---
title: "Using Searches in Config Management"
canonical: "https://docs.infoblox.com/space/NetMRI751/42469572/Using%20Searches%20in%20Config%20Management"
format: markdown
---
The **Config** **Search** tab (**Config** **Management** tab –> **Config** **Search**)> Macro (anchor)

 enables searching for configuration files by text content and other device parameters. Search listings enable the viewing and editing of configuration files and creating templates from configuration files.  
  
Hundreds of configuration files exist across the data center or the enterprise. The **Config** **Search** allows you to search across all of them for a characteristic phrase or string of characters, such as "bgp as", "arp timeout", or any other string that may appear in any configuration file. The **Config** **Search** will list only the configurations that match the search string.

> ⚠️ **Note**
> ⚠️ 
> ⚠️ Config searches are case-sensitive.

You can carry out searches against Running configurations, Running and Saved configs, or across All Current and Archived configurations. You also can export search results to an external file.  
  
Searches may take a significant time to complete. In such cases, Config Search practices partial loading, in which after starting the search, following the Building Device List procedural message, Config Search begins to list the first matches found during the process. The results list continues to incrementally update until the search completes.  
  
To perform a search and its various functions, complete the following:

1. Under **Saved** **Searches**, click **New** **Search**.
2. In the **Select** **Filters** panel, click **CTRL **+ click or **SHIFT **+ click to choose the device group(s) in the **Device** **Group** list.
3. Specify the **Results** **Per** **Config**. See the following choices:
  - **First** **Occurrence:** Searches and then displays only the first positive match.
  - **All** **Occurrences:** 6Searches and displays all positive matches in each configuration file.
4. Specify the **Scope**. See the following choices:
  - **Current** **Running:** Search through the current running configuration of the specified devices, as collected by NetMRI.
  - **Current** **Running** **and** **Saved:** This performs the search through all configuration files for the device that is currently stored in NetMRI. This search may take considerably longer.
  - **All** **Current** **and** **Archived** **Changes:** This confines the search to changes detected and archived by NetMRI.
5. In the **Define** **Criteria** panel, enter one or more search criteria: select a parameter, select an operator (**Contains**, **Matches**, **Does** **Not** **Match,** or **RegEx**), enter the matching string, and then click **Add**.
6. Below the search criteria list, specify how to apply the search criteria. If you chose Custom Logic Builder..., enter the logic for combining the search criteria in the field to the right [for example, 1 and (2 or 3)].
7. To control which columns appear in the results, click the **Edit** **Result** **Fields** button. The **Edit** **Results** **Fields** dialog appears.
  - Use the horizontal arrows to move the fields between the **Available** **Fields** and **Selected** **Fields** lists (fields in the **Selected** **Fields** list appear in the result). You can also double-click fields to move them between the lists.
  - Use the vertical arrows, **First** button and **Last** button to rearrange fields in the **Selected** **Fields** list (the top-to-bottom order in the **Selected** **Fields** list translates into left-to-right order in the results).
  - To preview the new column arrangement: Click **Apply**.
  - Click **OK**.
8. Click **Run**.

To save the search currently specified in the **Select** **Filters** panel and **Define** **Criteria** panel, do the following:

1. Click **Save**.
2. In the **Save** **Search** dialog, enter a name for the search, then click **Save**. The new Search instance appears in the **Saved** **Searches** panel. Clicking on a saved search opens the contents in the **Select** **Filters** and **Define** **Criteria** panels.

To modify a saved search:

1. In the **Saved** **Searches** list, click the search to modify.
2. In the **Select** **Filters** and **Define** **Criteria** panels, make the desired changes.
3. Click **Save**.

To run a saved search:

1. In the **Saved** **Searches** list, click the search to run.
2. Click **Run**.

# > Macro (anchor)

> Macro (anchor)

Working with Search Results

After a search finishes, you will often see more than one search result for a given device, depending on whether you select **Current** **Running** **and** **Saved** or **All** **Current** **and** **Archived** **Changes**.  
After executing a Search, click the IP address hotlink for any device to open its Device Viewer. Then, click **Configuration** **Management** **–>** **Config** **Explorer**. Then, click the Actions icon and choose **View** **Configuration** **File** for any config file that is present in the device.  
To test a configuration file against a policy: click the IP address hotlink for any device to open its Device Viewer. Then, click **Configuration** **Management** **–>** **Config** **Explorer**. Then, click the Actions icon and choose **Test** **Against** **Policy** for any config file.  
To set a configuration file baseline, do the following:

1. Select the checkbox for the config file in the search result list. Multiple config files may be displayed for any given device in the chosen Device Group, so make sure you select the correct file.
2. Click the **Set** **Baseline** icon. A warning message appears, noting that changing the baseline from the current location will override any previous baseline definitions.
3. Click **Yes** to designate the new baseline configuration.

# > Macro (anchor)

> Macro (anchor)

Running Jobs Based on Search Results

The Config Search page also provides for running scripted jobs against configurations after a search result.  
For a much deeper discussion of jobs and running them against devices, see *<span style="color: #0000ff">[Job](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NetMRI751/pages/42534866)</span>*[ ](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NetMRI751/pages/42534866)*<span style="color: #0000ff">[Management](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NetMRI751/pages/42534866)</span>*[ ](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NetMRI751/pages/42534866)*<span style="color: #0000ff">[and](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NetMRI751/pages/42534866)</span>*[ ](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NetMRI751/pages/42534866)*<span style="color: #0000ff">[Automation](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NetMRI751/pages/42534866)</span>* *<span style="color: #0000ff">[Change](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NetMRI751/pages/42534866)</span>*[ ](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NetMRI751/pages/42534866)*<span style="color: #0000ff">[Manager](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NetMRI751/pages/42534866)</span>* in the *NetMRI* *Administrator's* *Guide* or in online Help.  
To run a job against one or more configuration files, do the following:

1. Click the check box for the file(s) where you want to run a job.
2. Click the **Schedule** **Job** button at the bottom of the page. The **Job** **Wizard** opens.
3. In the **Fill** **out** **Job** **Details** screen, type a **Job** **Name**.
4. To allow the job to run: Click the **Approved** option if your admin account supports it; otherwise the job will have be approved by the Admin user.
5. Type a **Description** of the job.
6. In the **Scripts** list, select a script. If required by the script, enter data and/or select options.
7. Click **Next.**
8. In the **Select** **Device** **Groups** **or** **Devices** screen, click the **Add** icon to select specific device groups and/or devices to which this job applies.
9. Click **Next**.
10. In the **Schedule** **when** **Job** **should** **run** screen, specify the schedule for the job.
11. Click **Next**.
12. In the **Review** **and** **save** screen, review the job specifications. If changes are needed, click the **<** **Previous** button to return to an earlier screen.
13. Click **Save**.

Track scheduled jobs in the **Job** **History**.

To execute a command on one or more configuration files, do the following:

1. Click the check box for the file(s) where you want to execute a command.
2. Click the **Execute** **Command** button. The Ad Hoc Command Batch script opens in a new window for command string input.
3. Enter the command(s).
4. Click **OK**.