Automated Switch Configuration Management

What is switch management?

Switch management is the act of surveying all the switches on your network and any configuration changes they undergo during their life cycle. Network devices like routers and switches must all be configured in line with an organization’s network before they can perform their designated duties. But the work isn’t done once a device is up and running. Configuration changes are an ongoing endeavor for users who oversee managing device banner setups and device password, interface description, VLAN, and ACL changes.

Why is switch management important?

There are two primary reasons effective switch management is important:

1. Switch management boosts productivity. Configuration change errors are typically the result of misalignment between your system’s configuration and a switch’s configuration. These errors can result in network outages and financially devastating downtime. Switch management helps you identify configuration change errors and resolve them efficiently, ensuring your employees’ productivity isn’t hampered. Further, a switch manager can help you streamline device configuration and change management, so you can quickly recover from any network downtime from failed switches.
2. Switch management facilitates compliance. It can be easy to push compliance regulations to the back burner when faced with numerous configuration tasks and error-prone configuration changes. Network switch management software is designed to help you adhere to security policies through robust vulnerability scanning capabilities and immediate remediation options quickly sealing gaps in your network. Robust platforms provide out-of-the-box compliance assessments and reports for a wide range of critical security standards, including DISA STIG, NIST FISMA, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and more.

How do I configure a switch?

Whether a result of a completely new switch or a reconfiguration of existing switches, managing switch configurations is an essential part of any IT administrator’s job. The specific best practices for configuring a switch will vary slightly depending on the switch at hand, but the following steps serve as an excellent starting point for IT technicians:

1. Clear the switch. Before any reconfigurations can be conducted, the switch must be wiped of any existing configurations. This can be done by resetting the switch to its default settings.
2. Verify the default configuration. Confirm you’ve reset the switch to its original configuration. Once this has been confirmed, it’s important to make a copy of the file in case any unintentional changes are made in the future.
3. Begin setup. Provide the switch with a name, like “S1” or “S2,” and relaunch the startup configuration and running configuration in preparation for your new configuration.
4. Set a password. Establish a password for the switch you’re configuring.
5. Set switch addresses. Try to avoid using the default VLAN 1 address by creating a new address instead. You’ll use your new VLAN to remotely manage the switch.
6. Assign ports. Your new VLAN will appear offline if no ports are assigned to it. You can remedy this by adding user switch ports to the VLAN.
7. Assign a gateway. All switches must be paired with a router, also known as its default gateway. Simply identify and match a router to pair with your new switch configuration.
8. Assign IP addresses. All devices connected to the switch must be assigned IP addresses. This can be done manually or via a DHCP server.
9. Save the configuration. Your switch configuration must be stored and saved before it’s used.

How does the switch configuration management tool work in NCM?

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is built to facilitate switch configuration. Network Configuration Manager is equipped to help you view, track, deploy, and back up configurations for the switches on your network. Rather than requiring you to spend hours manually managing device configurations, the platform is designed to leverage automation to manage rapid changes across complex networks, streamline repetitive tasks, and maintain uninterrupted IT functionality. This helps reduce the chances of configuration errors occurring as you’re deploying and documenting common configuration changes, including device password, interface description, VLAN, and ACL changes.

Network Configuration Manager is also built to help IT technicians efficiently replace switches that have failed completely. Once you’ve stacked up a replacement device, the platform can help you locate the required configuration from a backup, upload it onto the new device, and verify it with configuration baselines.

What other features does NCM have?

In addition to features designed to avoid configuration errors and network downtime, SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager helps users gain greater control over their network infrastructure through:

• Comprehensive visibility. An in-depth dashboard provides users with a robust view of their network infrastructure. This allows them to quickly identify where configuration errors have occurred, so they can jump into action.
• Centralized delegation. Users can leverage Network Configuration Manager’s integrated console to specify which users can view device details and make configuration changes.
• Network compliance. The platform’s out-of-the-box compliance assessments and reports help users demonstrate compliance with a host of industry standards, including DISA STIG, NIST FISMA, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and more.
• IOS vulnerability detection. Network Configuration Manager integrates with the National Vulnerability Database to help users identify known vulnerabilities entering their system. Technicians can easily upgrade to IOS firmware as soon as a vulnerability is detected.