Netdonkey Lite is a lightweight Cisco IOS device management tool. It was developed
initially to facilitate automated backup of device configuration files, but now
has the ability to send batch commands to selected devices, and even includes a
scheduler to allow users to send commands at a specified time (out of hours, for
instance).
Adding devices
Upon installation, Netdonkey Lite will have no devices configured. To add a device,
select "Add Managed Devices" from the "Tools" menu.
You will need at least one group, so start by clicking
the "Add Group" button, entering a group name, then clicking OK. Highlight a group
name, and click the "Add Device to Selected Group" button.
You will be presented with an "Add Device" screen prompting you for the properties
of the device you're adding. Fill in the appropriate fields and click the "Add Node"
button. Click "Save and Exit" when you're done adding groups and devices.
Backing up configurations
Now that you have added your devices, you can select devices, or groups of devices
to backup. Simply click the checkbox beside the device(s) or group(s) that you would
like to back up, and click the "Backup Running Configs" button. The progress and
any errors will be logged in the pane to the right.
Executing batch commands
From the "Tools" menu, select the option "Push Batch Commands to Cisco Devices".
You'll be presented with a screen that will allow you to enter freeform commands.
Enter your commands and click the "Load Commands into Netdonkey Engine" button.
This will take you back to the main screen, where you will find the button labeled
"Execute Batch Commands on Selected Nodes" enabled. Select the devices and/or groups
that you want to push the commands to, then click the button. As with the configuration
backups, progress and any errors will be logged in the pane to the right.
Scheduling jobs
Enter commands the same way you would enter commands to execute in batch (described
above). From the "Tools" menu, select "Job Scheduler". You will be presented with
a screen that will allow you to select a day and time to execute the job. Click
the checkbox "Enable this job", then click the "Submit" button. The job will now
execute against the selected groups and/or devices at the scheduled time. To cancel
a scheduled job, simply submit a job on the same day/time without the "Enable this
job" checkbox being checked.