Item: SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
Rating: 6
Author: Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We used Solarwinds NCM for almost a decade before the unfortunate Solarwinds hack. Automation and scripting wasn't as prevalent during those years and Solarwinds NCM filled those needs. Making configuration changes to hundreds of devices using NCM saved countless hours which was a direct benefit to the our business's bottom line. The amount of changes needed throughout a year were in the dozens as our network was constantly changing. NCM also came in clutch in many device failures because of the automated backups. We were able to quickly pull the previous configurations and restore them onto the new replacement device within minutes.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Configuration backups (incremental and timed)
Pushing out configuration changes in mass
Scheduled Firmware upgrades

Cons

Storage hungry (needs lots of storage space)
basic alerting (could benefit from triggering scripts if/then conditions)
auto-discovery didn't always work (had to manually add nodes most of the time)

Return on Investment

Saved hundreds of hours by automating changes with NCM
Overhaul of all technologies due to the solwarwinds security hack
Automated backups allowed us to quickly restore in a DR scenario

Alternatives Considered

At the time SolarWinds was the biggest player in the space and their whole portfolio was very comprehensive. As time progressed and newer technologies came about (i.e. SDWAN) their products couldn't keep up with the consumer demands and changing market. Security became such a big focus that once Solarwinds got hacked we had to remove all their products from our environment.

Other Software Used

LogicMonitor, SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server, SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (npm)

Key Insights

Do you think SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM) delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)'s feature set?

Yes

Did SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM) live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM) go as expected?

Would you buy SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM) again?

Likelihood to Recommend

If your IT team isn't proficient in automation and scripting, Solarwinds NCM can fill that gap (assuming your company's security team signs off on approving SW in your environment given the hack.) Basic device configuration, pushing mass changes reliably and backups are NCM's strong suites. If you have a complex scenario where if/then cases are needed, NCM is a bit lack luster. Auto discovery isn't as easy either as certain parameters need to be met for that feature to work 100% of the time.

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Solarwinds NCM - filling the gap of automation