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Network Configuration Management
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CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT
Best Practices for Configuration Management
• Maintain a master device list
• Maintain correct credentials and manageability at 100
percent
• Create relevance for users and management
• Achieve differentiated management; "not all devices are
equal"
• Address people, processes, and technology, not just
technology
• Develop processes to work for your company
• Commit resources; this is not a project, it is a system
Defining configuration
management
From 2nd week :
Configuration Management
The goal of
configuration
management
to monitor network and system configuration
information so that the effects on network
operation of various versions of hardware and
software elements can be tracked and
managed.
Configuration Management
 Each network device has a variety of version information
associated with it.
An engineering workstation, for
example, may be configured as follows:
• Operating system, Version 3.2
• Ethernet interface, Version 5.4
• TCP/IP software, Version 2.0
• NetWare software, Version 4.1
• NFS software, Version 5.1
• Serial communications controller, Version 1.1
• X.25 software, Version 1.0
• SNMP software, Version 3.1
Configuration Management
DATABASE
Configuration management (as subsystems
of Network Management System) store
configuration information in a database for
easy access.
DATA
RETRIEVE
When a problem occurs, this database can be
searched for clues that may help solve the
problem.
What Is Configuration Management?
Configuration management can be summarized
as:
• Device hardware and software inventory
collection
• Device software management
• Device configuration collection, backup,
viewing, archiving, comparison
• Detection of changes to configuration,
hardware, or software
• Configuration change implementation to
support change management
Why Is Configuration Management Important?
 Benefits :
1. Reduced downtime through rapid change impact
identification
2. Productivity improvement for making configuration
changes
3. Helps ensure compliance for device configuration,
software versions, and hardware
4. Quick impact determination of security alerts
5. Improved visibility and accountability at all levels
Foundational and Fundamental
Configuration management is the cornerstone
cornerstone of the
network management system and of the network
lifecycle
Configuration management knows what is
in the network, and it provides control over
network elements and linkage between the
phases of the lifecycle.
ASSOCIATION OF ROLES AND DEFINITION
NO
ITEM OF DEFINITION
1
Device hardware and software
inventory collection
2
Device software management
3
Device configuration collection,
backup, viewing, archiving,
comparison
4
Detection of changes to configuration,
hardware, or software
5
Configuration change implementation
to support change management
linkage
between the
phases of the
lifecycle
control over
network
elements
NETWORK LIFE CYCLE
Phases in the network lifecycle :
Prepare
Plan
Design
Implement
Operate
Optimize
the roles in network delivery and support
(network services) :
1
Management
2
Architecture
3
Delivery
4
Support
Lifecyles and Roles for Delivering and
Supporting Network Services
Prepare
Plan
Manage
ment
X
X
Architect
ure
X
X
Delivery
Support
Design
X
Impleme
nt
Operate
Optimize
X
X
X
the flow of work through a network team and the demarcation in
responsibilities between roles.
• Configuration management provides the
implementation point for demarcation;
• from this, processes can be developed that
supports the network lifecycle and the
necessary roles.
The requirements for configuration management are:
1. Collect network
inventory, including
chassis and modules
The requirements
for configuration
management
are: as well as serial
numbers
2. Report on collected network inventory
3. Collect device configurations
4. Keep multiple versions of device configurations
5. Allow comparison between the multiple versions of device
configurations
6. Detect changes in device configurations (event or polling
based)
7. Determine which user made changes to device
configurations
8. Report on configuration changes
The requirements for configuration management are:
9. Allow configuration changes to be batched and scheduled
10. Report on existing software versions deployed on devices
11. Keep a repository of device software versions
12. Support upgrading of device software
13. Audit configuration to help ensure compliance
14. Search device configurations, software, and hardware
15. Store or link to static documentation and diagrams
16. Support the approval processes and workflows
Asset Management
• Purchase date
If the configuration management system needs to support
asset management, then the additional requirements
needed to support business accounting processes, such as
depreciation, are:
• Purchase price
• Asset number
• Purchasing
details
Carrier Service Management
••••••
•Service number
•Carrier (telco)
If the configuration management system needs to support
carrier service management, then additional requirements
that support carrier service management and contract
renewal are needed. Some of these requirements are:
•Contract start
date
•Contract period
•Currency
•Cost per month
Change Impact Policy
Change Type
Change Impact
Software upgrade major, for example, 12.3(4) to
12.4(5).
High
Configuration change to packet forwarding
capabilities
High
Software upgrade maintenance release, for example,
12.4(1) to 12.4(2)
Medium
New feature deployment
Medium
New hardware deployment
Medium
Configuration change to nonpacket forwarding
capabilities
Low
Change Impact
The change impact is the possible impact the change can have on the production
environment