As networks have grown ever larger and more complex,, with some distributed systems spanning the globe, tools are required to manage network configuration effectively since having to manually configure thousands of devices is untenable.
Network configuration software, usually part of a larger systems management suite, is used to identify every device on the network and maintain its current configuration, backup details, configuration changes made, compliance status and other attributes. The software also reports on user activity on the device, reports faults detected and executes network administration operations on it.
With system up-time and reliability at the forefront of IT deliverables, and the ever changing landscape of operational and technological challenges of network configuration only growing, it is imperative to implement network configuration software not only to ensure the network is correctly configured but also to meet increasingly stringent compliance standards that must be met to ensure security and regulatory objectives.
Network configuration software automates the entire life-cycle of devices and their configuration. An network systems administrator should be able to see at a glance the status of all devices network-wide and be able to change configurations, apply change processes, ensure compliance and a range of administrative functions as required. They help save time, money and network downtime by reducing manual processes (and thus human error) and automatically apply compliance policies and thus reduce risk and improve security.
Administrators can react proactively when errors occur and prevent unauthorized changes; when the system identifies a fault they can react to the contingency within minutes by seeing the root cause and, if required to fix the issue, roll-back to the previous working configuration settings for that device. Configuration systems also display the dependencies between devices showing how impacts cascade through the system.
Managing a network is often complicated by constant changes in business requirements which result in corresponding changes to the network itself. Such changes require specialized knowledge and familiarity with a wide range of devices and their possible configurations. An awareness of the possible impacts of even minor changes is vital and can be catastrophic to the business. Network configuration software is a critical tool in systems management particularly where large multi-faceted systems need to managed effectively and efficiently. With security threats to mission-critical systems a constant danger, configuration software also enables standards, practices and regulatory requirements to be implemented and documented to provide defence against the legal consequences of unauthorised information access.