Netbox Get Nornir Inventory Task

task api name: get_nornir_inventory

This task designed to provide Nornir workers with inventory data sourced from Netbox.

How it works

Netbox NorFab workers able to talk with Netbox GraphQL and REST API. Nornir workers can be configured to request Nornir inventory from Netbox workers on startup. Netbox workers in response to such a request will be fetching devices data from Netbox and constructing Nornir inventory returning it to Nornir worker.

1. On startup Nornir worker sends get_nornir_inventory request to Netbox NorFab Workers

2. Netbox worker fetches devices data from netbox - hostnames, interfaces, ip addresses, circuits, connections, configuration contexts etc.

3. Netbox worker constructs Nornir inventory and sends it back to Nornir worker

Get Nornir Inventory Sample Usage

NORFAB Netbox Get Nornir Inventory Command Shell Reference

NorFab shell supports these command options for Netbox get_nornir_inventory task:

Python API Reference

Retrieve and construct Nornir inventory from NetBox data.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
job	Job	NorFab Job object containing relevant metadata	required
filters	list	List of filters to apply when retrieving devices from NetBox.	None
devices	list	List of specific devices to retrieve from NetBox.	None
instance	str	NetBox instance to use.	None
interfaces	Union[dict, bool]	If True, include interfaces data in the inventory. If a dict, use it as arguments for the get_interfaces method.	False
connections	Union[dict, bool]	If True, include connections data in the inventory. If a dict, use it as arguments for the get_connections method.	False
circuits	Union[dict, bool]	If True, include circuits data in the inventory. If a dict, use it as arguments for the get_circuits method.	False
nbdata	bool	If True, include a copy of NetBox device's data in the host's data.	True
primary_ip	str	Specify whether to use 'ip4' or 'ip6' for the primary IP address. Defaults to 'ip4'.	'ip4'
cache	Union[bool, str]	Cache usage options: True: Use data stored in cache if it is up to date, refresh it otherwise. False: Do not use cache and do not update cache. "refresh": Ignore data in cache and replace it with data fetched from Netbox. "force": Use data in cache without checking if it is up to date.	None

Returns:

Name	Type	Description
dict	Result	Nornir inventory dictionary containing hosts and their respective data.

Source code in norfab\workers\netbox_worker\nornir_inventory_tasks.py

@Task(fastapi={"methods": ["GET"], "schema": NetboxFastApiArgs.model_json_schema()})
def get_nornir_inventory(
    self,
    job: Job,
    filters: Union[None, list] = None,
    devices: Union[None, list] = None,
    instance: Union[None, str] = None,
    interfaces: Union[dict, bool] = False,
    connections: Union[dict, bool] = False,
    circuits: Union[dict, bool] = False,
    nbdata: bool = True,
    bgp_peerings: Union[dict, bool] = False,
    primary_ip: str = "ip4",
    cache: Union[bool, str] = None,
) -> Result:
    """
    Retrieve and construct Nornir inventory from NetBox data.

    Args:
        job: NorFab Job object containing relevant metadata
        filters (list, optional): List of filters to apply when retrieving devices from NetBox.
        devices (list, optional): List of specific devices to retrieve from NetBox.
        instance (str, optional): NetBox instance to use.
        interfaces (Union[dict, bool], optional): If True, include interfaces data
                in the inventory. If a dict, use it as arguments for the get_interfaces method.
        connections (Union[dict, bool], optional): If True, include connections data
                in the inventory. If a dict, use it as arguments for the get_connections method.
        circuits (Union[dict, bool], optional): If True, include circuits data in the
                inventory. If a dict, use it as arguments for the get_circuits method.
        nbdata (bool, optional): If True, include a copy of NetBox device's data in the host's data.
        primary_ip (str, optional): Specify whether to use 'ip4' or 'ip6' for the primary
                IP address. Defaults to 'ip4'.
        cache (Union[bool, str], optional): Cache usage options:

            - True: Use data stored in cache if it is up to date, refresh it otherwise.
            - False: Do not use cache and do not update cache.
            - "refresh": Ignore data in cache and replace it with data fetched from Netbox.
            - "force": Use data in cache without checking if it is up to date.

    Returns:
        dict: Nornir inventory dictionary containing hosts and their respective data.
    """
    hosts = {}
    filters = filters or []
    devices = devices or []
    inventory = {"hosts": hosts}
    ret = Result(task=f"{self.name}:get_nornir_inventory", result=inventory)

    # check Netbox status
    netbox_status = self.get_netbox_status(job=job, instance=instance)
    if netbox_status.result[instance or self.default_instance]["status"] is False:
        return ret

    # retrieve devices data
    nb_devices = self.get_devices(
        job=job, filters=filters, devices=devices, instance=instance, cache=cache
    )

    # form Nornir hosts inventory
    for device_name, device in nb_devices.result.items():
        host = device["config_context"].pop("nornir", {})
        host.setdefault("data", {})
        name = host.pop("name", device_name)
        hosts[name] = host
        # add platform if not provided in device config context
        if not host.get("platform"):
            if device["platform"]:
                host["platform"] = device["platform"]["name"]
            else:
                log.warning(f"{self.name} - No platform found for '{name}' device")
        # add hostname if not provided in config context
        if not host.get("hostname"):
            if device["primary_ip4"] and primary_ip in ["ip4", "ipv4"]:
                host["hostname"] = device["primary_ip4"]["address"].split("/")[0]
            elif device["primary_ip6"] and primary_ip in ["ip6", "ipv6"]:
                host["hostname"] = device["primary_ip6"]["address"].split("/")[0]
            else:
                host["hostname"] = name
        # add netbox data to host's data
        if nbdata is True:
            host["data"].update(device)

    # return if no hosts found for provided parameters
    if not hosts:
        log.warning(f"{self.name} - No viable hosts returned by Netbox")
        return ret

    # add interfaces data
    if interfaces:
        # decide on get_interfaces arguments
        kwargs = interfaces if isinstance(interfaces, dict) else {}
        kwargs.setdefault("cache", cache)
        # add 'interfaces' key to all hosts' data
        for host in hosts.values():
            host["data"].setdefault("interfaces", {})
        # query interfaces data from netbox
        nb_interfaces = self.get_interfaces(
            job=job, devices=list(hosts), instance=instance, **kwargs
        )
        # save interfaces data to hosts' inventory
        while nb_interfaces.result:
            device, device_interfaces = nb_interfaces.result.popitem()
            hosts[device]["data"]["interfaces"] = device_interfaces

    # add connections data
    if connections:
        # decide on get_interfaces arguments
        kwargs = connections if isinstance(connections, dict) else {}
        kwargs.setdefault("cache", cache)
        # add 'connections' key to all hosts' data
        for host in hosts.values():
            host["data"].setdefault("connections", {})
        # query connections data from netbox
        nb_connections = self.get_connections(
            job=job, devices=list(hosts), instance=instance, **kwargs
        )
        # save connections data to hosts' inventory
        while nb_connections.result:
            device, device_connections = nb_connections.result.popitem()
            hosts[device]["data"]["connections"] = device_connections

    # add circuits data
    if circuits:
        # decide on get_interfaces arguments
        kwargs = circuits if isinstance(circuits, dict) else {}
        kwargs.setdefault("cache", cache)
        # add 'circuits' key to all hosts' data
        for host in hosts.values():
            host["data"].setdefault("circuits", {})
        # query circuits data from netbox
        nb_circuits = self.get_circuits(
            job=job, devices=list(hosts), instance=instance, **kwargs
        )
        # save circuits data to hosts' inventory
        while nb_circuits.result:
            device, device_circuits = nb_circuits.result.popitem()
            hosts[device]["data"]["circuits"] = device_circuits

    # add bgp peerings data
    if bgp_peerings:
        # decide on get_interfaces arguments
        kwargs = bgp_peerings if isinstance(bgp_peerings, dict) else {}
        kwargs.setdefault("cache", cache)
        # add 'bgp_peerings' key to all hosts' data
        for host in hosts.values():
            host["data"].setdefault("bgp_peerings", {})
        # query bgp_peerings data from netbox
        nb_bgp_peerings = self.get_bgp_peerings(
            job=job, devices=list(hosts), instance=instance, **kwargs
        )
        # save circuits data to hosts' inventory
        while nb_bgp_peerings.result:
            device, device_bgp_peerings = nb_bgp_peerings.result.popitem()
            hosts[device]["data"]["bgp_peerings"] = device_bgp_peerings

    return ret