Real-Time backup logging, integrity validation, and baseline configuration monitoring in SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

This article explains how SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM) handles real-time backup changes, validates the integrity of backed-up network device configurations, and supports baseline configuration setup for detecting configuration changes. It addresses requirements around enhanced logging, backup verification, and real-time configuration monitoring for network devices.

SolarWinds NCM allows you to configure Real-Time Change Detection (RTCD) email notifications to send individual emails per node rather than a consolidated email for multiple nodes.

To achieve this, you need to configure the email notification settings in the RTCD configuration page where you specify recipients and customize the email content. By default, NCM sends separate emails for each device that triggers a config change event. Ensure that your alert or notification rules are set up so that each detected change triggers its own email rather than batching multiple changes into one message.

You can also use macros (variables) like ${Node} in the email subject and body to personalize each email per node, which helps in distinguishing notifications for individual devices.
Here’s how to check or configure this:

1. Go to Settings > All Settings > NCM Settings > Real-Time Change Detection.
2. Click Configure Real-Time Change Detection.
3. Under Config Downloads and Notification Settings, specify the email notification options.
4. Ensure that the recipient list and email format are set to send notifications per device change.
5. Use macros such as ${Node} in the email subject to ensure emails are specific to each node.
6. Submit and save your settings.

 1. Need an option to write to the netPerfmon log for Real time change in backup for individual backup?

Real-time change detection has its own log in the NCM Logs folder.

2. Want to know how we validate the integrity of network devices backed up by SolarWinds?
You can always check by running a config change report to compare the configs that were recently downloaded to the last downloaded config or the baseline config

How to Create / Schedule a Config Change Report in NCM

3. How can we set up a baseline in the backup configuration for real-time detection?

Here's an article on how to create a baseline config:

What is a baseline

Here's how to set up real-time change detection and compare it to a Baseline config. Please check Step 4:

Configuring Real-Time Change Detection