Migrate from SolarWinds NCM to rConfig V8 Core

Migrate your SolarWinds NCM device inventory into rConfig V8 Core with the SolarWinds NCM Import Tool. After reading this page, you can configure the SolarWinds Information Service (SWIS) REST API connection, map SolarWinds device types to rConfig templates, and bulk import your nodes from the command line.

The tool queries SolarWinds directly through the SWIS REST API using SWQL, so the workflow starts with a one time connection setup, then follows the same map, load, and import pattern used by the other import tools.

When to use this

Use this tool when you are moving an existing SolarWinds NCM (Orion) deployment to rConfig V8 Core and want to onboard your device inventory in bulk rather than adding each device by hand. It suits teams that want a focused, lower-overhead configuration management platform without the wider Orion suite. If you are still comparing options, see why rConfig is a strong SolarWinds NCM alternative. This page covers the migration itself.

Prerequisites

Before importing devices, make sure you have:

A reachable SolarWinds Orion server with the SWIS REST API available (the connection defaults to port 17774)
SolarWinds credentials (an Orion account or a local SolarWinds account) with permission to query nodes through SWIS
Administrator access to rConfig V8 Core
Device templates, vendors, and categories configured in rConfig matching your SolarWinds device types (see Connection Templates and Vendors)
At least one credential set created in rConfig, because SolarWinds does not export usable device passwords
SSH or command-line access to the rConfig server (see CLI Commands)

How the import works

The import process follows four steps:

Configure the SolarWinds connection: store and test the SWIS REST API connection details.
Create device type mappings: define how SolarWinds device types translate to rConfig templates, vendors, and categories.
Load devices from SolarWinds: query the SWIS API and generate import ready JSON.
Import devices to rConfig: bulk import devices with validated configurations.

File locations

The import tool uses the following file locations, all created automatically if they do not exist:

Purpose	Path
Connection file	`storage/app/rconfig/solarwinds_connection.json`
Temporary files	`storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/`
Import JSON files	`storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/rconfig_import_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.json`

Step 1: Configure the SolarWinds connection

Before you can load any devices, tell rConfig how to reach the SWIS REST API. The connection details are stored at storage/app/rconfig/solarwinds_connection.json.

Run the connection command to see the available options:
Terminal window
```
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-connection
```
The command accepts these options:
- --setup sets up the SolarWinds SWIS connection interactively
- --test tests the existing connection
- --show shows the current connection info
- --edit-filters edits the node filters applied when loading
- --set-url=URL updates the SWIS URL
- --clear clears the stored connection info
- --info displays command help and usage information
Run the setup wizard and enter the host, port (defaults to 17774), username, password, and whether to verify the TLS certificate:
Terminal window
```
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-connection --setup
```
SolarWinds appliances commonly use a self signed certificate, so set verify SSL to off if that applies to your environment.
Test the connection before going any further. This confirms rConfig can authenticate against the SWIS API and run a SWQL query:
Terminal window
```
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-connection --test
```

Review or remove the stored configuration at any time:

php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-connection --show
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-connection --clear

Step 2: Create device type mappings

SolarWinds NCM uses its own device type and vendor naming. rConfig uses templates. Before importing, map each SolarWinds device type to an rConfig template, vendor, and category.

Run the device mappings command:
Terminal window
```
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-device-mappings
```
This interactive command lets you view, add, edit, and remove mappings between SolarWinds device types and rConfig templates.
For each mapping, provide:
- SolarWinds device type: the device type reported by SolarWinds
- rConfig template: the device template ID to use for this device type
- Vendor: the vendor ID associated with this device type
- Category: the category ID for organising devices
- Tags: multi-select tags for device classification
- Prompts: device enable and main prompts (use {device_name} as the placeholder)

Step 3: Load devices from SolarWinds

Use the load command to query the SWIS API and convert the returned nodes into an intermediate JSON file.

Run the load command:
Terminal window
```
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-load-devices
```
The command accepts these options:
- --batch-size=100 sets the number of nodes to fetch per API request (default: 100)
- --max-nodes=N caps the total number of nodes loaded
- --info displays command help and usage information
Optionally tune the batch size and node cap. The loader fetches nodes in batches, applies your device type mappings, and writes a timestamped JSON file to storage/app/rconfig/tempdir:
Terminal window
```
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-load-devices --batch-size=250 --max-nodes=500
```

Step 4: Import devices to rConfig

Once you are happy with the JSON file, import it into rConfig.

Review the available import options:
Terminal window
```
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-import-devices /path/to/rconfig_import.json
```
The command accepts these options:
- --dry-run previews the import without modifying the database
- --info displays command help and usage information
Run a dry run first. It validates each device and reports what would be imported without writing any records:
Terminal window
```
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-import-devices \
  --dry-run \
  /path/to/rconfig_import.json
```

Run the production import once the dry run looks correct:

php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-import-devices \
  /path/to/rconfig_import.json

Complete workflow example

# Step 1: Configure and test the SolarWinds connection
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-connection --setup
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-connection --test

# Step 2: Create device type mappings
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-device-mappings

# Step 3: Load devices from SolarWinds
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-load-devices --batch-size=100

# Review the generated JSON file
cat storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/rconfig_import_2025-01-25_14-30-45.json

# Step 4: Preview import (dry run)
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-import-devices \
  --dry-run \
  storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/rconfig_import_2025-01-25_14-30-45.json

# Step 5: Execute production import
php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-import-devices \
  storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/rconfig_import_2025-01-25_14-30-45.json

After the import

Once the import succeeds:

Verify device inventory: navigate to Devices and confirm all devices imported correctly.
Review credentials: check that devices have appropriate credential assignments.
Test connectivity: use the device debug command to verify connection to sample devices.
Check relationships: verify tags, vendors, categories, and templates are correctly assigned.
Configure schedules: set up automated backup schedules for device groups.

Troubleshooting common issues

Why does the connection test fail?

If the connection test or load command cannot reach SWIS, re-run the test and confirm the host, port (17774), and credentials:

php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-connection --test

If you use a self signed certificate, set verify SSL to off when running --setup.

Why does loading report no credential sets?

If loading fails with “No device credentials found in the system”, create at least one credential set in rConfig:

Navigate to Settings > Credentials
Create a new credential set with valid SSH credentials
Re-run the load devices command

Why are devices skipped with no mapping found?

If devices are skipped during loading with “No mapping found for device type”, create the missing mapping:

php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-device-mappings

Why does the import report an invalid template, vendor, or category ID?

If the import fails with “Template ID X does not exist” or “Vendor ID X not found”, verify the IDs exist in rConfig (Settings > Templates, Vendors, or Categories) and update the mapping with the correct IDs.

Why are some devices reported as duplicates?

If validation shows “Device with same name or IP already exists”, note that duplicates are automatically skipped during import. Review the import summary to confirm which devices were skipped.

Frequently asked questions

Can I export devices from SolarWinds NCM?

Yes. rConfig queries SolarWinds directly through the SWIS REST API using SWQL and converts the returned nodes into an import ready JSON file. The load command fetches nodes in batches and applies your device type mappings.

Will device passwords transfer from SolarWinds NCM?

No. SolarWinds does not export usable device passwords. Create at least one credential set in rConfig before loading devices, then assign credentials to the imported devices afterwards.

What API does the SolarWinds migration use?

The migration uses the SolarWinds Information Service (SWIS) REST API, which defaults to port 17774. You configure and test this connection before loading any devices.

Does rConfig replace SolarWinds NCM for configuration management?

Yes, for configuration backup, versioning, scheduling and templating. See the full feature comparison on rconfig.com for a side by side breakdown.