Network Configuration Change Management

Network change management allows organizations to standardize the ways they implement changes across their network. It’s an umbrella term including network configuration change management.

Networks are dynamic systems, and keeping them running optimally often requires regularly making various changes to devices and their configurations. Network configuration changes generally fall into one of two categories. They can either be a reactive response to a problem within the system, or they can be a proactive effort to improve network performance.

However, no matter the type of change, the best way to reduce the frequency and impact of incidents caused by config changes is by creating a standardized network configuration change management approach. This approach should streamline making these necessary changes and lead to as little disturbance as possible—ideally zero interruption and zero downtime—for network system functions.

A network’s configurations are essential to the function of every component of a network and define the network’s flow, operation, and control. One of the key elements of network change management is making sure configuration changes made on the network are authorized and work without creating issues. This capability can be automated with the right network config change management software.

The network configuration change management process involves creating a scalable approach for seamless and more secure changes to network configs. It also involves monitoring for any config changes occurring within the network to help quickly identify unauthorized or unsuccessful changes.

No matter the size of an organization and its network, manual network configuration change management can be time-consuming. But with configuration change management software, you can apply config changes to multiple devices at once, at whatever time makes the most sense (whether after business hours or simply in the background while users are working). While config changes need to happen to maintain optimal performance, they can sometimes cause problems— which is why network change management involves creating standard procedures for network changes and can regularly back up existing configurations, so you can revert to the last good configuration quickly if something goes wrong.

Network change control tools monitoring your network for changes help you make sure no unauthorized or failed changes slip through the cracks, which can create security risks and harming performance. Effective network change management involves monitoring for standard changes, normal changes, and emergency changes. That way, if a change has a problem, the situation can be remediated as soon as possible.

Network configuration change management is important for maintaining the reliability and security of your network. Changes are a critical part of any network, but unauthorized or failed changes can create security vulnerabilities and interfere with performance.

If a change causes a problem, streamlining config management can allow you to identify exactly when and where the problematic change occurred faster. Effective network config change management is also important for ensuring configuration changes comply with regulations, including both internal and external security policies, by making it easier to track both past and current configuration changes.

When problems arise, it’s easier to restore to a previously backed up configuration using configuration change management software to perform automated configuration backups. A network configuration change management tool can also help reduce the chances of human error, decrease the time it takes to implement changes, and help you quickly remediate issues.

Good network configuration management software should include the ability to:

• Perform bulk configuration changes. Network management software should let you make configuration changes across multiple devices at once.
• Schedule automated backups. Your network management tool should perform automated configuration backups and let you customize the time intervals to best suit your needs.
• Get configuration change alerts. You should be able to receive email alerts whenever a configuration change occurs to help you track unauthorized changes and potential security risks.
• Compare and analyze device configurations. The best network change management software will let you compare your current device configurations with your most recent backup or your running and startup configurations. From there, you can analyze the results and make changes to improve performance.
• Generate reports. Good network change management software makes it easy to generate reports on your configurations and your device information using various out-of-the-box report options.

SolarWinds Kiwi CatTools is a network configuration change management solution offering configuration and automation support to help simplify the change management process.

Kiwi CatTools is built to bring you automated configuration change management support for network devices including routers, switches, and firewalls. With the Kiwi CatTools solution, you can schedule automated configuration backups for the time best suiting you. You can also use SSH or Telnet to send commands to and manage multiple devices simultaneously from a single console, such as updating passwords.

Kiwi CatTools also helps you deploy bulk configuration changes to your devices, saving you time and effort when it comes to making the regular configuration changes necessary for maintaining performance. More importantly, it can help you maintain network security by letting you roll multiple devices back to a previous configuration if an unauthorized or failed configuration change occurs to quickly address potential security vulnerabilities.

With native support for both IPv4 and IPv6 network devices from multiple vendors, including HP, Cisco, Huawei, and more, Kiwi CatTools can help you streamline your network management and administration responsibilities to help you make your network safer and more reliable.