rConfig V8 Features and Product Roadmap

rConfig V8 Features and Product Roadmap: AI-Powered Network Automation

Overview

rConfig V8 represents a significant evolution in network configuration management, introducing enterprise-grade capabilities designed to meet the demands of modern network operations. This roadmap shows exactly what we have shipped, exactly what we are building, and exactly what is planned next. It is updated as releases land and priorities shift.

rConfig ships on a roughly six-week release cadence. The platform has been benchmarked for 100,000+ devices with 10x lower latency than previous generations.

Feature Availability by Edition

Features vary by rConfig edition (Core, Pro, Vector, Enterprise):

Core: Available in all editions
Pro: Available in Pro, Vector, and Enterprise editions
Vector: Available in Vector and Enterprise editions only
Enterprise: Exclusive to Enterprise edition

For the edition each capability below belongs to, see the edition comparison or contact the rConfig team.

Shipped Releases

v8.0 - Platform Foundation

Category: Platform
Status: Shipped

A modern, layered architecture that removes years of technical debt and establishes the foundation for everything that follows. Benchmarked for 100,000 devices with 10x lower latency.

Architecture Rewrite: Modern layered architecture rebuilt from the ground up
Massive Scale: Support for very large device estates with substantially reduced latency
Modernised UI/UX: A completely redesigned, more efficient operator interface
Change Pulse: Real-time visibility into configuration changes as they happen
Enhanced Diff Engine: Faster, clearer comparison of configuration versions

v8.1 - Usability

Category: Usability
Status: Shipped

Enhanced performance and security, with the first foundations for AI-assisted operations.

Inventory UI Enhancements: A sharper, faster device inventory experience
Config Retention Overhaul: Reworked configuration retention and lifecycle handling
Optimised Snippets: Improved snippet performance and management
MCP & GenAI Foundation: Groundwork for the Model Context Protocol server and generative AI features
Zabbix Integration: Native synchronisation with Zabbix
PHP 8.4: Mandatory upgrade to PHP 8.4

v8.2 - Security

Category: Security
Status: Shipped

Expanded integration ecosystem, sharper operator tooling, and hardened authentication.

NMS Integrations: Additional network management system integrations
Live Debug Console: Real-time debugging for collection and connectivity troubleshooting
Dashboard Customisation: Configurable dashboards for operators
Advanced Filtering: More sophisticated filtering across the platform
Data Export: Expanded data export options
Auth Hardening: Strengthened authentication and session security

v8.2.1 - Automation & API

Category: Automation & API
Status: Shipped

Programmatic agent provisioning, post-backup compliance automation, and rule-driven device grouping.

Vector Agent Provisioning API: Provision and manage Vector agents programmatically
Post-Backup Compliance: Run compliance checks automatically after each backup
Smart Groups: Rule-driven device grouping that updates automatically
API Documentation Generator: Generated, always-current API documentation
Notifications & Search Refinements: Improvements to notifications and search

v8.2.2 - Laravel 13 AI Platform

Category: Platform
Status: Shipped

The move to the production-ready Laravel 13 AI platform baseline, with bug fixes, tech debt removal, and security hardening.

Laravel 13 AI Platform Baseline: Upgraded framework baseline ready for the AI release
Production-Ready Laravel AI Platform: Hardened platform for the upcoming GenAI features
Bug Fixes: Defect resolution across the platform
Tech Debt and Security: Continued tech debt removal and security hardening

In Progress

v8.3 - GenAI

Category: AI
Status: In Progress
Target: Q3 2026
Confidence: High

Read-only and grounded: the AI reads and explains, nothing writes to the network. v8.3 introduces grounded generative AI built on the Model Context Protocol foundation, with a strong emphasis on governance and data control.

GenAI Assistant: Natural language interaction with your configuration data
GenAI Troubleshooting: AI-assisted analysis of configuration and connectivity issues
GenAI Summaries: Automated summaries of configurations and changes
MCP AI Server: A Model Context Protocol server exposing rConfig data to AI clients
MCP Tool Library: A library of MCP tools for AI-driven workflows
Bring-Your-Own Keys: Use your own AI provider API keys
Air-Gapped AI: Support for AI in disconnected and air-gapped environments
AI Governance: Controls and guardrails over how AI accesses and uses data

Planned

v8.4 - Automation with rConfig Forge

Category: Automation
Status: Planned
Confidence: Medium

The write boundary opens, under human approval. v8.4 introduces the rConfig Forge automation layer, enabling policy-driven remediation and workflow automation with humans in the loop.

rConfig Forge: A new automation layer for building and running network workflows
Policy-Based Auto-Remediation: Automated correction of policy violations under approval
Automation Workbench: A workspace for designing and testing automation
Compliance-Driven Automation: Automation triggered by compliance state
Self-Healing Networks: Automated restoration of configurations to a known-good baseline
Reporting Engine: A new engine for operational and compliance reporting

Under Evaluation

v9.x - Security Horizon

Category: Security
Status: Under Evaluation
Confidence: Exploratory

Exploratory work tying configuration state to known vulnerabilities and actionable risk context. This is horizon work and not committed scope.

CVE Database Integration: Correlate device configurations against CVE data
Vendor Advisories: Surface relevant vendor security advisories
Risk Context: Turn vulnerability data into actionable, prioritised risk context

Feature Request and Feedback

rConfig’s development roadmap is directly influenced by customer needs and market demands. We maintain multiple channels for customer input and actively incorporate feedback into product planning and prioritization decisions.

Engagement Channels

Customer feedback reaches the product team through various channels, each designed to capture different types of input. The customer portal provides a formal mechanism for Enterprise and Vector customers to submit detailed feature requests with business justification and use cases. Community forums facilitate discussion among users, allowing the product team to identify common needs and emerging trends. Support interactions provide valuable insight into operational challenges and enhancement opportunities. Enterprise customers may also participate in our customer advisory board, providing strategic input on product direction and major initiatives.

Feedback Lifecycle

When feature requests are submitted, they enter a structured evaluation process. The product management team reviews all submissions quarterly, assessing each request against strategic objectives, technical feasibility, and overall customer demand. Prioritization considers factors including the number of customers requesting similar capabilities, alignment with product strategy, implementation complexity, and potential impact on existing functionality. Requesters receive regular updates on their submissions, including status changes and expected delivery timelines when features are scheduled for development.

Collaborative Development

For significant new capabilities, rConfig may engage customers in collaborative development programs. These programs provide early access to features under development, allowing customers to provide feedback before general release. Participants in these programs help shape feature implementation, ensuring the final result meets real-world requirements. This collaborative approach results in better features and stronger customer partnerships.

Version Support Policy

rConfig maintains the following support lifecycle for major versions:

Current Version: Full support including new features, enhancements, and security updates
Previous Version: Maintenance support including critical defect fixes and security updates for [12] months
Legacy Versions: Security updates only for [18] months after deprecation

Enterprise customers receive extended support options. Contact sales for extended support lifecycle information.

Getting Started with V8

To begin exploring rConfig V8 features:

Complete Operating System Configuration for deployment preparation
Review Security Hardening Guidelines for enterprise deployment
Begin with rConfig V8 Professional Installation or rConfig Vector Server Installation
For distributed deployments, continue with Vector Agent Installation
Access the in-app documentation for API integration development

For questions regarding features, roadmap, or edition comparison, contact the rConfig team info@rconfig.com.