NetBox Enterprise Overview

Overview

NetBox Enterprise is a self-hosted NetBox distribution built by NetBox Labs for organizations deploying NetBox in their own infrastructure. It provides a streamlined installation and upgrade experience through an embedded Kubernetes cluster, along with enterprise-grade features and professional support.

Key Benefits:

• Simplified Deployment: Fully managed installer handles Kubernetes cluster setup and NetBox deployment
• Enterprise Features: Advanced capabilities including SSO authentication, LDAP/SAML integration, plugin management, and backup/restore
• Professional Support: Access to NetBox Labs engineering team for technical assistance
• Flexible Architecture: Use embedded components or integrate with external PostgreSQL, Redis, and S3-compatible storage
• Automated Updates: Simplified upgrade process through admin console
• Production Ready: Battle-tested deployment architecture used by enterprise customers

Key Concepts:

• Embedded Cluster: Self-contained Kubernetes cluster (k0s distribution) deployed and managed by the installer
• Admin Console: Web-based management interface (KOTS) for configuration and upgrades on port 30000
• Diode: Data ingestion service for automated network discovery and reconciliation
• Embedded Components: Bundled PostgreSQL (CrunchyData operator), Redis, and OpenEBS storage
• External Integration: Connect to external PostgreSQL, Redis, and S3-compatible storage
• Replicas: Multiple NetBox and worker instances for load distribution (limits based on license tier)

Architecture

NetBox Enterprise uses an embedded Kubernetes cluster architecture that provides production-grade infrastructure with minimal configuration:

Component Options

NetBox Enterprise provides flexibility in choosing between embedded and external components:

Component	Embedded Option	External Option	When to Use External
PostgreSQL	CrunchyData Postgres Operator	AWS RDS, Cloud SQL, managed PostgreSQL	Existing managed databases (requires 3 databases: netbox, diode, hydra)
Redis	Bitnami Redis with replication	AWS ElastiCache, managed Redis	Existing managed caching infrastructure
Object Storage	Local persistent volume	AWS S3, MinIO, DigitalOcean Spaces	Required for multi-node/HA deployments
Kubernetes	Embedded k0s cluster	N/A	Embedded cluster required

Deployment Scenarios

Production Deployment

Recommended for production NetBox Enterprise deployments:

• Use Case: Production NetBox instance
• Resources: 8 vCPU, 24 GB RAM, 100 GB SSD
• Components: Embedded PostgreSQL and Redis, or external managed services
• Replicas: 2 or more NetBox application replicas
• Backup: Regular database backups configured

Development and Testing

Recommended for non-production environments:

• Use Case: Development, staging, or testing
• Resources: 4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 50 GB SSD
• Components: All embedded components
• Replicas: 1 NetBox replica
• Backup: Optional

Getting Started

To deploy NetBox Enterprise, follow this process:

1. Review Requirements: Check system requirements for your distribution

   • Ubuntu requirements
   • RHEL requirements
   • Linux system changes

2. Prepare Your Host: Configure firewall, disable swap, load kernel modules

3. Install NetBox Enterprise: Follow the installation guide

4. Configure NetBox: Use Admin Console to configure superuser, replicas, database, and authentication

5. Deploy and Verify: Deploy NetBox and verify access on ports 80/443

6. Migrate Data (Optional): Import existing NetBox data using the migration guide

7. Configure Plugins (Optional):

   • Enable built-in plugins
   • Install custom plugins

8. Configure Authentication (Optional):

   • SAML SSO
   • Azure AD SSO
   • OIDC SSO
   • LDAP

Support and Documentation

• Installation Issues: See troubleshooting guide
• Technical Support: Contact your NetBox Enterprise support representative
• Release Information: Review release notes before upgrading
• Backup and Recovery: Configure database backups