Configuring dozens or even hundreds of individual nodes is virtually impossible without the right tools.

From automation to network-wide monitoring, network configuration management software is designed exclusively with busy administrators in mind.

Here is our list of the ten best network configuration backup software:

  • SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager EDITOR’S CHOICE Stores images of device setups and prevents unauthorized alterations to configurations. Runs on Windows Server. Download a 30-day free trial.
  • ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager (FREE TRIAL) Full network configuration management tool that includes backup and policy enforcement.
  • NinjaOne Endpoint Management (FREE TRIAL) A full remote fleet management package that includes configuration backup and monitoring.
  • Domotz (FREE TRIAL) This cloud-based network and endpoint monitoring and management platform includes a device configuration and backup service.
  • LogicVein Net Line Dancer An asset inventory system that includes configuration backups.
  • Infoblox NetMRI Focused on security, this tool backs up device configurations while scanning for and rectifying compliance issues.
  • LibreNMS with Oxidized addon A free network configuration management tool with a configuration management and backup system.
  • Backbox A network manager with task automation, including inventory reporting and configuration backups.
  • BMC Truesight Network Automation Creates scripts that function as configuration backups allowing unauthorized changes to be rolled back.
  • rConfig Free open-source configuration manager that includes a backup function.

What to look for in network configuration backup tools

When searching for configuration software, it’s good to take a look at a few different key things:

  • Scalability – How well the product scales with size. Not all software is meant to be used on a massive sprawling multi-vendor network with thousands of nodes. A product that works beautifully with a dozen network assets may become a struggle to manage with a hundred. It’s important to pick the software that will work not just for the current size of your network, but for any potential increases in scale as well.
  • Customization – Every network is different, and being able to tailor the application managing it is key to good configuration software. The best products will have some amount of inflexibility in order to meet their intended design goal, with enough flexibility in customization to fit a wide range of networks.
  • Features – Some applications are designed only to be used as network configuration management software. Others take a more broad approach, functioning as more than just configuration repositories. Knowing what you want your software to do is critical to getting the most out of your selection.
  • Product Support – The available documentation and support for any given product can range from overwhelmingly good to “play with it until things start working.” This can be particularly true for free products. Make sure you can get up and running quickly with whatever you end up using.
  • Presentation – Some configuration managers simply provide a text dump in a Command Line Interface (CLI), that may be entirely functional for some users. Others will have robust GUIs with complex topology visualizations, analytics laid out in graphs, and your own logo splayed across the back-end interface. The presentation of a configuration manager, from its aesthetic interface to ease-of-use, should play a part in your decision to use a given piece of software.

This is far from a comprehensive list of criteria, but it’s a good general list of things to start thinking about.

The best network configuration backup tools

The options available are almost as numerous as the nodes they will eventually be used for. It seems almost every vendor has their own proprietary network backup software and configuration manager, while a dizzying array of third-party developers feature their own programs with multi-vendor support. These can range from incredibly powerful to barely functional.

This list aims to bring together a handful of the top choices, both free and paid, to help you find the right solution for your network.

Our methodology for selecting network configuration backup tools

We reviewed the market for network configuration backup software and analyzed the options based on the following criteria:

  • A system that takes an image of each device’s settings and stores them
  • A configuration manager that allows configurations to be standardized per device make and model
  • A service that monitors all devices for configuration changes and automatically reapplies the stored image if any are detected
  • A dashboard that enables a standardized image to be applied in bulk to many devices
  • An onboarding function that allows new devices to be set up by applying a standard image
  • A free trial for a cost-free assessment period or a free tool
  • A tool that repays its purchase price with improved efficiency or a free utility

1. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (FREE TRIAL)

The first entry on this list and our Top Pick, SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager aims to be the total package for network management. Not only does it include robust configuration options, it introduces useful asset management features that can be used to monitor hardware life cycle and other ITAM tenants.

Key Features:

  • Discovers all network devices
  • Standardizes configurations
  • Backs up an image of all configurations
  • Rolls back unauthorized configuration changes
  • 30-day free trial

Equipped with multi-vendor server monitoring, SolarWinds software is dynamic enough to fit into a wide range of networking environments, including those that have multiple hardware vendors in their ecosystem. A seamless change between managing Cisco, HP, and other devices from one centralized piece of software, with full administration access control to provide an easy security solution for hardware access. Automatic network discovery and asset mapping help actively monitor both network topology and hardware life cycles.

Automated configuration backup process and deployment makes restoring devices a simple, worry-free process, and network-wide vulnerability scanning helps to ensure devices are compliant with the National Vulnerability Database. Robust reporting and analysis help spot problem areas before they become an issue

Full integration with both Cisco ASA and Nexus devices means SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager can make full use of the unique advantages those devices offer large networks.

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager provides an all-in-one NMS solution for networks of various sizes. It’s easy to use, has an intuitive GUI, and gives administrators the tools they need to manage even large-scale networks effectively. Visit their site to download a 30-day free trial.

Pros:

  • Allows users to quickly configure backups, automate the process, and ensure images are stored securely
  • Offers configuration management, allowing teams to quickly backup and restore changes that may have impacted performance
  • Can monitor settings for unauthorized changes and allow access for specific teams or users
  • Offers a customizable dashboard that has a host of different options for visualizing network performance

Cons:

  • Not designed for home networks, this is an enterprise tool built for system administrators and network technicians

2. ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager (FREE TRIAL)

EDITOR’S CHOICE

The SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is our top choice for network backup and configuration because it covers all aspects of device configuration management. After discovering and logging all devices, the software enables network managers to create one standard configuration per device type, make, and model, roll that out, backup the settings, and reinstall that image if any unauthorized configuration changes occur.

Get 30-day Free Trial: solarwinds.com/network-configuration-manager

OS: Windows Server, on-premises or in cloud

Coming from a large family of other ManageEngine products, ManageEngine’s Network Configuration Manager is one part of a larger networking suite distributed by ManageEngine.

Aimed squarely at being a configuration tool, ManageEngine’s Network Configuration Manager is a multi-vendor network configuration and change compliance product for a variety of network devices. Its sole purpose is to take control of the entire life cycle of a given networking device.

  • Configuration backup and recovery
  • Policy enforcement
  • 30-day free trial

All the standard configuration features are found here, including configuration backup and deployment, change history, and configuration comparisons. Change tracking can be done in real-time to monitor network devices for unauthorized changes or potential complications in a configuration.

Standard automation tools are also featured here, including the automation of configuration tasks like regular network backups. Network Configuration Manager can also track user activity across devices, and routinely check for compliance with published policies and procedures. Lastly, it brings multi-vendor support along with it.

Similar to the BMC product listed above it, ManageEngine’s Network Configuration Manager shines when paired with other tools in its developer’s suite. As a standalone product it achieves its intended design goal of being a straight-forward configuration manager, but lacks some depth when viewed apart from its overarching software suite.

Access their 30-day free trial from their site.

  • Allows users to backup configurations, files, and enforce network-wide policy changes

  • Can immediately alert when changes occur in inventory or configuration changes are made

  • Can neatly organize networks, devices, and infrastructure to support multi-site use

  • Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems

  • Is a full-service monitoring platform that can take time to fully explore all options available

ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager Download 30-day FREE Trial

3. NinjaOne Endpoint Management (FREE TRIAL)

NinjaOne is a platform of services for managed service providers. This suite is delivered from the cloud and is also suitable for use by IT departments for multi-site monitoring. The NinjaOne Endpoint Management module offers remote monitoring for networks, endpoints, and network devices. It includes a configuration backup and monitoring service.

  • Configuration backup
  • Security monitoring
  • Network monitoring

The Endpoint Management service of NinjaOne also monitors networks. This is implemented efficiently because the SNMP system can be used to extract performance data from servers and desktops as well as network devices, such as switches and routers. The package installs an agent on each endpoint and can be used for a backup service as well.

Configuration backup takes an image of the device and stores it. Subsequent changes to those settings could indicate intruder attempts to cover their tracks and so need to be corrected immediately. The NinjaOne system includes automation that will quash tampering.

The stored OS image can be used to rapidly onboard a fleet of similar devices and this process also benefits from workflow automation.

As the NinjaOne platform is based in the cloud, its capabilities are not restricted by the boundaries of one network. You can use the tool to monitor endpoints on any network anywhere and also the computers in the homes of telecommuting employees.

NinjaOne has a multi-tenant architecture, which makes it ideal for use by MSPs.

NinjaOne offers a range of utilities for remote management of IT systems and all of them are structured to make them suitable for use by MSPs. You can combine a Remote Monitoring and Management package with the NinjaOne Backup system to get a full system protection service. NinjaOne doesn’t publish its price list, so you need to contact the Sales Department to get a quote. Access a 14-day free trial of the NinjaOne platform.

  • Offers security protection through configuration management

  • Stores an image that can be automatically applied

  • Onboards new devices and restores configurations

  • Would prefer a price list to a quote

NinjaOne Endpoint Management Start a 14-day FREE Trial

4. Domotz (FREE TRIAL)

Domotz is a cloud platform that offers the ability to monitor and manage any network remotely. The system installs an agent on a device connected to each of the networks that you enroll in the service. Among the services in this package, you will find a configuration manager. This enables you to standardize device configurations to enforce your security policies.

  • Device scanning
  • Configuration backup

The Domotz service backs up your device configurations and then repeatedly scans the network, checking all device configurations for unauthorized changes. If changes are spotted, the tool raises an alert and automatically restores the authorized settings from the backup.

The network scans don’t just look at device configurations – they also check on the status of the components of each device. Domotz also spots rogue devices and identifies any changes to the network device profile. The system automatically compiles a network inventory and a topology map. It will also generate a software inventory for each endpoint on the network and conducts patch management.

Other tools in the Domotz package include analysis tests, such as Ping and TraceRoute. The tests can be run on-demand or on a schedule and the results can be stored for time-series analysis.

A very attractive feature of Domotz is that the package is charged at a flat fee per network, no matter how many devices are connected to it. The service is structured for sub-accounts, which makes it suitable for use by MSPs to monitor the sites of their clients.  charges a fixed fee per network, so the price doesn’t change according to the number of devices on the LAN. You can assess Domotz with a 14-day free trial.

  • System management tools

  • Automated performance monitoring

  • Suitable for managed service providers

  • A longer trial period would be good

Domotz Access a 14-day FREE Trial

5. LogicVein Net Line Dancer

Aimed at large-scale networks with multi-tenancy address space, LogicVein’s Net Line Dancer is largely dedicated to device configuration and hardware asset management. LogicVein offers a free version of Net Line Dancer in the form of Net Street Dancer, a limited application that LogicVein markets as having 80% of the functionality of its flagship networking product.

  • Configuration control and asset management
  • Free version

Net Line Dancer can automatically generate hardware inventory reports with full asset reporting to help aid in asset management on network assets. This focus on large-scale asset management is a big part of Net Line Dancer. Combining this with regular reporting and analytics can help administrators gain an edge on hardware life cycles and change management tracking. These tracking features are largely hardware-based.

Net Line Dancer’s main strength comes in its ability to scale, thanks to its use of smart bridges to support multi-tenancy address configurations. Controlling subnets separated by address space using one centralized application is made easy with Net Line Dancer.

Net Line Dancer is mostly focused on providing administrators a straight-forward device configuration and hardware asset management platform to work with on large or complex networks.

It features all the standard NMS features, including automated changes and real-time change detection that will work across the entire network. You can download a 30-day trial on their site.

  • Combines asset management with configuration controls and proactive alerting

  • Is simple to set up and use

  • And start manual backups in just a few clicks

  • Lacks data visualization

  • Not the best choice for larger networks

6. Infoblox NetMRI

Made by Infoblox, NetMRI is a network configuration and analysis application with mobile integration. Designed to provide a high level of security to large-scale networks, NetMRI can be used for a wide range of network tasks, including automated compliance assessments and non-configuration data analysis.

  • Security focused
  • Autodiscovery
  • Configuration audits and backup

With several tools to aid in multi-vendor and virtual routing, NetMRI shines in complex networking environments. It’s able to scan connected assets for configuration and compliance issues proactively, helping to stop potential issues before they start.

NetMRI also supports mobile access, with a large portion of its monitoring and configuration controls available from the convenience of a mobile device. It can locate device locations, browse network inventory, and control connections all from a mobile platform.

As network management software, NetMRI also features all the standard configuration options. Automatic network detection and audits, configuration analysis, and configuration backup are all found in NetMRI. Its search and analysis suite also helps locate correlations between network problem areas to help diagnostics.

Change automation and configuration deployment, along with automatic network discovery and topology mapping round out NetMRI’s list of features.

NetMRI will lend its strengths to complicated networking environments with many connected nodes that need constant upkeep and analysis. You can download and evaluate NetMRI from their website.

  • Provides a highly visual sleek monitoring dashboard

  • Offers automated compliance audits – great for larger enterprises

  • Users can monitor backups via mobile app

  • Better suited for larger more complex networks

7. LibreNMS with Oxidized addon

The first open-source solution on our list, LibreNMS is available via GitHub repository for downloading and editing. Don’t let the free nature of LibreNMS fool you, it’s a fully-featured NMS solution used by many organizations.

  • Free and open source
  • Automatic device discovery
  • Configuration policy enforcement and backup

We’ve listed Oxidized along with LibreNMS to provide an integrated configuration backup solution. LibreNMS is designed to be used alongside Oxidized with limited setup. This provides LibreNMS users a simple way to do both configuration backup and deployment.

LibreNMS as a standalone package that features automatic network discovery across a wide range of protocols, customizable alerts, data collection, automatic LibreNMS updates, and even an iPhone/Android app. There’s a wealth of customization available in LibreNMS, and that’s largely attributed to its open-source nature.

This functionality isn’t without its own downsides, however. LibreNMS can struggle at scale and has almost no support to speak of. It has enough documentation and is used widely enough to be able to find answers on your own, but it’s not for the faint of heart or those looking for a fast, ready out-of-the-box solution.

Still, for more experienced administrators or those not afraid to get their hands a little dirty, LibreNMS solutions offer a huge amount of flexibility. Another plus is that it’s entirely free and will always be open-source. It can be paired with a huge number of open-source plugins to provide almost any functionality you may need for your network.

This potential for adaptability and no cost of entry earn it a place on this list. Find out more about integrating Oxidized Into LibreNMS from the repository.

  • An open-source community-led approach to config backup/management

  • Highly customizable – great for those who want to build their own custom features

  • Completely free

  • Not ideal for large enterprises

  • Open source tools lack paid support options

8. Backbox

Designed to automate tasks normally performed manually, Backbox offers a mostly one-dimensional approach to network management software. It’s a simple but effective tool that can provide all the functionality most users will need in a centralized network control solution.

  • Network management task automation
  • Verifies all configuration backup

Backbox’s strong suit is in secure backup and configuration recovery. The Backbox software goes to extreme lengths to ensure each configuration backup is safely stored, verified for authenticity, and double-checked for errors. The attention-to-detail provided by Backbox’s “Five-step verification” for each backup ensures corrupted or tampered configuration files never reach the end-points on a network.

Backbox also provides real-time inventory reports on connected assets, as well as automatic network discovery. A visual topology map provides an easy-to-use method of exploring and configuring your network, giving you access to most of Backbox’s features directly through the topology map. It’s a creative way to make network management simple, but can understandably become limiting in very large networks.

Task automation gives administrators a good measure of control over their networks, including the ability to create complex task chains for Backbox to execute across multiple devices. Again, Backbox is largely designed around the idea of using automation to make network administrators’ lives easier, and in that regard, it succeeds.

While it may not be the ideal scaling solution for every business, Backbox offers a strong suite of features across multiple vendors and devices. It’s both easy-to-use and surprisingly flexible, giving it an edge over some of its competitors. You can download a 30-day evaluation from their site.

  • Focuses heavily on task automation – ideal for fast-growing networks

  • Uses robust verification methods to ensure configs are backed up intact and not tamped with

  • Offers great visuals for metrics like number of changes, backup status, and licensing

  • Not the best enterprise option – better suited for small to medium-sized networks

9. BMC Truesight Network Automation

Made by BMC, Truesight Network Automation looks to bring multiple tools together in the BMC product family and marry them with network management. If you’re already heavily invested in BMC solutions and products, it’s hard to argue against using Truesight in your network.

  • Vulnerability scanning
  • Covers on-premises and cloud-based assets
  • Automatically generates configuration scripts

A large portion of Truesight’s power and flexibility comes from its ability to seamlessly integrate with other popular BMC products. As an example, Truesight can be set up to integrate with BMC’s change management tools in order to quickly and easily populate a CMDB with attached network assets. For administrators seeking a comprehensive way to combine their ITIL compliant asset management policies with their network, this kind of integration is a godsend. While most CMDB population software has some measure of network discovery built-in, the ability to quickly and accurately generate a full network CMDB with a few clicks is on another level entirely.

That being said, these kinds of quality of life features are entirely dependent on using other BMC products. As a standalone piece of software, Truesight still offers a number of features that make it useful as a piece of network management software.

Scanless detection of potential vulnerabilities and templates for regulatory compliance to compare against ensure that big organizations are in accordance with various policies depending on region.

Configuration of both virtual and cloud-based environments give service-oriented networks a versatile option for configuration and administration from a single, centralized platform. Truesight also supports easy device importing from a variety of platforms, including Ciscoworks and HP Network Code Manager.

Rounding out Truesight’s feature list is the ability to auto-generate configuration scripts that can roll back a device’s configuration without the need for a full reboot (in some cases). This is a smart feature that lets administrators make small changes to a device without needing to remove an entire node just for diagnostics.

Overall, Truesight is a powerful network tool when combined with other products in its parent companies catalog, and still functions well as a standalone product. Learn more and contact their sales team from their site.

  • Comes with numerous preconfigured workflows to start using immediately

  • Can set automated standards that help maintain compliance for standards like HIPAA, PCI DSS, NIST, and SOX

  • Can automatically recover devices to their last known “good” state

  • The interface is fairly bare-bones and tougher to navigate than competing products

10. rConfig

The second open-source entry on this list, rConfig is a fairly basic network configuration manager with the potential for a lot of customization to fit the needs of small-to-medium-sized networks. As an open-source product, its code is freely available on the internet and getting started with rConfig costs you nothing.

  • Free and open source
  • Configuration standardization
  • Configuration backup and restore

rConfig’s biggest strength is in its focused design and open-source nature. Its code repository is fairly well-documented and making changes to the base code is encouraged by the community’s developers. This allows administrators willing to get their hands dirty in rConfig’s code and the opportunity to customize tailor rConfig to fit their specific networking needs.

In terms of performance, rConfig works as a configuration manager “out of the box.” It has bulk configuration deployment and configuration backups, along with a fast configuration compare and search feature to quickly locate differences between deployed or backed-up configurations. Its own built-in task scheduler provides a limited amount of automation in basic tasks.

Systems backups and built-in reporting flesh out rConfig’s list of features. For a small, free, and dedicated configuration platform, rConfig brings a lot to the table but will begin to struggle with larger networks due to its simplicity.

That being said, sometimes simple is good, and you should take a look at rConfig yourself to see if it has the features your network needs. Here are their installation guides and documentation.

  • Completely free and open source

  • Offers continuous monitoring and autodiscovery of new devices and hosts

  • Can push new configurations as well as take backups of each device’s settings

  • Lacks paid support which could slow down larger networks

  • Is a simpler option – better suited for small businesses and home use

Choosing Network Backup Software: SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is undoubtedly the best backup tool on this list. No matter what vendors your network is dependent on, SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager has the potential to keep track of the device’s lifecycle. Device monitoring is supported with automatic network discovery to ensure every device on your network is being monitored.

Whether you’re part of an SME or a large organization we recommend SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager because it is easy to use. The design is so intuitive that there is next to no learning curve once it has been deployed. In the long term, this means that devices stay maintained and minimizes the chance of devices failing due to poor maintenance.