL when an event occurs.

  1. Select the Event Type and enter the Template Name.
  2. In Hook URL, select the HTTP method from the drop-down and enter the URL.
  3. If the request requires headers, enter the Header Name and Header Value under Request Headers and click the + icon. The added headers are listed in the table below. To remove a header, click the delete icon against it.
  4. (Optional) Enter the User Agent to be sent with the request.
  5. Enter the Time Out in seconds.
  6. Click Test Action and then click Save.

Invoke a Webhook template in NCM

SIEM

Use this template to forward Network Configuration Manager events to your SIEM server to analyze patterns and build dashboards.

  1. Select the Event Type and enter the Template Name.
  2. In the SIEM (UDP/Syslog) tab, enter the SIEM server’s hostname or IP address in Destination Host and the port in Destination Port.
  3. Select the Severity and Facility.
  4. Enter the Description. Use the Variables drop-down to insert variables.
  5. Click Test Action and then click Save.

SIEM template in NCM

Alarm

Use this template to raise an alarm in Network Configuration Manager for the device when an event occurs.

  1. Select the Event Type and enter the Template Name.
  2. Select the Severity of the alarm from the drop-down.
  3. Click Save.

Alarm template in NCM

Rollback

Use this template to automatically roll back the device configuration when an event occurs.

  1. Select the Event Type and enter the Template Name.
  2. Select one of the following:
    • Rollback to previous version - reverts the device to the version immediately preceding the current version. For example, if the changed version is 7, the device is rolled back to version 6.
    • Rollback to version labeled Baseline - reverts the device to the version labeled as Baseline.
  3. Select the Rollback Mode from the drop-down. The default is Running.
  4. Click Save.

Note:

  • The device should support TFTP / SFTP / SCP-based file transfers.
  • The Device Template should have an upload command.
  • If the device restarts after the configuration upload, specific handling should be done in the Device Template appropriately.

Rollback template in NCM

Managing Change Management Templates

All the templates created in Network Configuration Manager are listed under Config Automation → Change Management → Template tab. The list shows the following details for each template:

  1. Name - the name of the template
  2. Type - the template type, such as Send Email, Send SMS, Log a Ticket, Send SysLog, Send Trap, Configlets, SIEM, NCMAlarm, NCMRollback, or Webhook
  3. Event Type - the event for which the template can be used
  4. Created By - the user who created the template
  5. Actions - options to edit or delete the template

Use the search icon at the top right of the list to find a template by name, and the column settings icon to choose the columns to display.

Template list in NCM

Editing a Template

  1. Go to Config Automation → Change Management → Template tab.
  2. Click the edit icon under the Actions column for the template.
  3. Modify the required details and click Save.

Deleting a Template

  1. Go to Config Automation → Change Management → Template tab.
  2. Click the delete icon under the Actions column for the template.
  3. Confirm the deletion.

Change Management Profiles

A Change Management Profile defines when and for which devices the templates should run. Creating a profile is a simple, three-step process:

  1. Select the event type, name the profile, and choose the devices
  2. Set the trigger condition
  3. Select the templates to be executed

Creating a Profile

  1. Go to Config Automation → Change Management.
  2. Click the Profile tab.
  3. Click the + icon at the top right of the list.

Add a profile in NCM

Step 1: Profile

  1. Select the Event Type from the drop-down.
  2. Enter a Profile Name and a Description.
  3. Select the devices to which the profile should apply.
  4. Click Next.

Profile step in NCM

Step 2: Trigger

Select the condition that should trigger the action. The options on this page depend on the event type you selected in Step 1. For example:

  • Backup and Configlets - select Failed, Success, or both, to trigger the action based on the execution status.
  • EOL/EOS - select how many days in advance you want to be notified of the End-of-Life (EOL) and End-of-Support (EOS) dates.

Trigger step in NCM

Step 3: Template

  1. Select one or more templates to be executed when the trigger condition is met. The list shows the template name and its type. To select all templates, use the checkbox in the header row.
  2. Click Save.

Note: Each selected device will receive a separate notification.

Template step in NCM

Managing Profiles

The Profile tab lists all the profiles, along with their description, type, status, the user who created and last modified them, and the available actions.

  1. To enable or disable a profile, click the toggle in the Status column.
  2. To modify a profile, click the edit icon under the Actions column.
  3. To delete a profile, click the delete icon under the Actions column.

You can also select multiple profiles and click the delete icon at the top of the list to remove them together.

Profile list in NCM

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