Automatically Manage Node with NCM

2024.1 and almost 10 years since the original FR. Still not possible.

Original post: https://thwack.solarwinds.com/product-forums/network-configuration-manager-ncm/f/forum/57084/importing-nodes-to-ncm-v7-4-automatically/

Similar posts/requests:

https://thwack.solarwinds.com/product-forums/network-configuration-manager-ncm/i/feature-requests/rules-to-determine-what-automatically-get-s-added-to-ncm
https://thwack.solarwinds.com/product-forums/network-configuration-manager-ncm/i/feature-requests/automatically-add-device-to-ncm-job-for-specific-area
https://thwack.solarwinds.com/product-forums/network-configuration-manager-ncm/f/forum/90439/automate-adding-node-to-ncm
https://thwack.solarwinds.com/product-forums/network-configuration-manager-ncm/i/feature-requests/please-automate-nodes-add-to-ncm-by-use-of-unique-custom-property
https://thwack.solarwinds.com/product-forums/network-performance-monitor-npm/i/feature-requests/alert-action---option-to-add-node-to-ncm

8 years since the original post and still not possible in 2022.4

Hi rschroeder​

Thanks for the suggestion but this doesn't come anywhere close to what is required. I feel I need to make an added point about the importance of this issue.

When I made the case for this issue and feature request 5 years ago here: Re: Importing Nodes to NCM v7.4 Automatically , I pointed out that this is a critical feature that needs to be present for larger networks. We added a thousand new devices to NCM, manually, a year after the post was submitted.

We have since then added another 2 thousand odd nodes to NCM, manually.

This could be done automatically by using the dynamic selection that would be made available in the NCM job. That way you can avoid licensing nodes to NCM automatically based on vendor/machine type/other. IF a config backup were to fail then the job would be able to send out an email notification to the person responsible and more importantly, to the person that has enough permissions in NCM to rectify the issues.

As for adding all nodes to NCM then selectively downloading configs for the ones that matter (if I understand the suggestion correcty), I'm afraid this will cause more problems for those that don't have unlimited NCM licenses. Forget about the fact that adding nodes to NCM would still be a manual task, adding more nodes to NCM than yur licens permits will break the process.

The way I see it, the only thing that can be done to solve this problem is to bring back the import job type.

Thanks for your vote!

This is "conditionally" a good Feature Request, in my humble opinion, from the point of view of automatically adding all NPM nodes to NCM.  That's a labor saver and a no-brainer. 

But it's not a "perfect" Feature Request because some of my nodes (particularly Meraki VPN/firewall devices, but also Cisco ACI hardware, and other systems) cannot be monitored with NCM.  They aren't compatible, don't have a flat file to download/backup/restore/compare/manage.  While I WISH they WERE compatible, I don't need failed jobs or more things that need my administrative attention to disable them in NCM when they need not be backed up by NCM.

So we still need to manually select the drop-down to Manage the node with NCM.  But it doesn't have to be done one at a time.  You can go to Admin > Node Management > Manage Nodes, select your nodes by some group (vendor, machine type, etc.) and Edit them.  Once there, just click the "Manage with NCM" option and they're all done.

No, it's not automatic.  But it IS pretty simple.

No, it won't prevent you from having to manually enable this on all (or individual) nodes every time you add more nodes.

But, once this option is enabled, I discovered how easy it is to automatically back up every new node by adding it to a Job special selection.  Using this process has eliminated all the cases of someone on my team adding a new node to NPM and forgetting to add it to NCM. 

Here's how this works:

1. Create a new scheduled NCM backup job

2. Use the Dynamic Selection option to choose which devices to backup.  It's easy if ALL your devices are compatible with the backup, but it's also pretty easy to select (or NOT select) groups of devices based on Vendor, Node ID, etc.  Use this and you're going to get all you wish for, and nothing you don't.

3. Enter the Notification Details (e-mail contact info, subject, "only e-mail results if the job encounters an error", etc.)

4. Choose what to backup, and what content requires notification.

5.  Save it, apply it, click Finish.

With just that one job you're automatically backing up all nodes with NCM.

BUT . . . .       This only ensures your nodes that have NCM enabled are included with the Backup Jobs you build.  It's a great time-saver that way, but this still does not automatically go into each Node's Properties and select "Manage node with NCM".

Plus 1 on this Feature Request, and let's keep bumping it to make it happen.