Network Management

NCM 2026.1 Compliance Reports Show Incorrect Violations with Advanced Config Search

Known issue in NCM 2026.1 affecting Compliance rules that use Advanced Config Search with config blocks and regex. Symptoms include false-positive violations, inconsistent results between runs, and differences between Test Rule and Policy Report results. Fixed in 2026.2.

First published date

5/12/2026 5:45 PM

Last published date

5/12/2026 5:45 PM

Overview

This article explains a known NCM 2026.1 issue where Compliance reports can return false, inconsistent, or changing violations when the rule uses Advanced Config Search, config blocks, and regex. It also provides the current workaround and resolution path.

Common symptoms include:

  • “The rule that the report goes back to is set up to report if string is NOT found. When testing on the rule page it works correctly. However, the report flags an issue even though it shows that it was found.”

  • “# of violations changes every time the report is run, seemingly at random.”

  • “When running compliance reports I get a different result every time.”

Test Rule may show the expected result, but the Compliance report still shows invalid violations for the same rule and the same config block.

Product section

Network Configuration Manager

Cause

NCM 2026.1 has a product defect in Advanced Config Search for Compliance rules. String matching for advanced config search does not work correctly for both find string and regex in Compliance rules, and internal investigation tied this to how advanced matching data is inserted for rule processing.

The issue affects rules that use Advanced Config Search with config blocks / regex in Compliance reports. Simpler rules that do not use Advanced Config Search should continue to behave normally.

Resolution

Permanent fix: Upgrade to NCM 2026.2 or later.

 

Workaround

If you must remain on 2026.1:

  • Refactor the rule to avoid Advanced Config Search/config block matching.

  • Duplicate the affected rule.

  • Turn off Advanced Config Search (block search).

  • Use basic string/regex matching against the entire config and keep the same per-line regex patterns as individual “Config File must contain – RegEx expression” entries where possible.

  • Attach the simplified rule to the same policy/report and use it as a temporary compliance check until you upgrade.