Getting Started with the Infoblox NIOS Integration for NetBox

This guide will help you set up and start using the Infoblox NIOS Integration for NetBox.

• Prerequisites
• Host Requirements
  • System
  • Network
• NetBox Setup
  • Generate Diode Client Credentials
• Agent Setup and Configuration
  • Step 1: Authenticate to the NetBox Labs Image Registry
  • Step 2: Configure the Agent
  • Scope Configuration
  • Network View Configuration
  • Bootstrap Mode (First-Time Setup)
  • Optional - Dry Run Mode
  • Step 3: Run the Agent
    • Method 1: Set Environment Variables Manually
    • Method 2: Use a .env File (Recommended)
  • Expected Output
• View and Apply Discovered Data in NetBox Assurance
  • Accessing NetBox Assurance
  • Explore Deviation Types
  • View Active Deviations
  • Apply Deviations
• View the Infoblox NIOS Data in NetBox
• Additional Resources
  • Related Documentation
  • Support

---

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• NetBox Cloud or NetBox Enterprise with NetBox Assurance
• Orb Agent Pro credentials (required to download the integration agent image)
• Infoblox NIOS with WAPI access enabled
• Host System with Docker support
• Network connectivity between your host(s) and both NetBox instance and the Infoblox NIOS Grid Master

Host Requirements

System

• Operating System: Linux, macOS, or Windows with Docker support
• Memory: Minimum 2GB RAM (4GB recommended)
• Storage: 1GB free disk space
• Network: Stable internet connection for pulling Docker images
• Docker: Version 20.10 or later

Network

• Outbound gRPC/gRPCS access to Diode on your NetBox instance (typically port 443 for gRPCS)
• Outbound HTTP/HTTPS access to your Infoblox NIOS Grid Master (typically port 443 for HTTPS)
• DNS resolution for both NetBox and Infoblox NIOS hostnames
• Firewall rules configured to allow the above connections from your agent host

---

NetBox Setup

Generate Diode Client Credentials

1. Log into your NetBox instance
2. Navigate to Diode → Client Credentials
3. Click + Add a Credential
4. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Infoblox Integration")
5. Click Create
6. Important: Copy and securely store the Client ID and Client Secret as you will reference this in the agent configuration file in later steps
7. Navigate to Diode → Settings
8. Copy the value of the Diode target as you will reference this in the agent configuration file in later steps

---

Agent Setup and Configuration

info

If you have multiple Network Views in Infoblox NIOS, you can configure the agent to sync data from specific views or all views. Data from each network view will be tagged in NetBox so it's easily searchable.

Step 1: Authenticate to the NetBox Labs Image Registry

From your host machine, authenticate to the NetBox Labs registry, using the CUSTOMER-IDENTIFIER and Token that you have been provided by the NetBox Labs team:

docker login -u<CUSTOMER-IDENTIFIER> netboxlabs.jfrog.io

Example session

% docker login -u<customer-abc123> netboxlabs.jfrog.io # note there are no spaces after -u
# Use the Token provided as the password when prompted
Password:
Login Succeeded

Step 2: Configure the Agent

1. Create the configuration file (you can name the file anything you like):

touch agent.yaml

2. Edit the configuration file with your preferred editor and add the following configuration. Important: Replace grpcs://your-instance.netboxcloud.com/diode with the value from Diode > Settings > Diode target in the NetBox UI:

orb:
  config_manager:
    active: local
  backends:
    worker:
    common:
      diode:
        target: grpcs://your-instance.netboxcloud.com/diode # Get this value from Diode > Settings > Diode target
        client_id: ${DIODE_CLIENT_ID}
        client_secret: ${DIODE_CLIENT_SECRET}
        agent_name: infoblox_agent_1  # Use a meaningful name to identify this agent
  policies:
    worker:
      infoblox_nios_worker:
        config:
          package: nbl_infoblox_nios
          schedule: "0 2 * * *" # Daily at 2:00 AM. Set your desired schedule (see examples below)
          INFOBLOX_HOST: ${INFOBLOX_HOST}
          INFOBLOX_USER: ${INFOBLOX_USER}
          INFOBLOX_PWD: ${INFOBLOX_PWD}
          BOOTSTRAP: True  # Set to True for initial setup, False for regular operation
          # INFOBLOX_VERSION: "2.11"  # Optional: specify WAPI version (default: 2.11)
          # INFOBLOX_SSL_VERIFY: false  # Optional: enable/disable SSL verification (default: false)
        scope:
          network_views: ["*"]  # Optional: ["*"] for all views (default), or specify views like ["default", "prod"]
          # network_to_dns_view_mapping: {}  # Optional: Map network views to DNS views for host records

Schedule Examples

The schedule field uses cron syntax. Here are some common examples:

• "0 */6 * * *" - Every 6 hours (e.g., 00:00, 06:00, 12:00, 18:00)
• "0 2 * * *" - Daily at 2:00 AM
• "0 9 * * 1" - Weekly on Monday at 9:00 AM

Scope Configuration

The scope section allows you to limit the data synchronization to specific network views and configure DNS view mappings for host record queries.

Configuration Options:

network_views:

• ["*"] or omitted: Syncs all network views (default)
• ["default", "prod"]: Syncs only specified network views
• Invalid network view names raise an error with available view list

network_to_dns_view_mapping (optional):

• Maps network views to DNS views for host record (record:host_ipv4addr) queries
• Default mapping: default → default, others → default.{network_view}
• Format: {"network_view": "dns_view"}

Examples:

Basic network view filtering:

scope:
  network_views: ["default", "production"]  # Only sync these network views

With DNS view mapping:

scope:
  network_views: ["prod", "dev"]
  network_to_dns_view_mapping:
    prod: "prod-dns"
    dev: "dev-dns"

Network View Configuration

Infoblox NIOS uses Network Views to provide multiple isolated instances of network address space. By default, the integration syncs all network views.

Configuration:

Location	Key	Description	Default
scope	network_views	List of network view names to sync. Use ["*"] for all views or specify view names.	["*"] (all views)
scope	network_to_dns_view_mapping	Optional mapping of network views to DNS views for host record queries.	Convention-based (see below)

Network View Synchronization:

• If network_views is ["*"] or omitted, all network views are synchronized
• If network_views contains specific names, only those views are synchronized
• Each network view's data is tagged with infoblox-network-view:{view_name} for easy filtering in NetBox

DNS View Mapping:

• Host records are queried using DNS views
• Default mapping convention:
  • default network view → default DNS view
  • Other network views → default.{network_view} DNS view
• Custom mappings can override the convention using network_to_dns_view_mapping

Example 1: Sync specific network views

scope:
  network_views: ["default", "production", "development"]

Example 2: Sync all network views

scope:
  network_views: ["*"]

Example 3: Sync default view only (explicit)

scope:
  network_views: ["default"]  # Explicitly sync only default view

Example 4: Custom DNS view mapping

scope:
  network_views: ["prod", "stage"]
  network_to_dns_view_mapping:
    prod: "production-dns"
    stage: "staging-dns"

Notes:

• Network view names are case-sensitive and must match Infoblox NIOS exactly
• The agent validates network view names at runtime and will error with the list of available views if a name is not found
• Each synced object will be tagged with its network view for easy filtering in NetBox

Bootstrap Mode (First-Time Setup)

Bootstrap mode is used for the initial setup only of the integration. When enabled, it creates static content in NetBox that the integration requires to function properly.

What Bootstrap Mode Does:

• Creates required Custom Fields for storing Infoblox metadata
• Skips data synchronization (no API calls to Infoblox)
• Prepares NetBox schema for regular integration runs

Note: Tags are created automatically during normal operation, not in bootstrap mode.

Configuration:

config:
  BOOTSTRAP: True  # Set to True for initial setup, False for regular operation

First-Time Run Process:

1. Run the agent with BOOTSTRAP: True in your configuration
2. Monitor the output for the text executed successfully
3. Stop the agent immediately by pressing Ctrl+C in your terminal once you see executed successfully
4. Apply the deviations in NetBox Assurance (see Apply Deviations section below)
5. Set BOOTSTRAP: False for all future runs

Important Notes:

• Bootstrap mode is only for first-time setup - do not run it on a schedule
• You must stop the agent manually with Ctrl+C after seeing executed successfully
• After bootstrap, you'll see deviations for Custom Fields, Tags, etc. that must be applied
• Once deviations are applied, set BOOTSTRAP: False for regular operation

Optional - Dry Run Mode

The agent can be run in Dry Run mode, which means discovered data is written to a json formatted file instead of to NetBox. This can be useful for troubleshooting - for example you could share the file with the NetBox Labs support team to investigate issues ingesting certain data.

Enable this in the Diode section of your agent configuration file, by adding the dry_run key and setting the value to true (it is false by default) and set the dry_run_output_dir value to the location you want the file to be saved.

      diode:
        dry_run: true
        dry_run_output_dir: /opt/orb/ # this will save the output file into the same directory that you run the agent from

Step 3: Run the Agent

Run the agent to synchronize data from Infoblox NIOS into NetBox:

Method 1: Set Environment Variables Manually

1. Export Diode credentials as environment variables:

export DIODE_CLIENT_ID="your-client-id"
export DIODE_CLIENT_SECRET="your-client-secret"

2. Export Infoblox credentials as environment variables:

export INFOBLOX_HOST="infoblox.example.com"
export INFOBLOX_USER="your-infoblox-username"
export INFOBLOX_PWD="your-infoblox-password"

3. Run the agent with the following command:

docker run \
  -v $PWD:/opt/orb/ \
  -e DIODE_CLIENT_SECRET \
  -e DIODE_CLIENT_ID \
  -e INFOBLOX_HOST \
  -e INFOBLOX_USER \
  -e INFOBLOX_PWD \
  netboxlabs.jfrog.io/obs-orb-agent-pro/orb-agent-pro \
  run -c /opt/orb/agent.yaml

Method 2: Use a .env File (Recommended)

1. Create a .env file in your current directory:

touch .env

2. Edit the .env file with your preferred editor and add the following content:

# NetBox Diode credentials (from Step 1)
DIODE_CLIENT_ID=your-client-id
DIODE_CLIENT_SECRET=your-client-secret

# Infoblox NIOS credentials
INFOBLOX_HOST=infoblox.example.com
INFOBLOX_USER=your-infoblox-username
INFOBLOX_PWD=your-infoblox-password

Important

Replace the placeholder values with your actual credentials:

• your-client-id and your-client-secret from the NetBox Diode setup
• infoblox.example.com with your Infoblox NIOS Grid Master hostname or IP
• your-infoblox-username and your-infoblox-password with your Infoblox NIOS credentials

1. Run the agent with the following command:

docker run \
  -v $PWD:/opt/orb/ \
  --env-file .env \
  netboxlabs.jfrog.io/obs-orb-agent-pro/orb-agent-pro \
  run -c /opt/orb/agent.yaml

Security Best Practice

When using Method 2, add .env to your .gitignore file to prevent accidentally committing sensitive credentials to version control:

echo ".env" >> .gitignore

Expected Output

After you issue the command to run the agent, depending on the schedule you defined in the configuration file, you should see similar to the output below:

{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487755639Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"    tags {"}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487756472Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"      name: \"discovered\""}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.48775743Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"    }"}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487758389Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"  }"}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487759722Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"  tags {"}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487761264Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"    name: \"infoblox\""}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487762805Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"  }"}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487768389Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"  tags {"}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487769764Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"    name: \"discovered\""}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487771097Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"  }"}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487772639Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"}"}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487774305Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"] chunks"}
{"time":"2025-09-09T10:15:22.487777639Z","level":"INFO","msg":"worker stderr","log":"INFO:apscheduler.executors.default:Job \"PolicyRunner.run (trigger: date[2025-09-09 10:13:48 UTC], next run at: 2025-09-09 10:13:48 UTC)\" executed successfully"}

Monitoring and Testing

Success Indicators: Look for the text Successful ingestion in the output, which confirms that data was successfully sent to your NetBox instance via Diode.

Testing Mode: For testing purposes, you can run the agent once and then stop it:

• Press Ctrl+C in your terminal to stop the agent
• This is useful for verifying configuration before setting up continuous operation

Continuous Operation: The agent will continue running according to your schedule until manually stopped or the container is terminated.

View and Apply Discovered Data in NetBox Assurance

You can now work with the Infoblox NIOS data that has been discovered by the agent in the NetBox Assurance UI.

NetBox Assurance gives you control over operational drift by identifying deviations between your operational state and NetBox, and analytics to understand drift and plan for remediation, and ultimately take action.

Understanding Deviations

Deviations are the delta between the data already in NetBox as the Network Source of Truth, versus the actual operational state of the network as discovered by the controller integration.

From an initial run of the integration it could be that ALL discovered data is a deviation as it may not have existed in NetBox previously. Once the initial sync of data has taken place, and NetBox has been updated, then further integration runs would result in new deviations only.

Accessing NetBox Assurance

1. Navigate to the UI of NetBox instance
2. Click on Assurance in the main navigation menu

Explore Deviation Types

1. Click on Deviation Types to view the types of deviations that have been discovered
2. Click on the Name of a deviation type, to view deviations for a particular type
3. Click on the Name of an individual deviation, to view the details

View Active Deviations

1. Click on Active Deviations to view all the deviations that have not yet been Applied or Ignored
2. Click on the Name of a deviation, to view the details

Apply Deviations

1. Select all the deviations that you'd like to apply. If you are working with a large number of deviations, first set the Per Page view to 500:
2. Then select the first deviation, hold down SHIFT and select the last one, and then click Apply Selected:
3. Click Apply X Deviations to apply the deviations to the NetBox database:

Apply Deviations to a Branch

Instead of writing the deviations to the Main NetBox database branch, you can select another branch from the drop down menu and apply the deviations to that branch.

Assurance Docs

For more detailed information on working with NetBox Assurance, please refer to the documentation

View the Infoblox NIOS Data in NetBox

Now that you have run the integration at least once and applied the discovered data, you can view the data from Infoblox NIOS in the NetBox UI

1. Start by clicking on IPAM in the main navigation menu, then select Prefixes to view the synchronized networks:
2. Click on IP Addresses to view the synchronized IP addresses:
3. Select an individual IP Address to view the details including DNS and DHCP information:

---

Additional Resources

Related Documentation

• NetBox Assurance Documentation
• Orb Agent Documentation
• Infoblox WAPI Documentation

Support

Email support@netboxlabs.com for support.