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Operations

Beta Notice: These Helm charts are currently in beta. While stable for testing and development environments, please thoroughly test in your specific environment before production deployment. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the main documentation.

Table of Contents​

  1. Backup Procedures - Data protection and disaster recovery
  2. Support Bundle Generation - Troubleshooting aid
  3. Maintenance Tasks - System upkeep
  4. Upgrade Procedures - Version management
  5. Scaling - Performance optimization
  6. Next Steps - Continue to troubleshooting

🔧 Operational Commands​

Backup & Restore Commands​

# Create application data backup
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  python manage.py dumpdata --output /tmp/netbox-backup.json

# Create database backup (external PostgreSQL)
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  pg_dump -h postgresql-host -U username -d netbox > netbox-backup.sql

# Restore from backup
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  python manage.py loaddata /tmp/netbox-backup.json

# Copy backup file out of pod
kubectl cp netbox-enterprise/netbox-enterprise-pod:/tmp/netbox-backup.json \
  ./netbox-backup.json

Scaling Commands​

# Scale web pods
kubectl scale deployment netbox-enterprise --replicas=3 -n netbox-enterprise

# Scale worker pods
kubectl scale deployment netbox-enterprise-worker --replicas=2 -n netbox-enterprise

# Check current replica counts
kubectl get deployments -n netbox-enterprise

# Auto-scale based on CPU (requires metrics-server)
kubectl autoscale deployment netbox-enterprise \
  --cpu-percent=70 \
  --min=2 \
  --max=10 \
  -n netbox-enterprise

Upgrade Commands​

# Check current version
helm list -n netbox-enterprise

# Upgrade to new version
helm upgrade netbox-enterprise \
  oci://registry.enterprise.netboxlabs.com/netbox-enterprise/beta/netbox-enterprise \
  --values netbox-enterprise-values.yaml \
  --values values-extra.yaml \
  --version 1.11.4 \
  --namespace netbox-enterprise

# Rollback to previous version
helm rollback netbox-enterprise 1 -n netbox-enterprise

# Check upgrade status
helm status netbox-enterprise -n netbox-enterprise

Maintenance Commands​

# Database maintenance
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  python manage.py dbshell -c "VACUUM ANALYZE;"

# Clear application cache
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  python manage.py shell -c "from django.core.cache import cache; cache.clear()"

# Check database connections
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  python manage.py dbshell -c "SELECT count(*) FROM pg_stat_activity;"

# Run database migrations
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  python manage.py migrate

# Collect static files
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  python manage.py collectstatic --noinput

Resource Monitoring Commands​

# Check resource usage
kubectl top pods -n netbox-enterprise
kubectl top nodes

# Check persistent volume usage
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  df -h /opt/netbox/netbox/media

# Monitor resource limits
kubectl describe deployment netbox-enterprise -n netbox-enterprise | grep -A5 "Limits:"

# Check for resource constraints
kubectl get events -n netbox-enterprise --field-selector reason=FailedScheduling

This guide covers ongoing operational procedures for NetBox Enterprise deployments.

Backup Procedures​

Proper backup procedures are critical for data protection and disaster recovery.

Database Backup​

For production environments, implement regular database backups:

# Create database backup
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  python manage.py dumpdata --output /tmp/netbox-backup.json

Configuration: For automated backups, see Values Guide - Production Resources for resource requirements.

External Database Backup​

If using external PostgreSQL:

# Export database
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  pg_dump -h postgresql-host -U username -d netbox > netbox-backup.sql

Setup: For external database configuration, see Values Guide - External Database Configuration.

Application Data Backups​

# Backup media files
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  tar czf /tmp/netbox-media-backup.tar.gz /opt/netbox/netbox/media/

# Copy backup to local machine
kubectl cp netbox-enterprise/netbox-enterprise-pod:/tmp/netbox-media-backup.tar.gz \
  ./netbox-media-backup.tar.gz

Automated Backup Strategy​

For production environments, implement automated backups:

# CronJob for automated backups
apiVersion: batch/v1
kind: CronJob
metadata:
  name: netbox-backup
  namespace: netbox-enterprise
spec:
  schedule: '0 2 * * *' # Daily at 2 AM
  jobTemplate:
    spec:
      template:
        spec:
          containers:
            - name: backup
              image: netboxlabs/nbe-utils:7
              command:
                - /bin/bash
                - -c
                - |
                  kubectl exec deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
                    python manage.py dumpdata --output /tmp/netbox-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).json
          restartPolicy: OnFailure

Restore Procedures​

Application Data Restore​

# Restore from backup
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  python manage.py loaddata /tmp/netbox-backup.json

# Restart deployment after restore
kubectl rollout restart deployment/netbox-enterprise -n netbox-enterprise

Helm Configuration Restore​

# Restore Helm configuration
helm upgrade netbox-enterprise netbox/netbox-enterprise \
  --values backup-values.yaml \
  --namespace netbox-enterprise

Database Restore​

For external PostgreSQL:

PGPASSWORD=your-password psql \
  -h postgresql-host \
  -U username \
  -d netbox \
  -f netbox-backup.sql

For internal PostgreSQL restore procedures, refer to the NetBox Enterprise restore documentation. This includes:

  • Enabling restore mode
  • Database restore procedures
  • Media, scripts, and reports restoration

Support Bundle Generation​

NetBox Enterprise includes built-in support for the troubleshoot.sh framework, providing comprehensive diagnostic information for support cases.

# Install the plugin
curl https://krew.sh/support-bundle | bash

# Generate support bundle
kubectl support-bundle --namespace netbox-enterprise

Prerequisites: Ensure you have the required access as outlined in Prerequisites - Access & Authentication.

This automatically collects:

  • Cluster information and resources
  • NetBox deployment status
  • Application logs (with configurable limits)
  • Database connection status
  • Storage information
  • Network configuration
  • Storage information

Method 2: Using Helm Chart Support Bundle​

# Generate support bundle using chart-specific collector
kubectl support-bundle https://raw.githubusercontent.com/netboxlabs/netbox-enterprise-helm/main/support-bundle.yaml

Method 3: Using Replicated Support Bundle​

# Generate support bundle using Replicated collector
kubectl support-bundle https://raw.githubusercontent.com/replicatedhq/troubleshoot/main/examples/support-bundle/sample-supportbundle.yaml

Method 4: Manual Collection (Fallback)​

If the above methods are unavailable, collect manually:

mkdir netbox-support-bundle
cd netbox-support-bundle

# Collect basic information
kubectl get all -n netbox-enterprise > resources.yaml
kubectl describe all -n netbox-enterprise > descriptions.yaml
kubectl get events -n netbox-enterprise > events.yaml

# Collect logs
kubectl logs -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise > netbox-logs.txt
kubectl logs -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise-worker > worker-logs.txt

# Create archive
tar czf netbox-support-bundle-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).tar.gz *

Information to Include​

When contacting support, include:

  • Helm chart version
  • Kubernetes version and platform
  • Description of the issue
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Recent changes made
  • Support bundle file

Automated Updates​

For enterprise users who want to automate NetBox Enterprise updates, several APIs are available for periodic updates via CI/CD systems like GitHub Actions or Jenkins. This ensures you don't miss critical versions with necessary migrations while maintaining control over update timing.

Prerequisites​

# Set up authentication variables
export LICENSE_ID="your-license-id-here"
export USERNAME="your-email@company.com"

# Authenticate with registries
docker login proxy.enterprise.netboxlabs.com -u $USERNAME -p $LICENSE_ID
helm registry login registry.enterprise.netboxlabs.com -u $USERNAME -p $LICENSE_ID

Step 1: Get Current Version​

# Get current version from your cluster
export CURRENT=$(helm ls --output json | jq -r '.[] | select(.name=="netbox-enterprise") | .app_version')
echo "Current version: $CURRENT"

Step 2: Check for Updates​

# Get the latest available version
export VERSION=$(curl \
  -H "Authorization: $LICENSE_ID" \
  "https://app.enterprise.netboxlabs.com/?current=$CURRENT" \
  | jq -r '.label')
echo "Latest version: $VERSION"

Step 3: Download Image List​

# Get list of images for the new version
curl \
  -o ./images.json \
  -H "Authorization: $LICENSE_ID" \
  "https://app.enterprise.netboxlabs.com/v3/app/netbox-enterprise/images?version=$VERSION"

Step 4: Update Images (Private Registry Only)​

For environments using private registries, update the images:

#!/bin/bash
# Set your private registry
export YOUR_PRIVATE_REGISTRY="your.registry.com"

# Process each image from the API response
jq -r '.[].image' ./images.json | while read -r image; do
    # Extract image name and tag
    image_name=$(echo "$image" | cut -d':' -f1 | cut -d'/' -f2)
    image_tag=$(echo "$image" | cut -d':' -f2)

    # Define new tag for your registry
    new_image_tag="$YOUR_PRIVATE_REGISTRY/netbox-enterprise/$image_name:$image_tag"

    # Pull, tag, and push
    docker pull "$image"
    docker tag "$image" "$new_image_tag"
    docker push "$new_image_tag"
done

Step 5: Update Helm Deployment​

Get current values and perform upgrade:

# Backup current values
helm get values netbox-enterprise > netbox-enterprise-values.yaml

# Choose upgrade method based on your environment:

# Method 1: Direct upgrade (online environments)
helm upgrade netbox-enterprise \
  oci://registry.enterprise.netboxlabs.com/netbox-enterprise/beta/netbox-enterprise \
  --version $VERSION \
  --values netbox-enterprise-values.yaml

# Method 2: Offline upgrade (restrictive environments)
helm pull oci://registry.enterprise.netboxlabs.com/netbox-enterprise/beta/netbox-enterprise \
  --version $VERSION
helm upgrade netbox-enterprise ./netbox-enterprise-$VERSION.tgz \
  --values netbox-enterprise-values.yaml

Automation Script Example​

Combine these steps into a script for your CI/CD pipeline:

#!/bin/bash
set -e

# Configuration
LICENSE_ID="your-license-id-here"
USERNAME="your-email@company.com"
NAMESPACE="netbox-enterprise"

# Get current version
CURRENT=$(helm ls -n $NAMESPACE --output json | jq -r '.[] | select(.name=="netbox-enterprise") | .app_version')

# Check for updates
VERSION=$(curl -H "Authorization: $LICENSE_ID" \
  "https://app.enterprise.netboxlabs.com/?current=$CURRENT" | jq -r '.label')

if [ "$VERSION" != "$CURRENT" ]; then
  echo "Update available: $CURRENT -> $VERSION"

  # Backup current values
  helm get values netbox-enterprise -n $NAMESPACE > netbox-enterprise-values.yaml

  # Upgrade
  helm upgrade netbox-enterprise \
    oci://registry.enterprise.netboxlabs.com/netbox-enterprise/beta/netbox-enterprise \
    --version $VERSION \
    --values netbox-enterprise-values.yaml \
    --namespace $NAMESPACE

  echo "Update completed successfully"
else
  echo "No updates available"
fi

Maintenance Tasks​

Database Maintenance​

Regular database maintenance improves performance:

# Run VACUUM ANALYZE
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- \
  python manage.py dbshell -c "VACUUM ANALYZE;"

Performance issues? See Troubleshooting - Database Performance for optimization guidance.

CronJob Utilities​

The chart includes maintenance CronJobs:

# Example maintenance CronJob
apiVersion: batch/v1
kind: CronJob
metadata:
  name: netbox-maintenance
  namespace: netbox-enterprise
spec:
  schedule: '0 1 * * 0' # Weekly on Sunday at 1 AM
  jobTemplate:
    spec:
      template:
        spec:
          containers:
            - name: maintenance
              image: netboxlabs/nbe-core:latest
              command:
                - python
                - manage.py
                - dbshell
                - -c
                - 'VACUUM ANALYZE;'
          restartPolicy: OnFailure

Storage Management​

Monitor and manage persistent volume usage:

# Check storage usage
kubectl exec -n netbox-enterprise deployment/netbox-enterprise -- df -h /opt/netbox/netbox/media

Storage setup: Review Prerequisites - Storage Requirements for storage class configuration.

To expand storage:

# Expand PVC (if storage class supports it)
kubectl patch pvc netbox-enterprise-media -n netbox-enterprise \
  -p '{"spec":{"resources":{"requests":{"storage":"200Gi"}}}}'

Upgrade Procedures​

Version Upgrade​

Upgrade to a new version of NetBox Enterprise:

# Check current version
helm list -n netbox-enterprise

# Upgrade to new version
helm upgrade netbox-enterprise \
  oci://registry.enterprise.netboxlabs.com/netbox-enterprise/beta/netbox-enterprise \
  --values netbox-enterprise-values.yaml \
  --values values-extra.yaml \
  --version 1.11.4 \
  --namespace netbox-enterprise

Rollback Procedures​

If an upgrade fails, rollback to the previous version:

# Rollback to previous version
helm rollback netbox-enterprise 1 -n netbox-enterprise

# Check rollback status
helm status netbox-enterprise -n netbox-enterprise

Scaling​

NetBox Enterprise can be scaled horizontally to handle increased load.

Manual Scaling​

# Scale web pods
kubectl scale deployment netbox-enterprise --replicas=3 -n netbox-enterprise

# Scale worker pods
kubectl scale deployment netbox-enterprise-worker --replicas=2 -n netbox-enterprise

# Check current replica counts
kubectl get deployments -n netbox-enterprise

Auto-scaling​

Enable horizontal pod autoscaling:

# Auto-scale based on CPU (requires metrics-server)
kubectl autoscale deployment netbox-enterprise \
  --cpu-percent=70 \
  --min=2 \
  --max=10 \
  -n netbox-enterprise

Production Resources: For production scaling recommendations, see Values Guide - Production Resources.

Next Steps​

After completing operational procedures, continue with:

  1. Troubleshooting Guide - Resolve common issues
  2. Values Guide - Advanced configuration options
  3. NetBox Enterprise Documentation - Application-specific guides

For performance issues, see Troubleshooting - Performance Issues.

Related Topics
NetBoxOperations