{"id":3163,"date":"2023-10-26T13:41:45","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T20:41:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/44.203.207.232\/?p=3163"},"modified":"2023-12-04T12:54:27","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T20:54:27","slug":"modernizing-network-configuration-management-how-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webdev.siff.io\/modernizing-network-configuration-management-how-to\/","title":{"rendered":"Modernizing Network Configuration Management: How to Make the Shift to a Cloud-Native Era"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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When it comes to Network Configuration Management (NCM), the field is filled with various solutions. Yet, many network professionals still grapple with common challenges: lack of real-time visibility, escalating costs, cumbersome manual tasks, and the nightmare of compliance issues. Among the top solutions for network configuration management are SolarWinds NCM and ManageEngine, but who is SIFF<\/a>? Great question! SIFF is not just another solution in the crowded NCM landscape; it\u2019s a transformative platform designed to modernize NCM, bring it to the Cloud-Native era, and directly address these pain points. With a focus on change visibility, cloud scalability, config policy, and automation, SIFF is a strategic partner to ensure more secure and efficient network management. In today\u2019s blog, we\u2019ll walk you through key differentiators that make SIFF your go-to choice for all things NCM.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Core Functionalities<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n SIFF provides real-time visibility into configuration changes across IT environments. It serves three key sectors\u2014Managed Service Providers (MSPs & MSSPs), Communications Service Providers (CSPs), and Enterprises\u2014each with unique core functionalities designed to meet the needs of these diverse target audiences.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The SIFF Advantage: Key Differentiators<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n SaaS Solution <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cloud-Native Scalability <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Per-Device Licensing <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Configuration Change Activity <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unified Configuration Monitoring <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Configuration Policy and Compliance <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Automation Capabilities <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Centralized Data Repository <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Multi-Tenancy Support <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Community Collaboration Built-in <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/b>While many NCM solutions still rely on on-premises deployments, SIFF adopts a cloud-native approach. This means no more dealing with cumbersome installations, server maintenance, or upgrades. It\u2019s all handled seamlessly in the cloud, allowing your IT team to focus on more strategic tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/b>Unlike on-premise NCM solutions, SIFF auto-scales the required capacity and storage automatically for you. You don\u2019t need to set up multiple instances to handle your growth or deal with having sufficient \u201cbackups for your backups.\u201d SIFF allows you to focus your time on your network and not the administration of the NCM tool.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/b>Traditional NCM solutions come with hefty up-front costs. Not only the server(s) and administrative costs, these solutions often also require additional third-party licenses for the operating system and database licenses. SIFF introduces per-device licensing, a cost-effective model where you pay only for what you actually need. This is ideal for businesses scaling rapidly or those running lean operations. As your required device coverage changes, your cost model adjusts accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/b>More than 80% of all incidents are caused by configuration changes. Yet most monitoring solutions do not provide visibility to change activity throughout your environment. Traditional NCM solutions only back up your configuration on a daily basis. They do not monitor for config changes, let alone whether it was a planned or unauthorized change.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/b>Config change monitoring should not be limited to just networks. SIFF goes beyond just network configs to include all aspects of your IT infrastructure, including servers, applications, cloud, VMs, and containers. Now you have the information needed to troubleshoot complex incidents across all silos. <\/span><\/p>\n
<\/b>Security regulations and audits require that configuration changes are tracked. A Change Mgmt process however only identifies planned changes. What about unplanned, ad-hoc, or unauthorized changes that frequently occur in every environment? Configuration changes monitored by SIFF are automatically evaluated against Policy Rules to ensure security and config best practices are implemented.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/b>In an age where efficiency is king, SIFF\u2019s robust automation capabilities stand out. You can schedule automation tasks or perform manual tasks on a single or multiple devices. The best part? No coding expertise is required. This simplifies complex tasks and frees your team to focus on strategic initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/b>Juggling multiple instances to manage data in large IT environments? SIFF eliminates this complexity by offering a centralized, unified configuration data repository. This means whether you\u2019re a Managed Service Provider or a large enterprise, all your crucial configuration data is stored in one place, making it easier to manage, analyze, and audit. Unlike traditional CMDBs, SIFF actually contains searchable raw configuration data that can respond to your daily IT questions and challenges. <\/span><\/p>\n
<\/b>In a world where data security and access controls are paramount, SIFF offers multi-tenancy features to separate views of the data while allowing shared processes and automation. This allows Managed Service Providers (MSP), or even larger organizations with diverse departments, to create sub-organizations with unique data and user access controls, all within a single SIFF environment.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/b>Content for monitoring, config policies, automation, and reports can be directly enabled right from the web UI. No plugin download or installation is needed. SIFF users can share helpful definitions to the SIFF community which is reviewed and made available to other SIFF users. <\/span><\/p>\n