Baseline and Configuration Drift Management

Baseline configuration refers to the process of establishing levels of performance metrics and attributes for networked devices to compare changes to those original levels.

This allows admins to monitor the performance, health, and status of networked devices, so they can respond quickly when a misalignment is detected between a device’s current configuration and its baseline configuration.

Device configurations require management, as well. As needs and resources change, device configurations may change to compensate. When device, system, or network configurations change but those changes are not recorded, the inconsistent configuration items create what’s known as configuration drift.

Configuration drift management automates the process of comparing the current configuration of devices against their baselines to help keep your network in compliance. If needs and resources continue to change, some baselines may need to be updated, and configuration drift management tools allow admins to track and monitor these configuration changes in an efficient manner.

The primary goals of baseline configuration management include operational efficiency for configuration settings, network security, and compliance.

Operational efficiency: Baseline management provides a clear, efficient way to check if configurations are correct, as they were set—or if “drift” as occurred over time. However, the easiest way to keep track of baselines and drift isn’t by manually checking a spreadsheet. An automated tool for tracking configuration changes can help you streamline the ongoing baseline management process and ensure accuracy.

Network security: Baseline configurations essentially provide admins with checklists to help guarantee systems are set up correctly to best support the operational needs of the network. If configuration items are out of alignment, admins need to be informed so they can respond, as misalignment could be an indicator of an underlying issue. Misconfiguration could be a sign of a security problem—or leave your system open to threats.

Compliance: You need to make sure device settings across your network remain within compliance. A management solution helps ensure you have visibility into current and previous configurations, including how different configuration items have interacted together over time. This information can help you demonstrate compliance if needed.

Baseline configuration and drift management not only help support more efficient business operations, but they can also help to prevent outages and downtime.

Baseline configurations are especially important for large networks and managed systems when it comes to ensuring consistency between and across systems. Even granular configuration items like device and end user naming conventions or network card settings could create errors and lead to outages or downtime, so it’s essential to have a baseline management tool to help maintain consistency by keeping configuration changes organized and accessible.

In addition, baselines are typically subject to routine audits. Configuration items falling out of alignment with their baselines could cause a network to become noncompliant. Falling out of compliance could result in network outages and downtime, or even business stoppage, which is why proactive baseline configuration management practices play a key role in supporting organization security and compliance certification.

NCM is a network management solution with a comprehensive set of tools designed to make baseline configuration and drift management an easier, more intuitive task for admins. The tool’s auto-discovery functions detect devices as they’re added to the network and can automatically deploy standard baseline configurations.

NCM also offers baseline configuration management capabilities. Using baselines for individual or multiple devices, it allows admins to zero in on critical configurations and ensure consistency and compliance across systems. Line-by-line comparisons of configuration histories for targeted nodes enable admins to quickly identify changes within those configurations. Admins using NCM can take advantage of the tool’s ability to automate recurring or complex changes being deployed to device configurations. Using a vendor-neutral script, admins can quickly execute changes on network devices from manufacturers like Cisco, HP, Dell, and others.

NCM also creates backups of configurations that can be quickly restored to targeted devices to return them to compliance and prevent configuration drift.

NCM is a comprehensive network management solution designed by industry experts to give other industry experts the tools they need to ensure network reliability, security, and compliance.

NCM is built for managing configuration changes across complex network environments by automating repetitive tasks and improving visibility. It helps maintain consistency across systems with greater speed and accuracy than can be achieved manually.

In addition to auto-discovering new devices and auto-deploying baseline configurations, NCM also identifies potential security vulnerabilities of iOS devices, using data sourced from the National Vulnerability Database to point out common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs). It also provides the toolset admins need to investigate and resolve the issues. NCM also offers powerful Network Insight™ for Cisco devices to help streamline router and switch management.

NCM also includes a robust reporting system designed to help you audit device configurations for different compliance standards, including DISA STIG, DSS PCI, and NIST FISMA.