Network Device Inventory Management - SNMP Polling & Configuration Parsing

Network Device Inventory Management - SNMP Polling & Configuration Parsing

WARNING: PHP SNMP Extension

The PHP SNMP extension is required for SNMP Polling and Device Inventory features. Please ensure that the extension is installed and enabled in your PHP configuration. Installation steps are provided in the SNMP Polling section.

rConfig’s Device Inventory feature transforms your configuration management platform into an intelligent data collection system. While rConfig excels at configuration backup and change tracking, it is not designed to replace dedicated inventory management solutions like Netbox, Nautobot, or Device42. Instead, it complements these systems by extracting and storing critical device properties as dynamic attributes for reporting and analysis.

Device Inventory: Beyond Simple Configuration Backups

What Makes Device Inventory Powerful

Device Inventory gives you two flexible methods to gather device information:

1. SNMP Polling - Query devices using SNMP (v2c or v3) to extract system details, interface information, and vendor-specific data
2. Device Configuration Parsing - Extract properties directly from backed-up configuration files using regex patterns

These methods work independently or together, allowing you to build a rich dataset of device properties without manual data entry. The collected data becomes dynamic properties attached to each device—searchable, reportable, and ready for analysis.

Key Capabilities

• Protocol Flexibility: Gather data via SNMP, SSH, or Telnet
• Script Integration: Compatible with rConfig Pro’s custom script features for specialized data extraction
• Automated Collection: Run inventory updates on schedules or on-demand
• Dynamic Properties: Store extracted data as device attributes for future use
• Export & Analysis: Generate CSV reports for offline processing

What Device Inventory Is NOT

rConfig Device Inventory is not:

• A replacement for dedicated IPAM/DCIM solutions
• A comprehensive asset management system
• A real-time monitoring platform
• A network topology mapper

It is a lightweight, flexible way to capture and store device attributes that complement your configuration management workflow.

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Data Extraction Methods

SNMP Polling

SNMP Polling queries devices using the Simple Network Management Protocol to retrieve standardized and vendor-specific information. Common data points include:

• System information (hostname, uptime, location, contact)
• Hardware details (serial numbers, model numbers, chassis IDs)
• Interface inventory (names, descriptions, MAC addresses, operational status)
• Software versions and capabilities

Use Case: You need to quickly inventory all switch serial numbers across 500 devices for warranty tracking. SNMP polling can extract this data in minutes without touching configurations.

See SNMP Polling Documentation for configuration details.

Device Configuration Parsing

Configuration Parsing uses regex patterns to extract specific values from backed-up configuration files. This method is ideal when:

• Devices don’t support SNMP or have SNMP disabled
• You need configuration-specific details (VLANs, routing protocols, ACL counts)
• SNMP MIBs don’t expose the data you need

Use Case: Extract all configured NTP servers from router configurations to ensure consistency across your network infrastructure.

See Device Configuration Parsing Documentation for pattern examples and setup.

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Dynamic Properties: The Foundation for Reporting

Every piece of data extracted via SNMP or Configuration Parsing is stored as a dynamic property on the device record. These properties are:

• Flexible: No predefined schema—store whatever data you extract
• Queryable: Use properties for filtering and reporting
• Timestamped: Track when data was last updated
• Version-aware: See how properties change over time

Current Capabilities

Inventory Reports: Generate comprehensive CSV exports containing all device properties for offline analysis, auditing, or integration with other systems.

Future Capabilities (V8+)

• Advanced UI Filtering: Filter device lists by dynamic properties directly in the web interface
  • Example: “Show me all Cisco devices with IOS version 15.2.x”
  • Example: “Find all switches with more than 48 ports”
• Custom Reports: Build reusable report templates based on property filters
• Property-Based Automation: Trigger actions based on property values
• Trend Analysis: Track how device properties change over time

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Running an Inventory Report

Inventory Reports aggregate all device information—both standard device fields and dynamic properties—into a single exportable dataset.

How to Generate a Report

1. Navigate to Devices → Inventory Report
2. Select your report parameters (all devices, specific categories, tags, etc.)
3. Click Generate Report
4. Once processing completes, download the CSV file

The report includes:

• Core device information (name, IP, category, vendor, model)
• Connection details (protocol, credentials)
• All SNMP-polled properties (if enabled)
• All configuration-parsed properties (if enabled)
• Last backup timestamp and status

Pro Tip: Open the CSV in Excel or Google Sheets to filter, sort, and analyze your inventory data. Use pivot tables to identify trends or outliers.

Inventory Report generation interface

Report Use Cases

• Audit Compliance: Export device properties for security audits or compliance reporting
• Lifecycle Management: Identify devices running end-of-life software versions
• Capacity Planning: Analyze interface utilization or hardware capabilities
• Vendor Analysis: Group devices by vendor for licensing or support contract review
• Integration: Feed inventory data into external systems (CMDB, ticketing, BI tools)

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Viewing Device Properties

Each device’s properties are accessible directly from the device detail page, giving you a quick view of all collected inventory data without running a full report.

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• rConfig V8 Pro installation
• PHP SNMP extension installed (for SNMP features)
• Devices configured with appropriate credentials
• SNMP access configured on target devices (optional, for SNMP features)

Quick Start

1. Enable SNMP Polling on test devices (Setup Guide)
2. Create Configuration Parsing Rules for key properties (Pattern Examples)
3. Run a test inventory report to validate data collection
4. Schedule automated collection via Tasks for ongoing updates

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Roadmap & Future Enhancements

Device Inventory is an evolving feature set. Planned enhancements include:

• UI Enhancements: Improved filtering and property management interfaces
• More Data Sources: Integration with APIs and other protocols for data collection
• Enhanced Reporting: Custom report builders and templates
• Automation Hooks: Trigger workflows based on property changes
• Integration Improvements: Better sync with external inventory systems

Related Documentation

• SNMP Polling Concepts - Understanding automated property collection
• Configuration Property Parsing - Regex-based data extraction
• Device Management Fundamentals - Core device concepts and workflows
• CLI Commands - rconfig:snmp-poll-device and other inventory commands
• Device Import Methods - Getting devices into rConfig

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The Bottom Line

Device Inventory turns your configuration backups into actionable intelligence. By extracting and storing device properties as dynamic attributes, you gain visibility into your network infrastructure without the overhead of a full-scale inventory system.

As rConfig V8 evolves, dynamic properties will become even more powerful—enabling advanced filtering, custom reporting, and automated workflows based on real device characteristics. Start collecting inventory data today, and you’ll be ready to leverage these capabilities as soon as they’re released.