PUNC is a network element configuration backup tool in the same vein as RANCID. It differs in so much as the reasons it was built, namely;

• Flexible command execution strategies (during runtime)
• Distribution of device connections via usage of the Notch service.
• Scaling to large numbers of devices, in complex network architectures.

PUNC is just one network automation application that can be built using Notch, a Network Operator's Toolkit for Command-line Hacking.

_Notch http://code.google.com/p/notch _RANCID http://www.shrubbery.net/rancid