NetBox

NetBox is an open-source, extensible network documentation and IP address management (IPAM) system. It is designed to serve as a single source of truth for network infrastructure, storing information about devices, racks, sites, circuits, and IP addresses. The project was originally developed by DigitalOcean and is now maintained by the open-source community.

The primary purpose of NetBox is to manage and document physical and logical network components. It allows administrators to track the location of devices within racks and data centers, as well as their configuration details. Its IPAM functionality enables the organization and allocation of IP address space, including subnets, prefixes, and individual IP addresses, with features for tracking allocation status and usage.

NetBox's features extend beyond basic documentation. It supports modeling of virtual machines, compute, and storage resources, making it a comprehensive tool for modern IT infrastructure. The system is built with a RESTful API, allowing for programmatic interaction and integration with other network automation tools and systems. This API is a key component for its extensibility and adoption in automated workflows.

The system is developed in Python using the Django web framework and utilizes PostgreSQL as its database. It can be deployed as a standalone application or within containerized environments. NetBox is widely used by network engineers and IT professionals for its ability to centralize network data, improve operational efficiency, and support automation initiatives.