Free, Open-Source Network Configuration Backups — Reinvented for 2025

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.