NetBox Device Type Library

About this Library

This library is intended to be used for populating device types in NetBox. It contains a set of device type definitions expressed in YAML and arranged by manufacturer. Each file represents a discrete physical device type (e.g. make and model). These definitions can be loaded into NetBox instead of creating new device type definitions manually.

If you would like to contribute to this library, please read through our contributing guide before submitting content.

Note: As of March 2023 Netbox-Device-Type-Library-Import has been brought into the NetBox Community Organization. We will work to get this fully supported soon. If you would like to automate the import of these devicetype template files, there is a NetBox Community community based python script that will check for duplicates, allow you to selectively import vendors, etc. available here netbox-community/Device-Type-Library-Import. Note: This is not related to NetBox in any official way and you will not get support for it here.

Device Type Definitions

Each definition must include at minimum the following fields:

• manufacturer: The name of the manufacturer which produces this device type.
  • Type: String
• model: The model number of the device type. This must be unique per manufacturer.
  • Type: String
• slug: A URL-friendly representation of the model number. Like the model number, this must be unique per manufacturer. All slugs should have the manufacturers name prepended to it with a dash, please see the example below.
  • Type: String
  • Pattern: "^[-a-zA-Z0-9_]+$". Must match the following characters: -, _, Uppercase or Lowercase a to z, Numbers 0 to 9.

🧪 Valid Example:

manufacturer: Dell
model: PowerEdge R6515
slug: dell-poweredge-r6515

The following fields may optionally be declared:

• part_number: An alternative representation of the model number (e.g. a SKU). (Default: None)
  • Type: String

🧪 Example: part_number: D109-C3

• u_height: The height of the device type in rack units. Increments of 0.5U are supported. (Default: 1)
  • Type: number (minimum of 0, multiple of 0.5)

🧪 Example: u_height: 12.5

• is_full_depth: A boolean which indicates whether the device type consumes both the front and rear rack faces. (Default: true)
  • Type: Boolean

🧪 Example: is_full_depth: false

• airflow: A declaration of the airflow pattern for the device. (Default: None)
  • Type: String
  • Options:
    • front-to-rear
    • rear-to-front
    • left-to-right
    • right-to-left
    • side-to-rear
    • passive

🧪 Example: airflow: side-to-rear

• front_image: Indicates that this device has a front elevation image within the elevation-images folder. (Default: None)
  • NOTE: The elevation images folder requires the same folder name as this device. The file name must also adhere to <VALUE_IN_SLUG>.front.<acceptable_format>
  • Type: Boolean

🧪 Example: front_image: True

• rear_image: Indicates that this device has a rear elevation image within the elevation-images folder. (Default: None)
  • NOTE: The elevation images folder requires the same folder name as this device. The file name must also adhere to <VALUE_IN_SLUG>.rear.<acceptable_format>
  • Type: Boolean

🧪 Example: rear_image: True

• subdevice_role: Indicates that this is a parent or child device. (Default: None)
  • Type: String
  • Options:
    • parent
    • child

🧪 Example: subdevice_role: parent

• comments: A string field which allows for comments to be added to the device. (Default: None)
  • Type: String

🧪 Example: comments: This is a comment that will appear on all NetBox devices of this type

• weight: A number representing the numeric weight value. Must be a multiple of 0.01 (2 decimal places). (Default: None)
  • Type: Number
  • Value: must be a multiple of 0.01
• weight_unit: A string defining the unit of measurement. It must be one of the supported values. (Default: None)
  • Type: String
  • Value: Enumerated Options
    • kg
    • g
    • lb
    • oz

🧪 Example:

weight: 12.21
weight_unit: lb

• is_powered: A boolean which indicates whether the device type does not take power. This is mainly used as a workaround for validation testing on non-devices (i.e. rackmount kits for mounting desktop devices) (Default: True)
  • Type: Boolean

🧪 Example: is_powered: false

For further detail on these attributes and those listed below, please reference the schema definitions and the Component Definitions below.

Component Definitions

Valid component types are listed below. Each type of component must declare a list of the individual component templates to be added.

• console-ports
• console-server-ports
• power-ports
• power-outlets
• interfaces
• front-ports
• rear-ports
• module-bays
• device-bays
• inventory-items

The available fields for each type of component are listed below.

Console Ports (Documentation)

A console port provides connectivity to the physical console of a device. These are typically used for temporary access by someone who is physically near the device, or for remote out-of-band access provided via a networked console server.

• name: Name
• label: Label
• type: Port type slug (Array)
• poe: Does this port access/provide POE? (Boolean)

Console Server Ports (Documentation)

A console server is a device which provides remote access to the local consoles of connected devices. They are typically used to provide remote out-of-band access to network devices, and generally connect to console ports.

• name: Name
• label: Label
• type: Port type slug (Array)

Power Ports (Documentation)

A power port is a device component which draws power from some external source (e.g. an upstream power outlet), and generally represents a power supply internal to a device.

• name: Name
• label: Label
• type: Port type slug (Array)
• maximum_draw: The port's maximum power draw, in watts (optional)
• allocated_draw: The port's allocated power draw, in watts (optional)

Power Outlets (Documentation)

Power outlets represent the outlets on a power distribution unit (PDU) or other device that supplies power to dependent devices. Each power port may be assigned a physical type, and may be associated with a specific feed leg (where three-phase power is used) and/or a specific upstream power port. This association can be used to model the distribution of power within a device.

• name: Name
• label: Label
• type: Port type slug (Array)
• power_port: The name of the power port on the device which powers this outlet (optional)
• feed_leg: The phase (leg) of power to which this outlet is mapped; A, B, or C (optional)

Interfaces (Documentation)

Interfaces in NetBox represent network interfaces used to exchange data with connected devices. On modern networks, these are most commonly Ethernet, but other types are supported as well. IP addresses and VLANs can be assigned to interfaces.

• name: Name
• label: Label
• type: Interface type slug (Array)
• mgmt_only: A boolean which indicates whether this interface is used for management purposes only (default: false)

Front Ports (Documentation)

Front ports are pass-through ports which represent physical cable connections that comprise part of a longer path. For example, the ports on the front face of a UTP patch panel would be modeled in NetBox as front ports. Each port is assigned a physical type, and must be mapped to a specific rear port on the same device. A single rear port may be mapped to multiple front ports, using numeric positions to annotate the specific alignment of each.

• name: Name
• label: Label
• type: Port type slug (Array)
• rear_port: The name of the rear port on this device to which the front port maps
• rear_port_position: The corresponding position on the mapped rear port (default: 1)

Rear Ports (Documentation)

Like front ports, rear ports are pass-through ports which represent the continuation of a path from one cable to the next. Each rear port is defined with its physical type and a number of positions: Rear ports with more than one position can be mapped to multiple front ports. This can be useful for modeling instances where multiple paths share a common cable (for example, six discrete two-strand fiber connections sharing a 12-strand MPO cable).

• name: Name
• label: Label
• type: Port type slug (Array)
• positions: The number of front ports that can map to this rear port (default: 1)
• poe: Does this port access/provide POE? (Boolean)

Module Bays (Documentation)

Module bays represent a space or slot within a device in which a field-replaceable module may be installed. A common example is that of a chassis-based switch such as the Cisco Nexus 9000 or Juniper EX9200. Modules in turn hold additional components that become available to the parent device.

• name: Name
• label: Label
• position: The alphanumeric position in which this module bay is situated within the parent device. When creating module components, the string {module} in the component name will be replaced with the module bay's position. See the NetBox Documentation for more details.

Device Bays (Documentation)

Device bays represent a space or slot within a parent device in which a child device may be installed. For example, a 2U parent chassis might house four individual blade servers. The chassis would appear in the rack elevation as a 2U device with four device bays, and each server within it would be defined as a 0U device installed in one of the device bays. Child devices do not appear within rack elevations or count as consuming rack units.

Child devices are first-class Devices in their own right: That is, they are fully independent managed entities which don't share any control plane with the parent. Just like normal devices, child devices have their own platform (OS), role, tags, and components. LAG interfaces may not group interfaces belonging to different child devices.

• name: Name
• label: Label

Inventory Items (Documentation)

Inventory items represent hardware components installed within a device, such as a power supply or CPU or line card. They are intended to be used primarily for inventory purposes.

Inventory items are hierarchical in nature, such that any individual item may be designated as the parent for other items. For example, an inventory item might be created to represent a line card which houses several SFP optics, each of which exists as a child item within the device. An inventory item may also be associated with a specific component within the same device. For example, you may wish to associate a transceiver with an interface.

• name: Name
• label: Label
• manufacturer: The name of the manufacturer which produces this item
• part_id: The part ID assigned by the manufacturer

Data Validation / Commit Quality Checks

There are two ways this repo focuses on keeping quality device-type definitions:

• Pre-Commit Checks - Optional, but highly recommended, for helping to identify simple issues before committing. (trailing-whitespace, end-of-file-fixer, check-yaml, yamlfmt, yamllint)
  • Installation
    • Virtual Environment Route
      • It is recommended to create a virtual env for your repo (python3 -m venv venv)
      • Install the required pip packages (pip install -r requirements.txt)
      • Continue to the "Install pre-commit Hooks"
    • pre-commit Only Route
      • Install pre-commit (pip install pre-commit)
    • Install pre-commit Hooks
      • To install the pre-commit script: pre-commit install
  • Usage & Useful pre-commit Commands
    • After staging your files with git, to run the pre-commit script on changed files: pre-commit run
    • To run the pre-commit script on all files: pre-commit run --all
    • To uninstall the pre-commit script: pre-commit uninstall
  • Learn more about pre-commit
• GitHub Actions - Automatically run before a PR can be merged. Repeats yamllint & validates against NetBox Device-Type Schema.