NetBox is an open-source platform used for network infrastructure management and documentation. It helps organizations keep track of their networks, devices, IP addresses, circuits, racks, data centers, and related assets in a centralized system.
Developed originally by DigitalOcean engineers, NetBox is now maintained by the NetBox Labs project and is widely used by network, cloud, and infrastructure teams.
Common Use Cases for NetBox
- Tracking IP addresses, prefixes, VLANs, and VRFs
- Documenting physical devices, their roles, and their locations across sites
- Tracking cable and port connections between network devices
- Serving as a source of truth for network automation and provisioning
- Integrating with Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM), ticketing, and observability platforms
NetBox and DCIM
While NetBox excels at network infrastructure documentation, it does not provide the broader data center infrastructure management capabilities that data center operations teams require such as capacity planning, power management, and physical asset lifecycle tracking.
Integrating NetBox with a DCIM solution like dcTrack breaks down silos between network and data center operations teams by syncing device, port, and cabling data from NetBox into a single pane of glass where all physical infrastructure can be tracked, visualized, and managed together.
Want to see how Sunbird's out-of-the-box NetBox connector automatically keeps your dcTrack data in sync? Read the application note.