Slack Notifications

Slack Notifications: Real-Time Network Configuration Alerts for rConfig V8

Slack Notifications enable rConfig V8 to send real-time alerts and updates directly to your Slack channels. This integration keeps your team informed of important network events, configuration changes, and system activities without requiring constant monitoring of the rConfig interface.

Supported Notification Types

rConfig V8 can send the following notifications to Slack:

Notification Type	Description	Availability
Configuration Changes	Alerts when device configurations are modified	rConfig V8+
Compliance Violations	Notifications when policy compliance issues are detected	rConfig V8+
Backup Failures	Alerts when scheduled configuration backups fail	rConfig V8+
Connection Errors	Notifications when device connectivity issues occur	rConfig V8+

Prerequisites

Before configuring Slack notifications, ensure you have:

Active Slack workspace with administrative access
Ability to create and install Slack apps
Channel(s) designated for rConfig notifications
Administrator access to rConfig V8

Create Slack App

Step 1: Create New Slack App

Navigate to Slack API Apps
Click Create New App
Select From scratch
Enter app name (e.g., “rConfig Notifications”)
Select your workspace
Click Create App

Step 2: Configure OAuth Permissions

Navigate to OAuth & Permissions in the left sidebar
Scroll to Scopes section
Under Bot Token Scopes, add the following scopes:
- chat:write - Post messages to channels
- chat:write.public - Post messages to public channels without joining
- chat:write.customize - Customize message appearance and bot name

Step 3: Install App to Workspace

Scroll to OAuth Tokens for Your Workspace section
Click Install to Workspace
Review and authorize the requested permissions
After installation, copy the Bot User OAuth Token (starts with xoxb-)

Step 4: Get Signing Secret (Optional)

For webhook verification (recommended for security):

Navigate to Basic Information in the left sidebar
Scroll to App Credentials section
Copy the Signing Secret

Configure rConfig V8

Step 1: Edit Environment Configuration

Open the rConfig .env file:

vim /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/.env

Step 2: Add Slack Configuration

Add or update the following lines:

# Slack Integration
SLACK_ENABLED=true
SLACK_BOT_USER_OAUTH_TOKEN=xoxb-your-bot-token-here
SLACK_BOT_USER_DEFAULT_CHANNEL=general

Configuration Parameters:

SLACK_ENABLED: Set to true to enable Slack notifications
SLACK_BOT_USER_OAUTH_TOKEN: Bot User OAuth Token from Slack app
SLACK_BOT_USER_DEFAULT_CHANNEL: Default channel name for notifications (without #)

Step 3: Clear Application Cache

Save the file and clear the rConfig cache:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:clear-all

Configure Notification Preferences

Step 1: Access Notification Settings

Navigate to Settings > Integrations > Slack Notifications in the rConfig interface.

Step 2: Enable Notification Types

Select which events should trigger Slack notifications:

✓ Configuration changes detected
✓ Compliance policy violations
✓ Backup failures
✓ Device connection errors

Step 3: Configure Channel Routing (Optional)

Specify different channels for different notification types:

Configuration changes → #network-changes
Compliance violations → #security-alerts
Backup failures → #operations
Connection errors → #network-alerts

Step 4: Test Notification

Click Send Test Message to verify the integration is working correctly.

Expected test message in Slack:

🔔 rConfig Test Notification
This is a test message from rConfig V8.
Integration is working correctly!

Notification Examples

Configuration Change Notification

📝 Configuration Change Detected

Device: core-router-01.example.com
Type: Cisco IOS
Changed: 2025-10-14 10:23:15 UTC
User: [email protected]

View Details: https://rconfig.example.com/devices/123/configs/456

Compliance Violation Notification

⚠️ Compliance Policy Violation

Device: access-switch-05.example.com
Policy: Password Complexity Requirements
Severity: High

View Report: https://rconfig.example.com/compliance/reports/789

Backup Failure Notification

❌ Backup Failed

Device: edge-router-03.example.com
Scheduled Task: Daily Backup - Core Network
Error: Connection timeout after 60 seconds

View Logs: https://rconfig.example.com/tasks/scheduled/456

Troubleshooting

Test message not appearing in Slack

Check Slack app installation:

Verify app is installed in workspace
Confirm bot has required scopes (chat:write, chat:write.public, chat:write.customize)
Check bot token is valid and not revoked

Verify rConfig configuration:

# Check if Slack is enabled
grep SLACK_ENABLED /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/.env

# Verify token format (should start with xoxb-)
grep SLACK_BOT_USER_OAUTH_TOKEN /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/.env

Check rConfig logs:

tail -50 /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/storage/logs/laravel.log | grep -i slack

Messages appear as “App” instead of custom name

Set custom bot name:

Go to Slack app settings
Navigate to Features > App Home
Edit Bot User section
Set display name (e.g., “rConfig Notifications”)
Save changes

Channel not found errors

Verify channel name:

Use channel name without # symbol
Ensure channel exists in workspace
Confirm bot has access to private channels (if applicable)

For private channels:

Invite bot to private channel: /invite @rConfig
Verify bot appears in channel member list

Invalid authentication errors

Check token validity:

Verify token has not been revoked in Slack app settings
Confirm workspace has not changed
Regenerate token if necessary:
1. Go to OAuth & Permissions
2. Click Revoke (if token exists)
3. Click Reinstall to Workspace
4. Copy new token
5. Update .env file

Notifications not sending for specific events

Verify event configuration:

Check notification settings in rConfig
Ensure specific notification types are enabled
Confirm channel routing is correct

Check event triggers:

# Review recent events in logs
tail -100 /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/storage/logs/laravel.log | grep -i notification

Rate limiting issues

Symptoms:

Some notifications not delivered
Delayed notifications
Rate limit errors in logs

Resolution:

Slack limits: 1 message per second per channel
Consider batching notifications for high-volume events
Use different channels for different notification types to distribute load

Security Considerations

Protect bot token: Never commit the bot token to version control or share it publicly. Store it securely in the .env file.

Use signing secret: Enable webhook signature verification using the signing secret to prevent unauthorized message sending.

Restrict permissions: Grant only the minimum required scopes to the Slack bot.

Monitor token usage: Regularly review Slack app audit logs for suspicious activity.

Channel access control: Use private channels for sensitive notifications and carefully manage channel membership.

Best Practices

Organize channels: Create dedicated channels for different notification types (e.g., #network-changes, #compliance-alerts).

Use threading: Configure notifications to use threads for related events to reduce channel clutter.

Set notification schedules: Consider limiting non-critical notifications to business hours.

Test regularly: Periodically send test messages to ensure the integration remains functional.

Document channel purposes: Clearly communicate to team members which channels receive which notification types.

Email Notifications - Configure email alerts
Webhook Integration - Send notifications to custom webhooks
Scheduled Tasks - Configure automated operations
Compliance Policies - Understanding compliance notifications