Generate dynamic host.yaml for Nornir using Netbox as the inventory source.

This code is used to gererate a Nornir host file, example uses Cisco virtual routers and switches, however the code can be changed to be used with any vendor. This project is not focused on how to get devices into Netbox, it assumes that the user has some prior experience with Netbox.

Netbox Prerequisites:

1. Netbox up and running
2. Device roles created
3. Site(s) and devices added to Netbox with IP addresses

Example:

CML2 Prerequisites:

1. Go to https://devnetsandbox.cisco.com/RM/Diagram/Index/685f774a-a5d6-4df5-a324-3774217d0e6b?diagramType=Topology to reserve the lab.
Note: Cisco account is required, an account can be created for free
2. It should take a few minutes to reserver the lab, wait for Cisco Anyconnet VPN credentials will be emailed to you.
Note: Cisco Anyconnect can be download via the following link: https://developer.cisco.com/site/sandbox/anyconnect/
3. Once connected, CML2 lab can be accesses via https://10.10.20.161 - credentials are porvided inside the sandbox.

Topology used in the example:

Instructions

Cloning repo and installing requirements via pip

1. Clone this repo git clone https://github.com/Pzharyuk/nb_nornir.git
2. cd into `nb_nornir'
3. Create python virtual environment `python3 -m venv venv'
4. Activate virtual environment source venv/bin/activate
5. Install required python packages via pip install -r requirements.txt

Using .ENV

This project uses .env file to populate Environment Variables used in the code.
Environment variables which are set in the .env file are exported during run time.

Example:

1. Populate .env file with Netbox url and token.

NB_TOKEN=123423454565678678123234345
NB_URL=http://example-netbox.com:8085

2. Load Environment Variables using "os" library and dotenv.

import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
load_dotenv()

nb = pynetbox.api(
    os.getenv("NB_URL"), # NB_URL is loaded from  Environmet Variable
    token=os.getenv("NB_TOKEN")  # NB_TOKEN is loaded from Environment Variable
)

Visit python-dotenv library on PyPi for more details: https://pypi.org/project/python-dotenv/

Example

~ » git clone https://github.com/Pzharyuk/nb_nornir.git
~ » cd nb_nornir
~/nb_nornir  ‹main› » python3 -m venv venv
~/nb_nornir  ‹main› » source venv/bin/activate
(venv) ~/nb_nornir  ‹main› » pip install -r requirements.txt
(venv) ~/nb_nornir  ‹main› » python gen_hostfile_from_nb.py
Enter site code: devnetsandbox

Example output will be presented using tables and will be color coded using Rich python library.

At this point the /inventory/hosts.yaml file should be populated.

Refference Links:

Netbox GitHub page: https://github.com/netbox-community/netbox.git/
Netbox on Docker GitHub page: https://github.com/netbox-community/netbox-docker.git
CML2 Sandbox: https://devnetsandbox.cisco.com/RM/Diagram/Index/685f774a-a5d6-4df5-a324-3774217d0e6b?diagramType=Topology
Cisco Anyconnect: https://developer.cisco.com/site/sandbox/anyconnect/
Rich library: https://pypi.org/project/rich/