How Do I Monitor and Manage Changes on NetScaler Using Command Center?

Use Case

George is a super administrator who wants to ensure that a certain set of configuration remains untouched on his NetScaler(s). If any operator mistakenly changes this configuration, the super admin would like to have a way in Command Center via which he can check the incorrect command(s) and revert them with the help of a list of corrective commands.??

Introduction to Command Center and Configuration-Change Management module

Command Center is a manageability solution that enables administrators to monitor and manage their NetScaler deployments. It acts as an SNMP manager for the devices that are added on it for management purpose. Command Center’s Configuration module helps simplify device management and minimize configuration errors. You can make configuration changes across devices using built-in and custom tasks, replicate a device's configuration to other devices on your network as well as track changes on your NetScaler.

The Change Management feature in Command Center can be used to monitor configuration changes across managed NetScaler devices as well as troubleshoot configuration errors.

Change Management using Audit Templates and Policies & Reports:

You can compare the NetScaler’s current configuration against a master template and get the list of differential commands (referred to as ‘corrective commands’ in CC UI) using Change management feature in Command Center. You can then review these differential commands and ?? take necessary actions.

Configuration Steps

i) Create an Audit Template with the commands that you wish to track changes against.

Login to Command Center GUI and navigate to Configuration module -> Change management -> Audit Template. Create a new audit template and add those commands to this template against which you wish to track the changes.

ii) Create an Audit Policy:??

Navigate to Configuration module -> Change management -> Audit Policies and create a policy by selecting the required report. Creating a policy with ‘Running v/s Chosen Audit Template’ will require the selection of a template as well against whom the running configuration of NetScaler will be compared. You can also add multiple templates in a policy. For simplicity sake, only one template has been added in the example.
In this example (shown below) an Audit policy is created for ‘Running vs. Chosen Audit template’ and the associated template created in step (i) is added for comparison.

iii) Execute Audit Policy to create Report:??

Executing the Audit Policy created in Step (ii) will create a Report which will detail the changes between the current NetScaler configuration and the template.
To execute the policy on the NetScaler, navigate to Configuration module -> Change management -> Audit Policies, select the audit policy and Click on ‘Execute’.

Add the NetScaler device(s) on which you want to execute this policy and click on ‘OK’.

The policy gets executed and the created report can be seen under Configuration -> Change management -> Reports

iv) View the Report:

Navigate to Configuration -> Change management -> Reports, Select the required report and click on ‘Devices’.

Select the required device’s report and click on ‘Details’.

View the comparison in a tabular format.

Once you have the corrective commands, you can review and apply them on the NetScaler devices.

Conclusion

Tracking changes on NetScaler can be easily monitored and managed using the Change Management feature in Command Center. By following the steps given in this guide, you can track any unwanted changes to your NetScaler configuration and take necessary measures to get it back to the desired state/configuration.