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Getting Started

This guide helps you set up your first integration between Nornir and Infrahub. By the end, you'll have a working automation setup that demonstrates the power of dynamic inventory management.

Prerequisites​

Before starting, ensure you have:

  • Python 3.9 or higher installed
  • An Infrahub instance running (local or remote)
  • Basic familiarity with Nornir concepts
  • At least one device defined in your Infrahub schema

Installation​

Install the Nornir-Infrahub plugin:

pip install nornir-infrahub nornir_netmiko

This automatically installs all required dependencies including:

  • nornir - The automation framework
  • infrahub-sdk - Python SDK for Infrahub API
  • nornir-utils - Helpful utilities for Nornir

Setting up your first integration​

Step 1: Obtain your Infrahub API token​

First, you'll need an API token to authenticate with Infrahub:

  1. Log into your Infrahub web interface
  2. Navigate to your user profile settings
  3. Generate or copy your API token
  4. Store it securely (we'll use it in the next step)

Step 2: Understand your Infrahub schema​

Before configuring Nornir, you need to understand your Infrahub schema structure. The sandbox instance at sandbox.infrahub.app uses a schema similar to this example:

Example schema structure​

For the examples in this documentation to work, you'll need a schema with at least these node types:

# Device node definition
nodes:
  - name: Device
    namespace: Infra
    attributes:
      - name: name
        kind: Text
        unique: true
      - name: description
        kind: Text
        optional: true
      - name: type
        kind: Text
    relationships:
      - name: site
        peer: BuiltinLocation
        cardinality: one
      - name: role
        peer: BuiltinRole
        cardinality: one
      - name: primary_address
        peer: InfraIPAddress
        cardinality: one
        optional: true
      - name: platform
        peer: InfraPlatform
        cardinality: one
        optional: true

  # Supporting nodes
  - name: IPAddress
    namespace: Infra
    attributes:
      - name: address
        kind: IPHost

  - name: Platform
    namespace: Infra
    attributes:
      - name: name
        kind: Text
      - name: nornir_platform
        kind: Text

Key schema requirements​

For Nornir integration, ensure your schema has:

  1. Device node (InfraDevice or similar) representing network devices
  2. IP Address relationship for device connectivity (primary_address)
  3. Platform relationship for device type identification
  4. Location/Site relationship for grouping devices by location
  5. Role relationship for grouping devices by function

Checking your schema​

To verify your schema structure:

  1. Open your Infrahub web interface
  2. Navigate to the Schema section
  3. Look for device node types and their relationships
  4. Note the exact attribute names and relationship paths for mapping

Step 3: Create your Nornir configuration​

Create a file named config.yaml with your Nornir configuration:

---
inventory:
  plugin: InfrahubInventory
  options:
    address: "https://sandbox.infrahub.app"   # Infrahub instance URL
    token: "1808d43b-c370-48e8-d0ef-c51781c02ddf"           # Replace with your actual token
    branch: "main"                         # Infrahub branch to use

    # Define which Infrahub node type represents network devices
    # Using the schema example above
    host_node:
      kind: "InfraDevice"                  # Matches the Device node with Infra namespace

    # Map Infrahub attributes to Nornir host properties
    schema_mappings:
      - name: "hostname"
        mapping: "name"                    # Use device name as hostname
      - name: "platform"
        mapping: "platform.nornir_platform" # Platform attribute for Nornir compatibility

    # Create Nornir groups based on Infrahub attributes
    # Note: Disabled due to some devices missing site/role in sandbox
    # group_mappings:
    #   - "site.name"
    #   - "role.name"

runner:
  plugin: threaded
  options:
    num_workers: 20

Step 4: Test your connection​

Create a Python script called test_connection.py to verify your setup:

from nornir import InitNornir
from nornir_utils.plugins.functions import print_result


def main():
    # Initialize Nornir with your configuration
    nr = InitNornir(config_file="config.yaml")

    # Display discovered inventory
    print("Discovered hosts:")
    for host in nr.inventory.hosts.values():
        print(f"  - {host.name} ({host.hostname})")

    print("\nDiscovered groups:")
    for group in nr.inventory.groups.values():
        print(f"  - {group.name}")

    return 0


if __name__ == "__main__":
    raise SystemExit(main())

Run the script:

python test_connection.py

You should see a list of hosts and groups discovered from your Infrahub instance.

Step 5: Run your first task​

Now let's run a task against your inventory:

from nornir import InitNornir
from nornir.core.task import Result, Task
from nornir_utils.plugins.functions import print_result

def hello_world(task: Task) -> Result:
    """A task that returns a greeting."""
    return Result(
        host=task.host,
        result=f"Hello from {task.host.name}!"
    )

def main():
    # Initialize Nornir
    nr = InitNornir(config_file="config.yaml")

    # Run the hello_world task on all hosts
    results = nr.run(task=hello_world)

    # Display results
    print_result(results)

    return 0

if __name__ == "__main__":
    raise SystemExit(main())

Verifying your setup​

To ensure everything is working correctly:

  1. Check Host Discovery: Verify that all expected hosts appear in your inventory
  2. Validate Groups: Confirm that dynamic groups are created based on your mappings
  3. Test Connectivity: Run a task to ensure Nornir can process your inventory

Common issues and solutions​

Authentication errors​

If you see authentication errors:

  • Verify your API token is correct
  • Ensure your Infrahub instance is accessible at the specified address
  • Check that your token has appropriate permissions

Missing hosts​

If hosts aren't appearing:

  • Verify the host_node.kind matches your Infrahub schema
  • Check that devices exist in the specified branch
  • Ensure devices have the required attributes for your schema mappings

Mapping errors​

If you see errors about missing attributes:

  • Verify your schema mappings match your Infrahub data model
  • Use the Infrahub GraphQL explorer to check available attributes
  • Ensure related objects (like primary_address) are properly defined

Next steps​

Now that you have a working integration:

Getting help​