Network Configuration Backup (NCB) is the process of saving your existing network configuration files. It enables quick recovery of devices from configuration failures, store configuration data centrally, and receive alerts. The most critical application to backup configuration is to restore network functions in times of a network disaster. Faulty configuration changes can cause network disasters like a data breach or even a network outage.

Configuration backup files

Configuration files are categorised into the following types:

Startup configuration

The startup configuration is the configuration your devices run on when they reboot or power up. Startup configuration files are used during system startup to configure the software.

Running configuration

Running configuration files contain the current configuration of the software. The running configuration file and startup configuration may not always be the same. There may be a case when you want to change the configuration for a short period of time, then you update the running configuration but you do not save the changes to the startup configuration file.

Permission-Based Access

For security reasons, a new permission-based access feature has been introduced for the Configuration Backup option for network devices:

• By default, the Configuration Backup option will not be visible unless the user has the necessary permissions.
• The Network Configuration tab under the resource will only be accessible to users with NCM View permissions or higher.
• The Set as Baseline option will only be available to users with NCM Manage permissions or higher.

Supported protocols

The gateway uses the following protocols to connect to end devices:

• SSH 2.x and higher
• Telnet

Prerequisites

Before running a Network Configuration Backup job:

• Network Configuration Backup is supported for network switches and routers.
• The device must be accessible from the gateway using either SSH or Telnet.
• Ensure that all required protocols are supported and enabled on the device.
• Create the job from Automation → Jobs v2 and select Network Configuration Backup as the job type.
• Apply a credential of type Network Configuration Backup to the device. Only one credential set of this type should be assigned per device.

Creating credentials

Follow these steps to create a credential:

1. Click Setup → Account.
2. From Account Details screen, click Credentials tile.
3. Click +ADD. The ADD CREDENTIAL screen is displayed.
4. From ADD CREDENTIAL, enter the name and description for credential.
5. Select credential type as Network Configuration Backup.
6. Enter username and configure the credential details:

9. Click Save.

Configuration backup job options

When creating a Network Configuration Backup job, the following options are available:

Startup Configuration: Enable this option to collect the device’s startup configuration.

Running Configuration: Enable this option to collect the device’s running configuration.

Version Saved

• All versions: Enable this option to save every configuration backup snapshot, regardless of whether changes have occurred.
• Save versions with changes only: Enable this option to save a configuration backup snapshot only when a change is detected in the device configuration.

Generate Alerts

These options are available only when their respective configuration backups are enabled:

• On changes to startup configuration: Enable this option to trigger an alert whenever a difference is detected between the newly collected startup configuration and the previously stored version.
• On changes to running configuration: Enable this option to trigger an alert whenever a difference is detected between the newly collected running configuration and the previously stored version.

Backup Trigger: Enable this option to automatically initiate a configuration backup when a configuration-change SNMP trap is received.

Retry Failed Devices: If enabled, the retry mechanism automatically retries configuration backups for devices that fail during the initial execution.

• Retry Count: The number of additional backup attempts.
• Retry Interval (mins): The time gap between each retry attempt.

For more information, see Network Configuration Backup Retry.

Resources: Add the resources from which configuration backup data needs to be collected.

Schedule

Choose how often the configuration backup job should run. The available scheduling options include:

• One Time: Executes the backup job only once at the specified date and time.
• Daily: Runs the backup job every day at the configured time.
• Weekly: Runs the backup job on the selected day(s) of the week at the specified time.
• Monthly: Runs the backup job on the selected date(s) each month at the specified time.

Comparing Configuration Versions in the New UI

You can compare the changes or differences between two versions of a configuration.

1. Go to Infrastructure > Search > Others > Network Device, select the resource for which a network configuration backup job is configured.
2. Click the resource and then click on Related info and then go to the Configuration Backup tab.
3. Select the type of configuration Startup Config or Running Config.
4. Select any two dates to compare the configuration between the dates and click Compare. You can view the difference between the two configurations between the selected dates.

Scenarios

A user wants to save every snapshot of configurations

Every snapshot of configuration can be saved by selecting the option All Versions for the job type Network Backup Configuration while creating a job.

A user wants to save snapshot only when configurations change

Snapshot of configuration change can be saved by selecting the option Save Versions with changes only for the job type Network Backup Configuration while creating a job.

A user wants to get alerts on configuration changes

User gets alerts when there is a change in configuration. Select Generate Alerts while creating a job to get the alerts on changes to the Startup configuration or on changes to the Running configuration.

A user wants to take a backup of a device

In this case, there is a configuration change trap (SNMP) generated on the device

A resource backup is done when you create the job. During job creation:

1. Select the Network Backup Configuration job type.
2. Select the Backup Trigger option.

Network Configuration Backup Retry

If enabled, the retry mechanism automatically retries configuration backups for devices that fail during the initial execution. You can configure the following.

• Retry count: The number of additional backup attempts.
• Retry interval: The time gap between each retry attempt.
• If a device backup fails, the system will retry based on the configured count and interval.
• Alerts are generated only after all retry attempts are exhausted. If any devices still fail after the final retry, an alert is triggered for those devices.
• If the retry mechanism is not configured, alerts are triggered immediately after the initial job attempt, following the standard alerting process.

Example 1:
If the retry count is set to 1 and the retry interval to 30 minutes, and the original job is scheduled for 10:00 AM, then:
- Initial backup runs at 10:00 AM.
- Retry for failed devices runs at 10:30 AM.
- If devices still fail after the retry, an alert is generated for those devices.

Example 2:
If the retry count is set to 2, the system will make two additional backup attempts after the initial failure, with each attempt spaced according to the configured interval at the time of job creation. Alerts will be sent only for the devices that are failed to collect the backup, in the final retry.

Retention policy

Rolling history of network configuration backup for each resource will be retained for 365 days.

From the first release of 2025, a copy of the latest network configuration for each resource is retained, if there are no recent backups from the last one year.

Supporting OS and Model Devices

Version History