NetBox on AWS
An AMI on AWS Marketplace, launched into your own AWS account with a CloudFormation stack.
- Deploys with
- CloudFormation
- Recommended size
- t3a.medium
- Ready in
- 5-10 minutes
Setup guides
Launch on AWS Open-source network source of truth
Self-hosted NetBox on AWS
Run NetBox, the open-source IPAM and DCIM platform, from a pre-configured AMI in your own AWS account. Document your sites, racks, devices, prefixes, IP addresses and VLANs in one place, and give your automation an API to read them from.
- Ready in 5-10 minutes
- REST and GraphQL APIs
- Apache 2.0 licence
What is NetBox?
NetBox is an open-source source of truth for network infrastructure, licensed under Apache 2.0. It brings IP address management (IPAM) and data center infrastructure management (DCIM) into one data model built for network engineers. It suits teams that have outgrown spreadsheets and want their automation to read from the same records people keep up to date.
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IP address management
Prefixes, IP ranges, IP addresses, VRFs and VLANs in one place.
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Data center infrastructure
Regions, sites, locations, racks and the devices installed in them.
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REST and GraphQL APIs
Read and write over REST, query over a read-only GraphQL API.
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Custom fields and plugins
Extend the data model with custom fields, tags and plugins.
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Change logging
Every create, change and delete is recorded automatically.
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Event rules
Trigger a custom script or an outbound webhook when data changes.
What's in the Meetrix NetBox AMI
Running NetBox properly needs PostgreSQL, Redis, a reverse proxy and SSL. The AMI arrives with them set up.
- NetBox with its PostgreSQL database and Redis, running in Docker on Ubuntu
- A reverse proxy in front of it
- A Let's Encrypt certificate, automatic on Route 53 domains
- A certificate script for issuing SSL manually otherwise
- A CloudFormation template for your own AWS account, with backups to your S3 bucket
- Email support from Meetrix at aws@meetrix.io
How to set up a self-hosted NetBox server
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Launch the stack
Subscribe on AWS Marketplace and launch the CloudFormation stack with your domain, an admin password and an S3 bucket for backups.
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Point your domain at it
After 5-10 minutes, create a DNS record with the PublicIp from the stack outputs.
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Sign in
Open the DashboardUrl and log in as admin with the AdminPassword you chose.
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Model your network
Add your first site and prefix, then create an API token for your scripts and Ansible playbooks.
Deploy on AWS
Launch on AWS NetBox vs SolarWinds IP Address Manager
| NetBox | SolarWinds IPAM | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Apache 2.0, open source | Proprietary |
| Pricing model | Free software, pay only for hosting | Custom quote from sales |
| Where it runs | Your own AWS account | Your own servers, behind your firewall |
| Racks, devices and cables | Built in (DCIM) | Not part of IPAM |
| DHCP and DNS server management | Not built in | Cisco, Infoblox, ISC, Kea and Microsoft |
NetBox FAQ
What is NetBox?
An open-source source of truth for network infrastructure. It combines IPAM and DCIM, so your IP addresses, prefixes, VLANs, sites, racks and devices are documented in one place.
Is NetBox free?
Yes. NetBox Community is open source under the Apache 2.0 licence. On AWS you pay for the instance and the Meetrix software fee shown on the listing.
Which instance size should I choose?
t3a.medium is the recommended baseline. Choose a larger instance if many users or automation jobs use NetBox at the same time.
How do I sign in?
Log in with the username admin and the AdminPassword you set when creating the CloudFormation stack.
Does it set up SSL?
Yes, automatically when your domain is hosted on Route 53. Otherwise, run the certificate script on the server as the developer guide shows.
Can Ansible and other tools use NetBox?
Yes. Create an API token in NetBox and call its REST API, or query the read-only GraphQL API. The netbox.netbox Ansible collection can use NetBox as a dynamic inventory.
How do I upgrade?
Back up your data, remove the old stack and launch the new version from AWS Marketplace.
How is NetBox different from SolarWinds IPAM?
NetBox is open source and documents racks, devices and cables as well as IP space, with APIs built for automation. SolarWinds IP Address Manager is proprietary, priced by quote, and adds DHCP and DNS server management.
Need a hand with NetBox?
We deploy and run self-hosted tools on AWS every day, from SSL and backups to scaling. Tell us what network you want to document.
Contact us