What is ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager?
ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager is a comprehensive Network Change and Configuration Management (NCCM) solution that enables the Network Administrator to efficiently and effortlessly manage the configurations of Network Devices. Network Configuration Manager offers multi-vendor network device configuration, continuous monitoring of configuration changes, notifications on respective changes, detailed operation audit and trails, examining device configurations for compliance to a defined set of policies and standards, real-time compliance status reporting, easy and safe recovery to trusted configurations, automation of configuration tasks and insightful reporting. For more details, click here.
What does Network Configuration Manager do?
Network Configuration Manager can manage network devices such as switches, routers, firewalls wireless access points and integrated access devices etc. from multiple vendors such as Cisco, HP, Nortel, Force10, D-Link, Juniper, NetScreen, Juniper, NETGEAR, Dell, 3Com, Foundry, Fortinet, ADTRAN, Enterasys, Huawei, Extreme, Proxim, Aruba and Blue Coat. It discovers network devices, builds up an inventory database and allows IT administrators to take control of configuring the devices from a central console. The web-based administrator console provides the User Interface to perform all the configuration operations. Additionally, it can be accessed from anywhere using any standard web browser.
Can Network Configuration Manager Manage the Configurations of Cisco Devices?
Yes, Network Configuration Manager can manage the configurations of cisco devices. Cisco router configuration, Cisco switch configuration and Cisco firewall configuration can be done using Network Configuration Manager. Apart from cisco devices, Network Configuration Manager can be used to manage the configurations of switches, routers, firewalls, wireless access points and integrated access devices from other vendors such as HP, 3com, Foundry, FortiGate and NetScreen.
Can Network Configuration Manager be used to manage router configuration / switch configuration / firewall configuration?
Yes, Network Configuration Manager can be used to manage router configuration, switch configuration and firewall configuration from multiple vendors such as Cisco, HP, 3Com, Foundry, FortiGate and NetScreen.
What are the devices supported by Network Configuration Manager?
Network Configuration Manager at present supports switches, routers, firewalls, wireless access points and integrated access devices. For new device support, send your request.
What are the vendors supported by Network Configuration Manager?
Network Configuration Manager at present supports Cisco, HP, Nortel, Force10, D-Link, Juniper, NetScreen, Juniper, NETGEAR, Dell, 3Com, Foundry, Fortinet, ADTRAN, Enterasys, Huawei, Extreme, Proxim, Aruba and Blue Coat. For new vendor support, send your request.
Is Network Configuration Manager available for evaluation or direct purchasing?
Network Configuration Manager is available for both evaluation and direct purchase. Please contact our sales team at +1-888-720-9500 or email sales@manageengine.com
Do I need any prerequisite software to be installed before using Network Configuration Manager?
There is no prerequisite software installation required to use Network Configuration Manager. MySQL, TFTP server and Syslog server are bundled with the product itself. If you want to received change management notifications via email, you need to configure an external SMTP server (optional).
What is the Licensing Policy for Network Configuration Manager?
Professional Evaluation Edition download valid for 30 days, capable of supporting a maximum of 50 devices. Free support would be offered during evaluation.
Professional Edition - Licensing based on the number of devices support needed. Priority support would be offered. For more information / to get license, contact sales@manageengine.com
Free Edition - download valid for ever, capable for supporting a maximum of two devices.
Do I have to reinstall Network Configuration Manager when moving to the Professional Edition?
No. You need not have to reinstall or shut down the server. You just need to enter the new license file in the "Register" link present in the top right corner of the Network Configuration Manager web interface.
What are the browser versions supported by Network Configuration Manager?
Web Interface requires one of the following browsers** to be installed in the system:
** Network Configuration Manager is optimized for 1024 x 768 resolution and above
What are the System Configuration Requirements for Network Configuration Manager?
Refer to the information available in the System Requirements section.
I forgot the password to login to Web Interface
You can a get a new password for an account using the Login Name and Email Id of that account (the Email id should match with the one that was configured for the user earlier)
How do I change the password of my login account?
Login to the Network Configuration Manager Web Interface
Users with admin privileges can change their Login Password through the 'Edit Account Settings' functionality of "Admin" Tab. Ordinary users (that is, users who do not have admin privileges) can change their Login Password through the 'Edit Account Settings' functionality present in left-hand side of "Home" Page.
To Change Login Password,
I have my devices listed in a text file. Can I import them to the inventory of Network Configuration Manager?
Network Configuration Manager provides the option to import devices from a text file and add them to the inventory. To import devices from a text file, Network Configuration Manager requires that the entries in the file conform to a specific format. For more details, refer to the section on "Device Addition" in help documentation.
Can I apply same set of credentials to multiple devices as a bulk operation?
Yes. You can apply the same set of credentials 'as they are' to multiple devices. In such cases, to avoid the cumbersome task of entering the credentials for each device separately, Network Configuration Manager offers the flexibility of creating common credentials and sharing the common credentials among multiple devices. This is called as 'Credential Profile'. For more details, click here.
How does Network Configuration Manager help me in keeping track of configuration changes?
One of the ways to detect configuration changes in a device is by monitoring syslog messages. Many devices generate syslog messages whenever their configuration undergoes a change. By listening to these messages, it is possible to detect any configuration change in the device. This comes in handy for administrators to keep track of the changes being made and to detect any unauthorized changes.
Network Configuration Manager leverages this change notification feature of devices to provide real-time change detection and tracking. A syslog server comes in-built with Network Configuration Manager. It occupies port 514.
Besides the real-time change detection, configuration changes could also be tracked through scheduled, periodic backup of device configuration. For more details refer to the section "Configuration Change Detection" in help documentation.
Can I receive automatically generated reports on Device Configuration in my mailbox?
Yes, Network Configuration Manager provides option to mail reports to email IDs. You can schedule reports to be generated at any point of time and reports will be mailed to your email ID.
Can Network Configuration Manager generate email alerts?
Yes, Network Configuration Manager can be configured to send email alerts whenever there happens a change in configuration. For more details refer to the section "Change Management " in help documentation.
Does Network Configuration Manager maintain historical data about Device Configuration?
'Yes it maintains historical data of device configuration. The historical data are available in the device properties page of each device. For more details refer to the section "Device Configuration Details" in help documentation.
How much security does Network Configuration Manager offer to my configuration?
Network Configuration Manager offers a good level of security to your configuration as all the configuration information retrieved from devices are encrypted and stored in DB. Also device credential information are also encrypted and stored in DB.
Can we install our own SSL certificate? How?
Yes, you can install your own SSL certificates in Network Configuration Manager. Please follow the steps below to do that:
If you are using keytool utilities for certificate generation
The Network Configuration Manager runs as a HTTPS service. It requires a valid CA-signed SSL certificate with the principal name as the name of the host on which it runs. By default, on first time startup, it creates a self signed certificate. This self signed certificate will not be trusted by the user browsers. Thus, while connecting to Network Configuration Manager, you need to manually verify the certificate information and the hostname of Network Configuration Manager server carefully and should force the browser to accept the certificate.
To make the Network Configuration Manager server identify itself correctly to the web browser and the user:
Step 1: The first step is to create the public-private key pair that will be used for the SSL handshake
Step 2: Create a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) for submission to a certificate authority to create a signed certificate with the public key generated in the previous step.
Step 3 : Submit the CSR to a Certificate Authority (CA) to obtain a CA signed certificate
Step 4: Import the CA-signed certificate to the Network Configuration Manager server
Step 5: Finally, configure the Network Configuration Manager server to use the keystore with your SSL certificate
Note 1: Tomcat by default accepts only the JKS (Java Key Store) and PKCS #12 format keystores. In case, the keystore is of PKCS #12 format, include the following option in the server.xml file along with the keystore name,
keystoreType=”PKCS12″
This tells tomcat that the format is PKCS12. Restart the server after this change.
To configure existing wild card supported SSL certificate,
Note 2: Please refer your CA's documentation for more details and troubleshooting
If you are using OpenSSL / Microsoft Utilities
Follow these steps to enable using your own certificates :
I want to prevent unauthorized configuration changes to my core devices.
You can make use of the 'Change Management' feature of Network Configuration Manager. For more details refer to the section "Configuration Change Management " in help documentation.
I have enabled syslog-based change detection for my device. But the product does not seem to detect any configuration changes.
Configuration change messages will be generated only at certain logging levels. So check if the logging level in the device is set to one of the values listed in the "Syslog Config for Change Detection" - logging level drop-down. Also, ensure if syslog server is running and the syslog port (514) is free for Network Configuration Manager's use.
Has Network Configuration Manager been reviewed by any independant reviewers?
Yes. Network Configuration Manager has been reviewed by the following magazines/reviewers: