Is there way to create an automated way to perform a find and replace one word in an interface description across multiple devices?

Question

Part of our interface naming procedures is the put the the name of the device the interface connects into the description.  Is there way to create a compliance or config change template to replace only one word in the interface description without changing the rest of the interface description text?

Example:

Original: Uplink to R4Sateline 04/KXFS/3434/324 Te1.2064

To: Uplink to R3Datacenter 04/KXFS/3434/324 Te1.2064

Thanx

hjarriell · Answer

You are correct, I only want to change the router's name, the rest of the data would remain unchanged on the interface description.

I thought about manipulating the interfaces in the database, but I don't know how I would push those changes to the nodes.

rschroeder · Answer

There might be a way to do this.  It's called a Compliance Report.  It has three steps, and one of them includes a Remediation feature where you'd issue a "no" command automatically, and then replace it with the new command.

For example, the Compliance Report would search all configuration files for your line:  "description Uplink to R4Sateline 04/KXFS/3434/324 Te1.2064"

Once it finds it, the Report can simply flag it for your attention, or you can run a Remediation Script against it.

The script does exactly the same thing you do:

no description Uplink to R4Sateline 04/KXFS/3434/324 Te1.2064

description Uplink to R3Datacenter 04/KXFS/3434/324 Te1.2064

But this tool is remarkably literal.  I suspect that limitation means you'd have to change EVERY device's line to "Uplink to R3Datacenter 04/KXFS/3434/324 Te1.2064", and I bet you don't want that.  I think you ONLY want to change "R4Sateline" to R3Datacenter", right?  While leaving the rest of the line (04/KXFS/3434/324 Te1.2064) alone, correct?

And as you know, if you say:

no description Uplink to R4Sateline, followed by

description Uplink to R3Datacenter

Then all you'll get is "description Uplink to R3Datacenter", and you'll end up missing "04/KXFS/3434/324 Te1.2064" completely.

Which makes me think you need a SWQL or SQL expert to help out by manipulating the Solarwinds Orion SQL database.  I'm sorry, I don't know how to only change part of a line--only the entire line--with a Compliance Report's Remediation feature.