AJapps

Network & Configuration Change Comparison

Compare the approved version of an engineering record with the current one and see exactly what was added, removed or changed — IP and asset registers, SCADA tag and point lists, port and cable lists (CSV or a copy from Excel), SCL NetStudio network projects, or AJ Collector reports — with what each kind of change means for testing and documentation.

Version A (approved / previous)

Version B (current / proposed)

Examples:
Tool guide · know before you use

What this tool is, how it works and how far to trust it

A comparison tool for two versions of an engineering record: tables (registers, tag and point lists, port and cable lists), SCL NetStudio network projects and AJ Collector reports.

Read this before relying on a result. Every method, formula, assumption and limit is stated here, so you can check the answer yourself instead of accepting it blindly.

What it can do

  • Match table rows by a key column (or two) and columns by name, and list added, removed and changed rows with old and new values.
  • Compare NetStudio projects section by section — devices, switches, IP segments, GOOSE/SV streams, firewall rules, assets, cable overrides — and state the impact of each change.
  • Compare two AJ Collector reports of the same computer.
  • Report duplicate keys and columns present in only one version; export all changes to CSV.

Why you need it

  • Faults introduced by modifications usually come from a difference nobody noticed.
  • A complete list of differences is the basis of the change request, the test plan and the updated documentation.

Understand this first

  • The key identifies the same item in both versions (tag name, device name, cable ID). A wrong key makes everything look added and removed.
  • A change is only as safe as the tests that follow it; the impact notes say which tests and documents each kind of change touches.

What you need before you start

  • Both versions: CSV or text copied from Excel with headings in the first row, or two NetStudio project files, or two collector reports.
  • A current browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari). Nothing is installed and your data is never uploaded; it is processed on your own computer.

How to use it

  • Open or paste version A (approved) and version B (current or proposed), or load an example.
  • For tables, check the key column (and add a second one if names repeat per device); list columns to ignore, such as comments or dates.
  • Read the counts, then each section's changes and impacts; export the list for the change record.

What you get

  • Added, removed and changed items with field-level differences, impact notes for network designs, warnings about duplicate keys and columns, and a CSV export.

How to read the results

  • Every difference should correspond to an approved change; anything else needs an explanation before the revision is accepted.
  • Impact notes are minimum actions: GOOSE data set or confRev changes always mean reloading the publisher and every subscriber and retesting.

Technical basis

  • Keyed comparison of rows with case-insensitive values (case-sensitive for network projects); columns matched by heading; impact rules from IEC 61850-6 engineering practice and IEC 62443 change management.

Limits: when not to rely on it

  • Does not understand SCL files themselves — use SCL Studio's Compare for SCD/ICD/CID.
  • Cannot judge whether a change is correct, only that it exists.

Sample files for this tool

Download, open and compare with what the guide says you should see.

All sample files and what to expect →

For preliminary engineering use. Results must be checked by a qualified engineer against the project's standards. How results are checked · Terms & disclaimer · Build 61a41bc · 2026-11-14