rConfig vs VMware Smart Assurance NCM
Is rConfig a good VMware Smart Assurance NCM alternative?
Yes, for the module Broadcom discontinued. rConfig is self-hosted on Linux, and rConfig Core is free and open source.
Your vendor ended new sales of Smart Assurance and said its Network Configuration Manager would not continue in any other product. This page sets out what that announcement said, what Broadcom has published since, and what a config backup, change tracking and compliance replacement looks like, with every statement dated and sourced.
- Replaces the NCM module only
- Self-hosted on Linux
- Free, open-source Core
- Sources dated
The short answer
Yes, for the configuration management half. In its 30 July 2024 end-of-support announcement, Broadcom discontinued the Smart Assurance Network Configuration Manager module with no successor product: its capabilities would not be available through any other product, and extended support was scheduled to end in December 2028, subject to Broadcom management approval. rConfig replaces that module specifically: config backup, change tracking with line-by-line diffs, compliance checks and config restore across multi-vendor networks, self-hosted on Linux you control. It does not replace the Smarts monitoring or M&R reporting modules. rConfig Core is free and open source, so the evaluation can start today at no cost.
What Broadcom discontinued, and what it did not
On 30 July 2024, VMware by Broadcom announced the end of support for VMware Smart Assurance. The suite, comprising the M&R reporting module, the Smarts monitoring module and Network Configuration Manager, has not been available for new purchases since 2 February 2024. The three modules did not share one outcome.[1]
Capabilities continue
M&R reporting module
"The capabilities of the M&R reporting module will be available through VMware Telco Cloud Service Assurance." No further feature or capability enhancements to M&R itself; its extended support was scheduled to December 2025, subject to change.[1]
Capabilities continue
Smarts monitoring module
"The capabilities of the Smarts monitoring module will be available through the Domain Manager component of VMware Telco Cloud Service Assurance." Feature and capability enhancements continue to be added to the Domain Manager.[1]
Discontinued
Network Configuration Manager
"The capabilities of Network Configuration Manager will be discontinued and will not be available through any other products." No further feature or capability enhancements to NCM. Support for active contracts continues until the contract expires or the end of extended support, scheduled to be December 2028, subject to Broadcom management approval.[1]
Where rConfig fits
rConfig replaces the third one. It is not a fault management or root cause correlation engine, and it does not pretend to be. A customer who needs the Smarts monitoring half should look at Telco Cloud Service Assurance or an equivalent, and run rConfig beside it for the configuration half: backup, change tracking, compliance and restore.
The support position
- No new purchases of Smart Assurance since 2 February 2024.[1]
- No further feature or capability enhancements to Network Configuration Manager.[1]
- Support for active contracts until the contract expires or the end of extended support, scheduled to be December 2028, subject to Broadcom management approval.[1]
What Broadcom has published since, read 15 September 2026
The announcement is not the whole record
After the announcement, Broadcom's documentation site added Network Configuration Manager 24.3 and 25.4 release lines beside 10.1.13. The 24.3.13 notes list a browser based client, REST APIs with Swagger, an OS compliance report and Rocky Linux support, and state that upgrade is supported from NCM 10.1.3.0 onwards; the 25.4 notes run from 25.4.1 to 25.4.11 and add, among other things, Microsoft Entra ID browser SSO.[5][6]On 29 October 2025 a Broadcom Software Academy post said Broadcom is "breathing new life into Voyence NCM", now "an integral part of the industry-leading Network Observability by Broadcom platform", and that "we are not phasing out a proven technology".[14]That platform's product page lists NCM as a capability within Network Observability by Broadcom.[15]
Both records are Broadcom's own, and this page states both. The 30 July 2024 announcement remains the published position on Smart Assurance NCM as a product: not for sale, no successor within Smart Assurance, and a support clock with an end date the vendor qualifies. Whether a Smart Assurance NCM customer can move to NCM inside Network Observability by Broadcom, and on what terms, is a question for Broadcom. What you can do without waiting for that answer is the rest of this page.
Five owners, one code line
The product began as VoyenceControl, from Voyence, which EMC acquired on 30 October 2007 and sold beside its Smarts monitoring line, with configuration change events from VoyenceControl feeding Smarts.[16] In July 2009 EMC brought Smarts, Voyence and the rest of its management portfolio under the EMC Ionix brand, which is where the names Ionix Network Configuration Manager and, for older installs, InCharge come from.[17] After Dell acquired EMC the suite was sold as Dell EMC Service Assurance Suite, and in August 2018 VMware agreed to acquire its technology and team for its communications service provider business, renaming it VMware Smart Assurance.[18][1] Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware on 22 November 2023.[19]The lineage is still visible in the software: the current release sets a VOYENCE_HOME variable from /etc/voyence.conf and installs its tools under <VOYENCE_HOME>.[8] The last release documented under the VMware Smart Assurance name, 10.1.13, consists of third-party component upgrades, a RHEL 9 platform addition, a STIG vulnerability fix and a bulk-add API example.[2][3]Broadcom's documentation has since added Network Configuration Manager 24.3 and 25.4 beside it, described in the previous section. Two decades of production service is a record to respect. What a Smart Assurance customer is weighing is not the product's age but where its forward investment now sits, and under which licence.
Who rConfig suits, and who it does not
Smart Assurance sold three modules as one suite. Replacing it is two decisions, not one, and rConfig is only an answer to one of them. These cards say which.
Good fit
You need the NCM half replaced
Scheduled config backup, every version kept, line-by-line change tracking, compliance checks against policies you write, and restore from a known-good version, across a multi-vendor estate. That is the whole of rConfig. See network configuration backup, configuration versioning and rollback and compliance and security auditing.
Not this product
You need the monitoring and correlation half
If what you are replacing is Smarts monitoring, fault management or root cause correlation, rConfig is not that product and this page will not pretend otherwise. Look at Telco Cloud Service Assurance or an equivalent for that half, and evaluate rConfig only for the configuration half beside it.
Good fit
Your estate is multi-vendor and part of it is unusual
rConfig does not wait for a driver package. If you can connect to a device over SSH, Telnet, a REST API, TL1, xFTP or a script, you can back it up, which is how teams cover optical, OT and legacy kit beside the routers and switches. Read about multi-vendor configuration management, and keep your monitoring: device inventory syncs from it through the rConfig integrations.
Good fit
You run Linux and want the data to stay with you
rConfig runs on Linux hosts you operate, on a server or in Docker, in the same estates that ran Smart Assurance on RHEL. Device credentials, backups and change history stay in your environment. There is no rConfig cloud in the path.
Worth comparing
SolarWinds NCM is on your shortlist too
It usually is, because it is the commercial product most often evaluated beside a Smart Assurance replacement. rConfig is self-hosted on Linux with a free, open-source Core and device-band pricing; our SolarWinds NCM alternative page compares the two in the same format as this one.
Start today
Evaluate at no cost, on your own devices
rConfig Core is free and open source. Point it at a few devices beside your current tooling, compare the backups and the diffs, then decide. If you would rather see it first, book a walkthrough with our team.
rConfig vs VMware Smart Assurance NCM
Smart Assurance NCM as Broadcom documents it, against rConfig as its docs describe it. Where the documentation read does not say, the cell says so rather than guessing. Each cell names its source.
| What matters | Smart Assurance Network Configuration Manager | rConfig |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Smart Assurance NCMAn automated compliance, change and configuration management solution, the NCM module of the Smart Assurance suite[4], [1] | rConfigA dedicated, self-hosted configuration management platform[25] |
| Vendor position | Smart Assurance NCMDiscontinued as part of Smart Assurance on 30 July 2024, extended support scheduled to December 2028, subject to Broadcom management approval. NCM 24.3 and 25.4 published since, inside Network Observability by Broadcom[1], [6], [14] | rConfigIn active development; Core is free and open source, commercial editions are sold today[21], [20] |
| Platform | Smart Assurance NCMRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 and later 8.x, 9.2 and later 9.x; Oracle Linux; Rocky Linux[7] | rConfigSelf-hosted on Linux, on a server or in Docker[25] |
| Architecture | Smart Assurance NCMApplication Server, Device Servers and Database Server, combined or distributed[7], [11] | rConfigSingle host, or distributed collectors for large estates[22] |
| Config backup | Smart Assurance NCMPull Config per device or across selected devices; auto discovery scheduled[6], [11] | rConfigScheduled and on demand, every version kept[25] See network configuration backup. |
| Change tracking | Smart Assurance NCMConfiguration revisioning and history[15] | rConfigLine-by-line diffs between any two versions, with notifications[26] See configuration versioning and rollback. |
| Compliance | Smart Assurance NCMCorporate policies and standards compliance, including PCI and DISA; automated auditing with integrated remediation; audit trail[15], [6] | rConfigPolicies you write, with results, reports and audit evidence[27] See compliance and security auditing. |
| Config push and rollback | Smart Assurance NCMScheduling, mass updates and rollback; configlets with insertion order controls; Golden Configs as templates; workflow approvals[15], [6], [13] | rConfigBulk multi-vendor deployment; restore from any stored version[28], [29] See configuration restore. |
| Device support | Smart Assurance NCMDevice Services Support (DSr) driver packages per device family, listed in a support matrix[10] | rConfigTemplate-driven: any device you can connect to over SSH, Telnet, REST API, TL1, xFTP or a script[29] See multi-vendor configuration management. |
| API | Smart Assurance NCMREST APIs with Swagger, introduced in 24.3; device, credential, job, user and compliance operations[5], [9] | rConfigREST API across devices, backups, tasks and results[30] |
| Access control | Smart Assurance NCMUsers, groups, user and network permissions; Microsoft Entra ID browser SSO in 25.4.11[11], [6] | rConfigRole-based access; SAML and OIDC single sign-on, LDAP and RADIUS[32], [33] |
| Scale | Smart Assurance NCMNot documented as a public benchmark; an environment sizing guide is published[12] | rConfigBenchmarked to 50,000 devices[22] See how rConfig counts devices. |
| Licensing and price | Smart Assurance NCMNot published. Not available for new purchase as Smart Assurance since 2 February 2024[1] | rConfigCore free and open source; Pro and Enterprise a flat annual price by device band, published[20] See rConfig pricing. |
Sources checked: 15 September 2026. VMware, Smart Assurance, Smarts, Voyence, Ionix, Telco Cloud Service Assurance and Network Observability by Broadcom are trademarks of their owners. This comparison is provided for evaluation purposes, describes competitor capabilities as the vendor's documentation states them, and reflects publicly documented product information at the time of writing. All sources are listed in the dated sources.
What it costs to move
There is no price to compare against. Smart Assurance NCM has no published price and has not been for sale since 2 February 2024, so this page quotes none and invents none. The argument is about what the line item has become.
1 · The line item
There is nothing to renew into
A support renewal on a product with a successor buys you the successor. The 30 July 2024announcement said Network Configuration Manager's capabilities would not be available through any other product and would receive no further feature or capability enhancements. From that date the line item stopped being an investment and became maintenance with an end date.[1]
2 · The clock
Support runs on a qualified clock
Support for an active contract runs until the contract expires or the end of extended support, which Broadcom describes as scheduled to be December 2028, subject to Broadcom management approval. That qualifier is the vendor's, not ours. Plan a migration against the date you can rely on, which is your own contract expiry, rather than the later one that is subject to someone else's approval.[1]
3 · Evaluation
rConfig Core is free and open source
Evaluation can start today at no cost. Install rConfig Core on a Linux host, import a slice of the device inventory, and compare the backups, the diffs and the compliance results with what NCM holds. There is no device limit on Core and no trial clock.[21], [20] download rConfig Core.
4 · Commercial editions
rConfig Pro is priced by device band, and published
The commercial editions are a flat annual price by device band, visible on the rConfig pricing page before you talk to anyone. They add restore, policy checks, role-based access, directory sign-in, reports and a support contract in steps; the rConfig edition comparison shows what each edition includes.[20]
Proof, with the page behind each claim
Six things a team leaving a discontinued module asks before it commits. Each one links to the page or document that stands behind it.
Benchmarked to 50,000 devices
rConfig's latest benchmark backs up over 50,000 devices in under 21 minutes, with realistic fault conditions such as unreachable hosts and failed logins included, on a distributed collector architecture.[22] Model your own estate with the rConfig Sim network simulator, and read how rConfig counts devices before you size a device band.[23]
Multi-vendor, without a driver queue
rConfig treats device support as a protocol and command problem rather than a certification list: define the connection, the authentication sequence, the commands and the prompt patterns, and a new device type is supported. SSH, Telnet, REST API, TL1, xFTP and custom scripts are all in the box.[29] The approach is set out on the multi-vendor configuration management page.
Self-hosted on Linux, data stays with you
Device credentials, backups and change history live on the Linux hosts you run, on a server or in Docker, on your network. There is no rConfig cloud service in the path, and nothing leaves your environment unless you send it.[25]
API-driven backup and automation
A REST API covers devices, backups, scheduled tasks and results, so onboarding, backups and compliance runs can be driven from your own automation.[30] Devices that expose a REST API of their own are backed up through API collections rather than a terminal session.[31]
A compliance engine you write the rules for
Policies are definitions you write and assign, checked against every stored configuration, with results, reports and the evidence an auditor asks for.[27] See compliance and security auditing.
Telco and service provider footprint
rConfig is used by MSPs, telcos, service providers, enterprises and government bodies across more than 90 countries, the same buyer Smart Assurance was built for.[24] Read about network configuration management for service providers and the network automation for telecom case study.
VMware Smart Assurance NCM alternative FAQs
Is VMware Smart Assurance end of life?
Yes, as a product for sale. On 30 July 2024 VMware by Broadcom announced the end of support for VMware Smart Assurance, comprising the M&R reporting module, the Smarts monitoring module and Network Configuration Manager, and said it was no longer available for new purchases from 2 February 2024. Existing customers keep support until their contract expires or extended support ends. For Network Configuration Manager that is scheduled to be December 2028, subject to Broadcom management approval. The capabilities of the M&R and Smarts modules continue in VMware Telco Cloud Service Assurance.
What happens to Smart Assurance Network Configuration Manager?
The 30 July 2024 announcement said the capabilities of Network Configuration Manager would be discontinued and would not be available through any other products, with no further feature or capability enhancements, and support running to the contract expiry or to the end of extended support, scheduled to be December 2028, subject to Broadcom management approval. Since then Broadcom has published Network Configuration Manager 24.3 and 25.4 release lines on its documentation site and, on 29 October 2025, described Voyence NCM as an integral part of the Network Observability by Broadcom platform. What that means for a Smart Assurance NCM licence is a question for Broadcom; the discontinued section above sets out both records with their dates.
Is there a Broadcom replacement for Smart Assurance NCM?
Not according to the announcement. Broadcom's own words were that the capabilities of Network Configuration Manager will be discontinued and will not be available through any other products, which is not what it said about the M&R and Smarts modules, whose capabilities moved into Telco Cloud Service Assurance. Broadcom has since positioned Voyence NCM inside Network Observability by Broadcom, a different platform from Smart Assurance; whether an existing Smart Assurance customer can move to it, and on what terms, is a question for Broadcom. rConfig replaces the configuration management half only: config backup, change tracking, compliance and restore, on Linux you run, with a free, open-source Core edition.
When does support for Smart Assurance NCM end?
Per the 30 July 2024 announcement, when your support contract expires or at the end of extended support, which is scheduled to be December 2028, subject to Broadcom management approval. Broadcom's wording carries that qualifier, so this page carries it every time the date appears. The other two modules have different positions: M&R extended support was scheduled to December 2025, subject to change, and the Smarts monitoring capabilities continue in the Domain Manager component of Telco Cloud Service Assurance. Read on 15 September 2026; check the announcement for the current position.
What is the difference between EMC Smarts and VMware Smart Assurance?
The same product family under different owners. EMC Smarts was EMC's network monitoring and root cause analysis line. In 2007 EMC bought Voyence, whose VoyenceControl product was the configuration management half and integrated with Smarts, and in 2009 EMC brought both under its Ionix brand, hence EMC Ionix Network Configuration Manager. After Dell acquired EMC the suite was sold as Dell EMC Service Assurance Suite. In August 2018 VMware agreed to acquire its technology and team and renamed it VMware Smart Assurance, with three modules: Smarts monitoring, M&R reporting and Network Configuration Manager. Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware on 22 November 2023. If you still call it EMC Smarts, Dell EMC Smarts, Ionix or InCharge, this is the product this page is about.
Can rConfig import Smart Assurance NCM device configurations?
There is no Smart Assurance specific importer, so the honest answer is in two parts. Device inventory: yes, in bulk. Export your device list from NCM, map it to the spreadsheet template rConfig generates, and import it in one pass; rConfig Core and rConfig Pro both document the column reference, and the REST API is there for scripted loads. Configuration history: rConfig builds its own history from its first backup of each device rather than converting the NCM archive, so keep the NCM archive read-only for reference, as you would for any previous tool. If your device set includes drivers or protocols you want checked before you commit, contact rConfig about your device set.
Does rConfig replace the Smarts monitoring module?
No. rConfig is not a fault management or root cause correlation engine, and it does not replace Smarts monitoring, the M&R reporting module or their successors in Telco Cloud Service Assurance. It replaces the Network Configuration Manager module: config backup, change tracking, compliance and restore. If you need the monitoring and correlation half, look at Telco Cloud Service Assurance or an equivalent, and run rConfig beside it for the configuration half. rConfig Core is free and open source, so that evaluation costs nothing: download rConfig Core and point it at a few devices.
Is rConfig affiliated with Broadcom or VMware?
No. rConfig is not affiliated with, endorsed by or partnered with Broadcom or VMware. VMware, Smart Assurance, Smarts, Voyence, Ionix, Telco Cloud Service Assurance and Network Observability by Broadcom are the trademarks of their owners, and the product names on this page are used for comparison and compatibility context only. rConfig is built and maintained by OS Informatics Limited in Ireland.
See rConfig on Your Network
Run rConfig Core beside Smart Assurance NCM while support lasts. Compare backups, change history and compliance checks on your own devices, then decide on your own clock.
Sources, checked 15 September 2026
Every Broadcom and VMware statement on this page is read from the vendor's own end-of-support announcement, its Network Configuration Manager documentation on Broadcom TechDocs, its Software Academy post and its Network Observability product page on that date. The lineage is read from the EMC press archive, Light Reading and Broadcom's SEC filing. No price is cited for Smart Assurance NCM because none is published. rConfig capability claims link to the product documentation; edition limits and prices come from the rConfig pricing page.
- [1]VMware Telco Cloud Blog, Announcing the End of Support for VMware Smart Assurance: Everything you need to know, 30 July 2024 (no new purchases of Smart Assurance from 2 February 2024; M&R capabilities to VMware Telco Cloud Service Assurance; Smarts monitoring capabilities to the Domain Manager component of Telco Cloud Service Assurance; Network Configuration Manager discontinued and not available through any other products; NCM extended support scheduled to December 2028, subject to Broadcom management approval)
- [2]Broadcom TechDocs, VMware Smart Assurance Network Configuration Manager 10.1.13 release note (third-party software components upgraded to mitigate vulnerabilities; RHEL 9 platform added; STIG vulnerability V-214287 addressed; an API example to add devices in bulk to a workspace)
- [3]Broadcom TechDocs, Network Configuration Manager 10.1.13, third-party software component upgrades (Apache Tomcat 9.0.80, PostgreSQL 15.3, Spring Framework 5.3.28, OpenJDK 11.0.21 and 1.8.0_392, among others)
- [4]Broadcom TechDocs, Network Configuration Manager 24.3.13 release notes, product description (an automated compliance, change, and configuration management solution)
- [5]Broadcom TechDocs, Network Configuration Manager 24.3.13 release notes, what's new (launch page, browser based client, REST APIs with Swagger, OS Compliance Report, System Health Report, Grafana based reporting, telemetry APIs, Rocky Linux support; upgrade supported from NCM 10.1.3.0 onwards). Page last updated 8 October 2025
- [6]Broadcom TechDocs, Network Configuration Manager 25.4 release notes (features and enhancements for 25.4.1 through 25.4.11; 25.4.1 supports upgrade from NCM 10.1.3.0 or later; 25.4.11 adds Microsoft Entra ID browser SSO, configlet push controls, multi-device Pull Config and further API endpoints). Page last updated 25 August 2026
- [7]Broadcom TechDocs, Network Configuration Manager 25.4 system requirements, OS support (Application Server, Device Server and Database Server on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 and later 8.x, 9.2 and later 9.x; Oracle Linux; Rocky Linux; RHEL 7.x not supported)
- [8]Broadcom TechDocs, Network Configuration Manager 25.4, steps to back up and restore the database in a distributed setup (source /etc/voyence.conf; set the VOYENCE_HOME environment variable; tools under <VOYENCE_HOME>/tools)
- [9]Broadcom TechDocs, Network Configuration Manager 25.4, REST APIs (device management, credentials, job scheduling, user administration and compliance operations; access and refresh tokens)
- [10]Broadcom TechDocs, Network Configuration Manager 25.4, Device Services Support (DSr) support matrix (device driver information per device family)
- [11]Broadcom TechDocs, Network Configuration Manager 25.4, getting started after installation (assigning Device Servers, adding credentials, scheduling auto discovery, creating users and groups, managing user, group and network permissions)
- [12]Broadcom TechDocs, Network Configuration Manager 25.4 system requirements, environment sizing
- [13]Broadcom TechDocs, Network Configuration Manager 25.4 online help, introducing Network Configuration Manager (Virtual Design Workspace, role-based security, Golden Configs as templates, ITIL-compliant change processes and workflow approvals, design, enforce and report on adherence to policies)
- [14]Broadcom Software Academy, The Future of Network Configuration Management is Unified, Not Uncertain, Mehul Patel, 29 October 2025 (Voyence NCM is now an integral part of the Network Observability by Broadcom platform and a key component of the Fall 2025 release; we are not phasing out a proven technology)
- [15]Network Observability by Broadcom, Network Configuration Management (a key capability within Network Observability by Broadcom: network auto discovery, configuration revisioning and history, hardware history, multi-vendor support, corporate policies and standards compliance including PCI and DISA, automated auditing and integrated remediation, scheduling, mass updates and rollback)
- [16]EMC press release, EMC Announces Acquisition of Voyence, 30 October 2007 (Voyence, a provider of network configuration and change management; VoyenceControl integrated with EMC Smarts)
- [17]EMC press release, New EMC Ionix Family Ushers in Next Generation of IT Management, 8 July 2009 (Smarts and Voyence among the technologies brought under the EMC Ionix brand)
- [18]Light Reading, VMware Agrees to Acquire Dell EMC's Service Assurance Suite, 10 August 2018 (the technology and team of Dell EMC Service Assurance Suite, software for communications service providers)
- [19]Broadcom Inc., Form 8-K filed with the SEC, 22 November 2023 (Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware, Inc. on 22 November 2023)
- [20]rConfig pricing and editions
- [21]rConfig, download rConfig Core
- [22]rConfig homepage FAQ, How fast can rConfig back up large networks (the 50,000 devices in under 21 minutes benchmark, on a distributed collector architecture)
- [23]rConfig, how rConfig counts devices
- [24]rConfig press and media kit, company boilerplate (used by MSPs, telcos, service providers, enterprises and government bodies across more than 90 countries)
- [25]rConfig docs, Configuration backups
- [26]rConfig docs, Configuration diffs
- [27]rConfig docs, Policy compliance results
- [28]rConfig docs, Configuration restore
- [29]rConfig docs, Universal device support (SSH, Telnet, REST API, TL1, xFTP and custom scripts; template-driven, no vendor certification list)
- [30]rConfig docs, REST API
- [31]rConfig docs, API collections (backing up devices over their REST APIs)
- [32]rConfig docs, Roles and permissions
- [33]rConfig docs, Single sign-on overview (SAML and OIDC), with LDAP and RADIUS guides beside it
- [34]rConfig docs, Network device import methods (manual entry, cloning, REST API, CSV import and Device Sync; the Device Import Workbook column reference)
- [35]rConfig Core docs, Import and export devices (spreadsheet import)
VMware and Broadcom details are taken from the vendor's published announcement and documentation on that date and may change. VMware, Smart Assurance, Smarts, Voyence, Ionix, Telco Cloud Service Assurance, Network Observability by Broadcom and Broadcom are trademarks of their owners. rConfig is not affiliated with, endorsed by or partnered with Broadcom or VMware. This page is written by rConfig for evaluation purposes and compares the two products on network configuration management only. Your agreement with either vendor governs your actual terms.