Config Change Report - honestly, readable?

Question

I've been having a helluva time with my Cirrus emailing me configuration updates.  I'll make changes to switch(es) and Cirrus and my daily config updates email might not tell me anything changed, or it might list just SOME of the devices.  I've been playing around with various config change emails and created a new "Generate a Config Change Report" schedule.  Below are the before/after of a switch in what I actually changed in testing.  I've made bold some applicable items.

BEFORE:
-------------------------------------

interface GigabitEthernet1/28
 switchport access vlan 101
 switchport mode access
 switchport nonegotiate
 shutdown
 spanning-tree portfast
 spanning-tree bpdufilter enable
 spanning-tree bpduguard enable
!
interface GigabitEthernet1/29
 switchport access vlan 101
 switchport mode access
 switchport nonegotiate
 shutdown
 spanning-tree portfast
 spanning-tree bpdufilter enable
 spanning-tree bpduguard enable
!
interface GigabitEthernet1/30
 switchport access vlan 101
 switchport mode access
 switchport nonegotiate
 shutdown
 spanning-tree portfast
 spanning-tree bpdufilter enable
 spanning-tree bpduguard enable

AFTER:
----------------------------------------

interface GigabitEthernet1/28
 description NETSVRWCS:MGMT
 switchport mode access
 switchport nonegotiate
 spanning-tree portfast
 spanning-tree bpdufilter enable
 spanning-tree bpduguard enable
!
interface GigabitEthernet1/29
 description NETSVRWCS:N1
 switchport access vlan 101
 switchport mode access
 switchport nonegotiate
 spanning-tree portfast
 spanning-tree bpdufilter enable
 spanning-tree bpduguard enable
!
interface GigabitEthernet1/30
 description NETSVRWCS:N2
 switchport access vlan 101
 switchport mode access
 switchport nonegotiate
 spanning-tree portfast
 spanning-tree bpdufilter enable
 spanning-tree bpduguard enable
!

----------------------------------------

A summary of my changes could be described as follows:

Created interface descriptions for (3) interfaces.  "no shut" each interface to enable it.  Changed (1) interface from VLAN 101 to VLAN 1.  In these changes, attached is a screenshot of the actual notification I received in the "Generate Config Change Report" schedule I manually kicked off.

The left column has the date/time that I kicked off the report, seemingly indicating "now", but the current configuration line items are listed in the right column.  This is the first thing that is confusing.  Additional levels of confusion include the colored lines (green/red) and their conflict with the "plus" and "X" icons.  I ADDED "description NETSVRWCS:Nt" to the interface description.  That being the case, why is there a PLUS sign on the RED line?  Shouldn't the PLUS be near the item that was actually added?  As I read it, it looks like I ADDED a blank line.  There is an issue that Cirrus things my VLAN and Description was a CHANGE, when it wasn't.  And, Cirrus didn't bother including the G1/29 and G1/30 interfaces in the configuration to let me know WHAT interface descriptions changed.  I'm not sure if this is my error in setting up the report or not.  I'm confused why it included G1/28 as a CHANGE, when nothing changed.

I look at this config change report, knowing full and well what I actually changed, and I can't decipher what the report is trying to tell me.  Why the DATE of the current config is on the LEFT but the current config parameters are on the RIGHT, is the single most confusing thing in this report.  Does anyone actually think this "comparison report" is actually decipherable?

CirrusConfigChanges.jpg

chris.lapoint · Answer

The left column has the date/time that I kicked off the report, seemingly indicating "now", but the current configuration line items are listed in the right column.  This is the first thing that is confusing.

I agree, we can definitely make this more clear with labels that "left" column is BEFORE state and "right" column is AFTER.   FYI, this layout is consistent with Config Change Reports executed within Cirrus which would also benefit from this fix (see screen shot below).

Additional levels of confusion include the colored lines (green/red) and their conflict with the "plus" and "X" icons.  I ADDED "description NETSVRWCS:Nt" to the interface description.  That being the case, why is there a PLUS sign on the RED line?  Shouldn't the PLUS be near the item that was actually added?  As I read it, it looks like I ADDED a blank line.

All of our difference icons are left-aligned so the PLUS sign is to let you know something was added.   Missing lines are highlighted in red.   A green highlight indicates that the line has been added.  Lines that have been changed are highlighted in yellow.

There is an issue that Cirrus things my VLAN and Description was a CHANGE, when it wasn't.  And, Cirrus didn't bother including the G1/29 and G1/30 interfaces in the configuration to let me know WHAT interface descriptions changed.  I'm not sure if this is my error in setting up the report or not.  I'm confused why it included G1/28 as a CHANGE, when nothing changed.

You got me on this one.  Would you mind trying to run the Config Change Report (Configs > Config Change Report) manually from the Cirrus Win32 console using the same settings as you had specified in the job to see if you get the same results.

Why the DATE of the current config is on the LEFT but the current config parameters are on the RIGHT, is the single most confusing thing in this report.

I hear you buddy.  I've got this in our dev tracking system and we'll target this fix for the next release.

Cirrus Config Change Report Console.PNG

chris.schear · Answer

Incidentally, if I edit my test report and check/uncheck the "Show detailed changes" in the Advanced Options, there is NO change in the emailed config change report.  Useless checkbox?