TFTP Server Setting

Network Configuration Manager uses TFTP server to transfer the configuration files to-and-fro the devices. In case, Network Configuration Manager is running in multi-homed machines, you can specify the interface to be used for transferring the configuration files from/to the devices. The interface specified here will be used for transferring (backup, upload) configuration files of all devices in inventory.

To specify a particular interface,

1. Go to "Settings" >> "General Settings">> "Server Settings" >> "TFTP Server".

2. Select the required IP from the drop-down. Click "Save".

3. To give effect to this change, you need to restart Network Configuration Manager server.

SCP Server Setting

Network Configuration Manager provides the option to use SCP to transfer the configuration files to-and-fro the devices. In case, Network Configuration Manager is running in multi-homed machines, you can specify the interface to be used for transferring the configuration files from/to the devices. The interface specified here will be used for transferring (backup, upload) configuration files of all devices in inventory.

To specify a particular interface,

1. Go to "Settings" >> "General Settings" >> "Server Settings" >> "SCP Server".

2. Select the required IP from the drop-down. Click "Save".

3. To give effect to this change, you need to restart Network Configuration Manager server.

    

Syslog Server Setting

By default, Network Configuration Manager binds its syslog listener to port 514. In case, your machine is multi-homed and if you want to run some other application with a syslog server in the same machine, you can bind the Network Configuration Manager syslog server to a specific interface leaving the other interface(s) for use by other application(s).

To specify a particular interface,

1. Go to "Settings" >> "General Settings" >> "Server Settings" >> "Syslog Server".

2. Select the required IP from the drop-down. Click "Save".

3. To give effect to this change, you need to restart Network Configuration Manager server.

Rebranding

Rebranding option helps you replace Network Configuration Manager logo that is displayed in the web client as well as in the reports, with your company's logo. You can also change the product name if needed.

To replace NCM logo and product in the web client and reports, follow the steps given below:

1.  "Settings" >> "General Settings" >> "Rebranding".

2. Enter the Product Name that you want to display in the Reports.

3. Browse and import the Image to replace the NCM logo that is displayed in the web client and reports.

4. Click Save.

5. Once done with the above changes, restart OpManager.

Trouble Ticket Settings

Upon detecting changes in configuration, Network Configuration Manager provides the option to generate trouble tickets to your Help Desk. You can set your Help Desk email ID here.

1. Go to "Settings" >> "Global Settings" >> "Trouble Ticket Settings"

2. Enter Help Desk email ID and click "Save" to give effect to the settings.

SNMP Trap Settings

SNMP v2 traps could be sent to a specific host upon detecting a configuration change. Settings could be done for that purpose here.

To send SNMP trap to the desired host (based on the change management condition specified through change management rule),

1. Go to "Settings" >> "Global Settings" >> "SNMP Trap"

2. Enter hostname or IP address of the recipient. Also, enter SNMP port and community. Default values 162 for port and public for community.

3. Click "Save".

User Management

User Management Operations such as adding new users and assigning them roles, editing the existing users and deleting the user could be performed only by the Administrators. Operator do not have this privilege.

Administrators can create as many users as required and define appropriate roles for the user. From Settings >> User Management, administrators can

1. View all the existing users

2. Create new users

3. Change the access level, device list of existing users

4. Delete an existing user

To view the existing list of users

• Go to Settings >> User Management. The list of users will be displayed with respective login names, access levels and email IDs.

Adding New Users

To Add New Users

1. Go to Settings >> User Management. Click "Add"

2. Define the "Access Level" (role) for the new user - Administrator/Operator; Users falling under "Administrator" category shall have unlimited privilege and access over all functionalities of Network Configuration Manager. On the other hand, the users falling under operator category will have very restricted access.

3. Provide the user's email ID. This email ID will be used in the 'Forgot Password' feature to intimate the password to the user when the user invokes 'Forgot Password'. While invoking 'Forgot Password' link in the login UI of Network Configuration Manager, the users will have to provide the username and the email ID. Network Configuration Manager will reset the password of the user and it would be mailed to the user's ID  

4. Enter "password"; the password should be at least 5 characters long

5. Confirm the new password

6. Select the required time zone and click on next

7. Now select the devices/ device groups to be assigned to the user

8. Click "Save". new user account has been created

To Edit existing Users

1. Go to Settings >> User Management.

2. In the UI that opens, click on the user account to be edited.

3. Change the access level and device list of the user as desired and Click "Update"

To Delete existing Users

1. Go to Settings >> User Management.

2. In the UI that opens, click the delete icon present against the respective username. The user will be removed from Network Configuration Manager once and for all.

    

Privileges for Configuration and other Operations

The following table explains the privileges associated with each access level for performing various device configuration operations:

RADIUS Server Settings

You can make Network Configuration Manager work with RADIUS server in your environment. You can also leverage the RADIUS authentication for user access bypassing the local authentication provided by Network Configuration Manager. This section explains the configurations involved in integrating RADIUS server with Network Configuration Manager.
 

Providing Basic Details about RADIUS Server

To configure RADIUS server in Network Configuration Manager, provide the following basic details about RADIUS server and credentials to establish connection:

1. Go to "Setting" >> "User Management" tab and click "RADIUS Server Settings"

2. In the UI that opens, provide the following details:

3. Server Name/IP Address  - enter the host name or IP address of the host where RADIUS server is running

4. Server Authentication Port - enter the port used for RADIUS server authentication. By default, RADIUS has been assigned the UDP port 1812 for RADIUS Authentication

5. Server Protocol - select the protocol that is used to authenticate users. Choose from four protocols - Password Authentication Protocol (PAP), Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP), Microsoft Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (MSCHAP), Version 2 of Microsoft Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (MSCHAP2)

6. Server Secret - enter the RADIUS secret used by the server for authentication

7. Authentication Retries - select the number of times you wish to retry authentication in the event of an authentication failure

8. Click "Save".

Discovery

Devices can be added to the inventory in three ways:

1. Discover Devices

Pre-requisite

Discovery can be initiated only for the SNMP-enabled devices. So, ensure that your devices are SNMP-enabled before trying discovery.

The Discovery Process

The SNMP-enabled devices available in the network can be discovered and added to the Network Configuration Manager inventory. You can discover a specific device, devices present in a specific IP range and even multiple devices.

To Initiate Discovery,

• Go to Settings >> Discovery

• The discovery wizard provides the option for discovering the devices with specific IP addresses or devices falling under a specific IP range and multiple devices whose details are present in a file. Based on your need for discovery, choose any one of the options for "Discover Devices by".

• Create SNMP profile to specify SNMP credentials,

• Network Configuration Manager supports SNMP versions - v1, v2c and v3
• Enter a name and description for the credential profile for your reference
• Enter the SNMP credentials depending on the SNMP version chosen

• To initiate discovery, click the OK button. The wizard will discover the desired device(s) and add them to the inventory. You will find the new device(s) in the inventory list.

Note:

1. You can even create multiple profiles and Network Configuration Manager would use all of them for discovery.

2. To add, edit or delete any profile, go to Settings>>Device Management>>Credential Profile

Tracking Discovery Status

After starting discovery of devices, you can track the status of discovery on real time basis. You can find the progress of discovery (that is percentage of completion) and finally the result - whether the device/devices was/were discovered successfully and added to the inventory. In case of failure of discovery process, the probable reason for the failure is also reported.

Apart from viewing the status of discovery of a particular attempt on real-time basis, you can even view historical information pertaining to all device discovery attempts made so far and their respective status / result by clicking the link "Discovery Reports".

2. Manual Addition of Devices

You can add new devices through Manual Addition also. To add a device manually,

1. Go to "Settings" >> "Discovery" and click on "IP / Host Name"

2. The device can be added by providing hostname/IP address of the device to be added, the device vendor, type, series & model from the drop-down and click "Add"

3. You will see the progress of device addition in the UI and once the device gets added, you will be prompted to enter credentials for the same

3. Importing Devices from a Text file

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.

Ensure that the entries in the file are in the following format: (column names should be in the same order as shown in the format below with each name separated by a comma):

Format : <Hostname or IP Address>,<Device Template Name>,<Series>,<Model>

Example: catalyst2900,Cisco IOS Switch,2900,2924

    192.168.111.11,Cisco IOS Router,800,805

    192.168.111.22,Force10 E-Series Switch,E600

    procurve2524,HP Procurve Switch

To import devices from a text file,

1. Go to "Inventory >> Click on '+' symbol" and click "Import Devices from text file", click "browse" and locate the file and "Import"

2. Check the inventory and see if the device has been added

Configlets

Configlets offered by Network Configuration Manager are of two types.

The following table provides information about the each type of configlet and when to use them:

To know more on Configlets and how to use them, please refer to Automation using Configlets & Scripts.