Configuration Management

Configuration management provides several of the most powerful and interactive features in the NetMRI software, including the ability to view, compare and edit configurations for all devices in the network; automate repetitive processes across any number of devices; correct discovered issues; and create Policies to verify network configurations. If you are used to having dozens of Telnet or SSH windows open on a desktop to inspect devices' configuration files, with no ability to compare or search, this feature set was made for you.
In NetMRI, this feature set is termed as Configuration Management.
Configuration Management features also allow viewing and editing of configuration files for any virtual device contexts detected and managed by NetMRI.
Config Management provides the following features:

• The Config Archive tab: provides tools to browse, view, compare and edit device configuration files across all devices and virtual devices in the managed network;
• Config Search: search for specific configuration strings or expressions across any and all configuration files for any device in the managed network. For information, see Using Searches in Config Management;
• The Job Management tab: create, schedule and approve and run Job Management scripts, and define custom issues. Job Management is used by NetMRI to automate common network administration tasks. For information, see Job Management and Automation Change Manager;
• The Policy Design Center tab: create rules and policies, and deploy policies on the network. NetMRI supports Policy Design and Policy Management. Rules are the building blocks that form a Policy. For information, see Policy Design Center.

Elements of configuration management apply across numerous parts of NetMRI, including the Device Viewer, which provides its Configuration Management section for viewing and editing specific config files and viewing their history, and the Settings window, which provides a set of global settings for configuration management.
NetMRI also filters 'collection noise,' by removing artifacts from the configuration collection process, filtering elements such as command prompts, line breaks and page breaks, and extraneous header/footer information during configuration data collection. This process occurs automatically without user intervention.
You can also filter and ignore configuration changes executed by automated systems, or changes executed through a NetMRI Automated Change Management (ACM) process, using a designated login, which the admin may wish NetMRI to ignore while the job executes. For information, see Filtering Change Notifications from User Accounts.

Note: You can define change blackouts for device groups and for networks. Change blackouts allow for read-only discovery and data collection from devices involved in the blackout, but prevents any status or configuration changes to them. For information, see Defining Blackout Periods.