Migrate from SolarWinds NCM to rConfig V8 | SolarWinds NCM Import Tool

Migrate your SolarWinds NCM device inventory to rConfig

Migrate from SolarWinds NCM to rConfig V8 with the SolarWinds NCM Import Tool. SolarWinds is queried directly through the SolarWinds Information Service (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.

Available in rConfig V8. This tool reduces migration time by pulling your SolarWinds node inventory directly from the SWIS API and bulk importing devices with consistent templates, vendors, and categories.

Note

Running rConfig Pro? See the Pro SolarWinds NCM migration guide.

Why Migrate from SolarWinds NCM?

rConfig V8 provides a dedicated, focused network configuration management platform with:

Advanced scheduling: Flexible task scheduling with cron based timing and dependency management

Template engine: Configuration snippet deployment across device groups with variable substitution

Versioned configuration backups: Full history and diffing of every device configuration

The SolarWinds NCM Import Tool makes this transition straightforward with automated device onboarding.

Teams evaluating rConfig as a SolarWinds NCM alternative usually 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.

How It Works

The import process follows four steps:

1. Configure the SolarWinds connection: Store and test the SWIS REST API connection details
2. Create device type mappings: Define how SolarWinds device types translate to rConfig templates, vendors, and categories
3. Load devices from SolarWinds: Query the SWIS API and generate import ready JSON
4. Import devices to rConfig: Bulk import devices with validated configurations

File Locations

The import tool uses the following file locations:

• 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

These directories are created automatically if they don’t exist.

Prerequisites

Before importing devices, ensure 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
• Device templates, vendors, and categories configured in rConfig matching your SolarWinds device types
• At least one credential set created in rConfig (SolarWinds does not export usable device passwords)
• SSH/command-line access to the rConfig server

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.

Command

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

Options

• --setup - Set up the SolarWinds SWIS connection interactively
• --test - Test the existing connection
• --show - Show the current connection info
• --edit-filters - Edit the node filters applied when loading
• --set-url=URL - Update the SWIS URL
• --clear - Clear the stored connection info
• --info - Display command help and usage information

Set Up the Connection

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

The wizard prompts you for the host, port (defaults to 17774), username, password, and whether to verify the TLS certificate. SolarWinds appliances commonly use a self signed certificate, so set verify SSL to off if that applies to your environment.

Tip

After saving the connection, test it before going any further. This confirms rConfig can authenticate against the SWIS API and run a SWQL query.

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

You can 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.

Command

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. You will be prompted to 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 placeholder)

Caution

Accurate mappings are critical for successful imports. Verify template, vendor, and category IDs exist in rConfig before creating mappings.

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.

Command

php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-load-devices

Options

• --batch-size=100 - Number of nodes to fetch per API request (default: 100)
• --max-nodes=N - Cap the total number of nodes loaded
• --info - Display command help and usage information

The loader fetches nodes in batches, applies your device type mappings, and writes a timestamped JSON file to storage/app/rconfig/tempdir.

php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan rconfig:solarwinds-load-devices --batch-size=250 --max-nodes=500

Note

The JSON file is an intermediate artifact. Review it before importing to confirm the device details and template mappings look correct.

Step 4: Import Devices to rConfig

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

Command

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

Options

• --dry-run - Preview the import without modifying the database
• --info - Display command help and usage information

Dry Run Mode

Always preview the import first. The dry run validates each device and reports what would be imported without writing any records:

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

Production Import

Execute the actual import:

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

Note

All imports use database transactions. If any error occurs during import, all changes are rolled back automatically. Devices that already exist are skipped.

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

Troubleshooting

Connection failures

Symptoms:

• The connection test or load command cannot reach SWIS

Resolution:

Re-run the connection 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.

No credential sets exist

Symptoms:

• Error during loading: “No device credentials found in the system”

Resolution:

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

Device type mapping not found

Symptoms:

• Devices skipped during loading with “No mapping found for device type”

Resolution:

Create the missing mapping:

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

Invalid template/vendor/category ID

Symptoms:

• Import fails with “Template ID X does not exist” or “Vendor ID X not found”

Resolution:

Verify the IDs exist in rConfig (Settings > Templates, Vendors, or Categories) and update the mapping with the correct IDs.

Duplicate devices

Symptoms:

• Validation shows “Device with same name or IP already exists”

Resolution:

Duplicates are automatically skipped during import. Review the import summary to confirm which devices were skipped.

Best Practices

Test the connection first: Always run --test before loading devices

Create mappings before loading: Configure all device type mappings so the loader can resolve each device’s template

Pre-create credential sets: Set up credential sets in rConfig before importing devices

Use dry-run mode: Always run --dry-run first to preview changes and catch errors before the production import

Review the JSON file: Check the generated JSON before importing to confirm device details and mappings

Post-Import Tasks

After successful import:

1. Verify device inventory: Navigate to Devices and confirm all devices imported correctly
2. Review credentials: Check that devices have appropriate credential assignments
3. Test connectivity: Use the device debug command to verify connection to sample devices
4. Check relationships: Verify tags, vendors, categories, and templates are correctly assigned
5. Configure schedules: Set up automated backup schedules for device groups

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.

Related Documentation

• Oxidized Import - Migrating from Oxidized
• Rancid Import - Migrating from RANCID
• NetMRI Import - Migrating from Infoblox NetMRI
• Connection Templates - Configuring device templates
• Scheduled Tasks - Automating configuration backups