RANCID
Really Awesome New Cisco confIg Differ.
Overview
RANCID (Really Awesome New Cisco confIg Differ) is a foundational open-source tool that monitors a router's or other network device's configuration, including software and hardware. It uses a login-based approach (Telnet or SSH) to connect to devices, run commands to get the current configuration, and then compares it to the previously stored version. Any differences are captured and can be emailed to an administrator. It stores configurations in a version control system (CVS or Git).
✨ Key Features
- Configuration Change Detection
- Version Control for Configurations (CVS, SVN, Git)
- Email Notifications of Changes
- Support for a Wide Range of Network Vendors
- Command-line based
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Extremely stable and reliable.
- Lightweight and simple to operate for its intended purpose.
- Long history and wide adoption in the networking community.
Unique Value: Provides a simple, free, and highly reliable method for tracking changes to network device configurations.
🎯 Use Cases (4)
✅ Best For
- Nightly backup and change detection for routers and switches in academic and research networks.
- Simple, effective configuration history tracking for small to medium-sized businesses.
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Organizations needing a graphical user interface.
- Teams requiring advanced automation, orchestration, or compliance features.
- Users who are not comfortable with the command line and text file configuration.
🏆 Alternatives
While lacking the features of modern commercial tools, its simplicity and stability make it a 'set it and forget it' solution for basic configuration monitoring.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
💰 Pricing
Free tier: Completely free and open source.
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