Reinvented for 2026

Free, open-source network configuration backups

A modern NCM engine built on rConfig’s V8 architecture. Back up and restore configs across multi-vendor environments — no device caps, no licensing fees.

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01 — Why V8 Core · 6 benefits

A free, open-source NCM built for modern networks

The same engine that powers rConfig V8 Pro — run it on-prem, offline, or in your own cloud with zero licensing overhead.

  • Unlimited Device Backups

    Back up as many network, IoT, and OT devices as you need without artificial caps or surprise fees.

  • Multi-Vendor Support

    Reliable CLI-based backups across heterogeneous environments, from routers and switches to controllers and firewalls.

  • Fast, Automated Backups

    Schedule recurring jobs or run on-demand to keep every configuration safely stored and ready to restore.

  • Secure & Self-Hosted

    Deploy anywhere—on-prem, offline, or in your own cloud—with full control over where data lives.

  • Open Source & Free Forever

    No licences, no limits. Extend, fork, or embed V8 Core in your workflow with complete transparency.

  • Powered by rConfig V8 Architecture

    Modern PHP/Laravel backend designed for stability, scalability, and clean integrations.

02 — Capabilities · 6 features

What you get with V8 Core

Scheduled backups, version history, multi-vendor CLI support, a REST API, secure credential handling, and a clean modern UI — the professional-grade foundation, free forever.

  • Flagship

    Automated Configuration Backups

    Run scheduled or on-demand backups across routers, switches, firewalls, wireless controllers, and more — the foundation V8 Core is built on.

  • Fast Restore & Version History

    Retrieve prior configs quickly, compare versions, and restore the right state in minutes.

  • CLI-Driven Multi-Vendor Support

    Works across Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, Fortinet, Palo Alto, MikroTik, HP, Ubiquiti, and hundreds more.

  • Secure Credential Handling

    Store credentials safely, keep backups within your environment, and maintain air-gapped isolation.

  • Simple, Clean Web Interface

    Browse configs, view logs, and manage devices from an intuitive UI without legacy bloat.

  • API Support for Automation

    Trigger backups, pull configs, or integrate with existing tooling and workflows via the REST API.

03 — Setup · 3 steps

Get started in minutes — no licensing, no barriers

Everything ships ready out of the box. Most teams have their first scheduled backup running on day one — no consultants required.

Follow the Quick Start Guide
04 — Use cases · 4 scenarios

Where V8 Core fits best

From a single-engineer lab to a 2,000-device MSP, and a clean on-ramp to V8 Pro the day you outgrow it.

  • Ideal for Labs & Internal Environments

    Perfect for engineers, students, and teams exploring automated configuration backups with zero licensing overhead.

  • Small to Mid-Sized Networks

    Great for SMBs, branch offices, and MSP clients that need reliable backup automation without enterprise overhead.

  • Multi-Vendor Device Management

    Supports mixed environments of switches, routers, firewalls, wireless, and OT gear from diverse vendors.

  • Foundation for V8 Pro Migration

    Start free, then expand into Pro when you need alerts, compliance, advanced automation, or enterprise integrations.

05 — In production · MSP case study

How teams use rConfig V8 Core

Real deployments, from lab networks to multi-thousand-device MSP estates — running on the free, open-source edition.

Case study

Automated backups for a 2,000-device network

A regional MSP used rConfig to automate nightly configuration backups across 2,000 customer devices, streamlining operations and boosting compliance.

  • Backups ran reliably every night
  • Configs were securely stored internally
  • Onboarding new devices took minutes
  • The MSP eliminated manual backup tasks entirely
Learn more
06 — Proof · Engineer testimonials

Real network engineers, solving real-world problems

Showcasing real success stories from users who rely on rConfig for secure, efficient, and scalable network management.

D

Dave Rhodes

@Senior Network Reliability Engineer

“Honestly, we stuck with RANCID and Oxidized way too long. Constant script patching, constant breakage. rConfig V8 was the first time I felt like the backups were just… handled. No drama, no chasing logs. It’s been a breath of fresh air.”

M

Maria Cortez

@Principal Network Designer

“We tested Batfish, Oxidized, a couple of internal tools — nothing felt stable or smooth enough to trust in production. rConfig was the first platform where the team said, ‘Yeah, this actually makes sense.’ The workflow, the visibility, the automation… it all just clicked.”

T

Tobias Brandt

@Lead DevNet Engineer

“Our old RANCID install toppled over every time we added new devices. With rConfig, backups run like clockwork. No guessing, no hoping. If it’s on the network, it’s backed up — that peace of mind is huge.”

D

Dave Rhodes

@Senior Network Reliability Engineer

“Honestly, we stuck with RANCID and Oxidized way too long. Constant script patching, constant breakage. rConfig V8 was the first time I felt like the backups were just… handled. No drama, no chasing logs. It’s been a breath of fresh air.”

M

Maria Cortez

@Principal Network Designer

“We tested Batfish, Oxidized, a couple of internal tools — nothing felt stable or smooth enough to trust in production. rConfig was the first platform where the team said, ‘Yeah, this actually makes sense.’ The workflow, the visibility, the automation… it all just clicked.”

T

Tobias Brandt

@Lead DevNet Engineer

“Our old RANCID install toppled over every time we added new devices. With rConfig, backups run like clockwork. No guessing, no hoping. If it’s on the network, it’s backed up — that peace of mind is huge.”

D

Dave Rhodes

@Senior Network Reliability Engineer

“Honestly, we stuck with RANCID and Oxidized way too long. Constant script patching, constant breakage. rConfig V8 was the first time I felt like the backups were just… handled. No drama, no chasing logs. It’s been a breath of fresh air.”

M

Maria Cortez

@Principal Network Designer

“We tested Batfish, Oxidized, a couple of internal tools — nothing felt stable or smooth enough to trust in production. rConfig was the first platform where the team said, ‘Yeah, this actually makes sense.’ The workflow, the visibility, the automation… it all just clicked.”

T

Tobias Brandt

@Lead DevNet Engineer

“Our old RANCID install toppled over every time we added new devices. With rConfig, backups run like clockwork. No guessing, no hoping. If it’s on the network, it’s backed up — that peace of mind is huge.”

D

Dave Rhodes

@Senior Network Reliability Engineer

“Honestly, we stuck with RANCID and Oxidized way too long. Constant script patching, constant breakage. rConfig V8 was the first time I felt like the backups were just… handled. No drama, no chasing logs. It’s been a breath of fresh air.”

M

Maria Cortez

@Principal Network Designer

“We tested Batfish, Oxidized, a couple of internal tools — nothing felt stable or smooth enough to trust in production. rConfig was the first platform where the team said, ‘Yeah, this actually makes sense.’ The workflow, the visibility, the automation… it all just clicked.”

T

Tobias Brandt

@Lead DevNet Engineer

“Our old RANCID install toppled over every time we added new devices. With rConfig, backups run like clockwork. No guessing, no hoping. If it’s on the network, it’s backed up — that peace of mind is huge.”

A

Anika Sharma

@Director of Network Infrastructure

“We were juggling Oxidized, Unimus, and Batfish just to get the basics done. rConfig was the only solution that felt like it belonged in 2026. Fast search, proper auditing, clean UI, and the reliability to back it up. It replaced three tools for us.”

M

Marcus Hale

@Enterprise Network Architect

“We used to joke that our automation was held together with zip ties and prayers. rConfig V8 changed that. Multi-site support, proper parallel jobs, fault tolerance — we finally have an NCM platform we don’t have to babysit. Retiring the legacy stuff felt amazing.”

S

Sophie Nguyen

@Senior Systems Automation Engineer

“Oxidized served its purpose, but we outgrew it fast. Moving to rConfig has saved us an insane amount of time. The Script Engine + API combo let us build automations we could never pull off before. It just works, and it keeps working — that’s the difference.”

A

Anika Sharma

@Director of Network Infrastructure

“We were juggling Oxidized, Unimus, and Batfish just to get the basics done. rConfig was the only solution that felt like it belonged in 2026. Fast search, proper auditing, clean UI, and the reliability to back it up. It replaced three tools for us.”

M

Marcus Hale

@Enterprise Network Architect

“We used to joke that our automation was held together with zip ties and prayers. rConfig V8 changed that. Multi-site support, proper parallel jobs, fault tolerance — we finally have an NCM platform we don’t have to babysit. Retiring the legacy stuff felt amazing.”

S

Sophie Nguyen

@Senior Systems Automation Engineer

“Oxidized served its purpose, but we outgrew it fast. Moving to rConfig has saved us an insane amount of time. The Script Engine + API combo let us build automations we could never pull off before. It just works, and it keeps working — that’s the difference.”

A

Anika Sharma

@Director of Network Infrastructure

“We were juggling Oxidized, Unimus, and Batfish just to get the basics done. rConfig was the only solution that felt like it belonged in 2026. Fast search, proper auditing, clean UI, and the reliability to back it up. It replaced three tools for us.”

M

Marcus Hale

@Enterprise Network Architect

“We used to joke that our automation was held together with zip ties and prayers. rConfig V8 changed that. Multi-site support, proper parallel jobs, fault tolerance — we finally have an NCM platform we don’t have to babysit. Retiring the legacy stuff felt amazing.”

S

Sophie Nguyen

@Senior Systems Automation Engineer

“Oxidized served its purpose, but we outgrew it fast. Moving to rConfig has saved us an insane amount of time. The Script Engine + API combo let us build automations we could never pull off before. It just works, and it keeps working — that’s the difference.”

A

Anika Sharma

@Director of Network Infrastructure

“We were juggling Oxidized, Unimus, and Batfish just to get the basics done. rConfig was the only solution that felt like it belonged in 2026. Fast search, proper auditing, clean UI, and the reliability to back it up. It replaced three tools for us.”

M

Marcus Hale

@Enterprise Network Architect

“We used to joke that our automation was held together with zip ties and prayers. rConfig V8 changed that. Multi-site support, proper parallel jobs, fault tolerance — we finally have an NCM platform we don’t have to babysit. Retiring the legacy stuff felt amazing.”

S

Sophie Nguyen

@Senior Systems Automation Engineer

“Oxidized served its purpose, but we outgrew it fast. Moving to rConfig has saved us an insane amount of time. The Script Engine + API combo let us build automations we could never pull off before. It just works, and it keeps working — that’s the difference.”

07 — Alternatives · 5 migration paths

A modern, maintained alternative to RANCID, Oxidized & Batfish

Built for teams ready to retire brittle scripts and fragmented open-source tools — without jumping to a commercial NCM platform.

01 · Migration · RANCID & Oxidized

Built for teams moving beyond legacy scripts

rConfig V8 Core is a modern, open-source Network Configuration Management platform created for engineers who have outgrown tools like RANCID and Oxidized. Instead of maintaining brittle Expect scripts and hand-crafted parsers, V8 Core provides a stable, self-hosted engine for automated configuration backups across multi-vendor networks. SSH-driven collection, clean job handling, and predictable scheduling replace years of script maintenance and ad-hoc patching, giving teams a reliable foundation they can actually trust in production.

02 · Consolidation · Mixed open-source tooling

Designed to replace fragmented open-source tooling

Many networks still run on Oxidized or custom Ruby and Python tooling that becomes harder to scale with every new device and feature. rConfig V8 Core is designed as a drop-in alternative to these fragmented setups: automated backups, version history, secure credential handling, and fast config retrieval wrapped in a simple web UI and API. Instead of stitching together RANCID, Oxidized, and homegrown scripts, teams get a single, actively maintained platform that grows cleanly from small labs to large multi-vendor environments.

03 · Complementary · Batfish & validation

A stable backbone alongside Batfish & automation

Tools like Batfish focus on modelling and pre-change analysis but don’t provide a complete system for continuous configuration backup and state tracking. rConfig V8 Core fills that gap with automated backups, restore workflows, and device-level visibility that complement existing validation pipelines. Whether you are migrating away from RANCID and Oxidized or adding a proper backup layer beside Batfish, V8 Core delivers a secure, self-hosted and actively maintained NCM engine built for today’s networks — not the scripts you inherited a decade ago.

04 · Migration · Netmiko & Python

Replace brittle Netmiko & Python backup scripts

Many teams start with Netmiko or custom Python scripts to automate configuration backups, but over time those scripts become harder to maintain. Device prompts change, commands vary by vendor, and one missed exception can break an entire night of backups. What begins as a simple script often turns into a fragile system of cron jobs, Git repos, and patchwork error handling.

rConfig V8 Core replaces this DIY approach with a stable, dedicated NCM engine. Automated backups, version history, job scheduling, and secure storage are built in — no scripting required. For teams moving on from Netmiko-based backups or Python-driven tooling, V8 Core provides a reliable, open-source foundation that eliminates the operational fragility of homegrown solutions.

05 · Migration · Kiwi CatTools

A modern replacement for Kiwi CatTools

Kiwi CatTools served its purpose years ago, but its dated interface, rigid templates, and limited support for newer network platforms leave a lot of teams stuck. Many engineers now find themselves maintaining aging job definitions, broken backup routines, and unpredictable behaviour during device changes. As networks grow, CatTools simply can’t keep up.

rConfig V8 Core gives those teams a clean path forward. Instead of static command sets and template maintenance, V8 Core provides automated, SSH-driven backups, secure credential handling, and reliable multi-vendor coverage — all actively maintained and built on a modern architecture. For anyone still relying on CatTools for basic backup automation, rConfig V8 Core delivers a real upgrade without the overhead of commercial NCM tools.

See why teams move on from RANCID & Oxidized

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about running rConfig V8 Core in production, from first install to multi-vendor backups and upgrade paths to V8 Pro.

Download rConfig V8 Core — free and open-source

Reliable, automated multi-vendor configuration backups — no limits, no licensing. Live in a few minutes.

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