HOWTO: Allocate IPs from NetBox Before Provisioning¶

Purpose: Claim IP addresses through NetBox IPAM before provisioning VMs, ensuring consistent addressing and a complete audit trail.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Track: IPAM-Driven Infrastructure

Overview¶

In HybridOps, IP addresses are never assigned ad hoc: they are allocated through NetBox before any provisioning step runs. This HOWTO covers the allocation pattern: finding the right prefix, creating the IP object, and feeding the result into the provisioning module input. It also covers the lifecycle end: releasing the IP when a VM is decommissioned.

1. Finding the Right Prefix¶

Querying prefixes by VLAN and site in NetBox.
Identifying available capacity.
Prefix selection policy (avoid management and reserved ranges).

2. Allocating an IP¶

Creating an IP address object via the NetBox API.
Required fields: address, status, assigned object.
Tagging with environment and role metadata.

3. Passing the IP to the Provisioning Module¶

Exporting the allocation as a module input.
Using the IPAM module output directly in the VM module input map.
Handling allocation failures gracefully.

4. Post-Provisioning Validation¶

Confirming the IP appears in NetBox as active.
Verifying the interface binding is correct.
Updating the DNS record if required.

5. Decommission and Release¶

Marking the IP as deprecated on VM shutdown.
Releasing the allocation after decommission.
Avoiding ghost allocations in long-running environments.

References¶

License: MIT-0 for code, CC-BY-4.0 for documentation unless otherwise stated.