NCM (Network Configuration Manager)

Last updated: 2026-05-24

NCM backs up, version-controls, audits, and pushes configuration changes to network devices. It tracks compliance, alerts on unauthorized changes, and automates bulk configuration deployment.

What it is

Network Configuration Manager (NCM) is the SolarWinds Orion module for managing the configuration of network devices. Where NPM monitors device state, NCM manages device configuration — backing it up, tracking changes, enforcing compliance, and pushing updates.

NCM connects to devices via SSH, Telnet (legacy), SNMP, and vendor-specific config APIs. Most major vendors are supported (Cisco IOS / IOS-XE / NX-OS, Juniper Junos, Arista EOS, Palo Alto PAN-OS, F5 BIG-IP, Aruba, HP, Fortinet, Checkpoint).

What it does

• Backs up device configurations on a schedule or on demand. Stores history.
• Diffs configurations between any two points in time, or against a baseline.
• Alerts on unauthorized changes — anyone making a config change that wasn't done through NCM gets flagged.
• Enforces compliance — define rules (e.g. "no clear-text Telnet enabled") and report any device that violates them.
• Pushes bulk changes — roll out a new VLAN, ACL update, or syslog destination across hundreds of devices in one operation.
• Vulnerability scanning — checks installed firmware against the NIST NVD for known CVEs.

What PocketNOC shows from NCM

PocketNOC is read-only and monitoring-focused, so it does not expose NCM's bulk-change capabilities. It does surface NCM compliance violations and unauthorized-change alerts as part of the unified alert stream when NCM is licensed.

See also

• NPM — state monitoring NCM complements.
• Orion Platform.