Deprecated: use Nautobot Device Sync V2

This page documents the legacy (V1) Nautobot integration, driven by the rconfig:integration-nautobot artisan command and the original Settings → Integrations setup tab.

From rConfig V8.2.0 the V1 Nautobot integration is deprecated. It will continue to be supported for existing deployments through the V8.2.x release line, but it will not receive new features or new functionality, and it is scheduled for removal in a future major release.

New deployments should follow Nautobot Device Sync V2 instead. The V2 driver is field-tested in V8.2.0, supports Device Profiles, ships a preview/apply pipeline, and is configured via the new Settings → Integrations (V2) UI.

Nautobot Device Sync (Legacy V1): Network Device Inventory Synchronization with rConfig V8

Nautobot Device Sync enables automated synchronization of network device inventory from Nautobot network automation platform into rConfig V8. This integration extracts device information from Nautobot, transforms it using tag-based mappings, and imports devices through a staging process for administrator review before production deployment.

Platform	rConfig V8 Support	Platform Version Tested
Nautobot	✓ Verified	2.0+, 2.4.8+

When to Use This Page

Follow this guide only if you are maintaining an existing legacy Nautobot integration on rConfig V8.2.x. For any new integration, use Nautobot Device Sync V2 instead, which supports Device Profiles and a unified preview/apply pipeline.

How It Works

The Nautobot Device Sync follows an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) pattern with a review stage:

1. Extract: Connect to Nautobot API and retrieve device inventory based on configured tags
2. Transform & Map: Parse Nautobot device data and apply rConfig-specific tag mappings
3. Load to Staging: Import transformed devices into staging table for review
4. Review & Approve: Administrator validates staged devices and resolves any issues
5. Deploy: Import approved devices into main rConfig device inventory
6. Schedule: Automated sync jobs keep inventory synchronized with Nautobot

This idempotent process prevents duplicate device creation and maintains consistency across synchronizations. Staging tables are cleared after successful deployment to production.

Prerequisites

Before configuring Nautobot Device Sync, ensure you have:

Nautobot requirements:

• Nautobot 2.0 or later (2.4.8+ recommended)
• Administrator access to Nautobot
• API token with read permissions for devices, tags, and related objects
• Devices tagged for filtering and mapping
• Network connectivity between Nautobot and rConfig servers

rConfig requirements:

• rConfig V8 Professional
• Administrator access to rConfig
• Credential sets configured for device authentication
• Device templates, vendors, categories, and tags created

Nautobot device tagging:

All devices to be synchronized must have the following rConfig-specific tags applied in Nautobot (these are optional from V8.2.0+ if using Device Profiles - see below):

Tag Name	Required	Description	Example
rconfig::template::{id}	Yes	Device template ID	rconfig::template::1
rconfig::credentialset::{id}	Yes	Credential set ID	rconfig::credentialset::5
rconfig::vendor::{id}	Yes	Vendor ID	rconfig::vendor::2
rconfig::category::{id}	Yes	Category ID	rconfig::category::3
rconfig::tag::{id}	Yes	Tag ID (comma-separated for multiple)	rconfig::tag::7,8,9
rconfig::model::{string}	Yes	Device model string	rconfig::model::Catalyst 9300
rconfig::prompt::{string}	Yes	Command prompt regex	rconfig::prompt::[>#]
rconfig::enable_prompt::{string}	Yes	Enable prompt regex	rconfig::enable_prompt::[>#]
rconfig::snmp_group::{id}	No	SNMP group ID for device	rconfig::snmp_group::5
rconfig::agent::{id}	No	Agent ID for device (Requires Vector Server)	rconfig::agent::3
rconfig::device_profile::{slug}	Conditional	Device Profile slug reference (profile mode)	rconfig::device_profile::core-switch-profile

(snmp_group and agent tags are optional and only work after version 8.2.0)

rconfig::device_profile::{slug} is supported in V8.2.0+ for legacy NetBox/Nautobot sync, using the same transform logic as the NetBox integration.

Note

Unlike Zabbix integration, Nautobot tags require explicit IDs (not names) for templates, credential sets, vendors, and categories. Ensure you use the correct ID numbers from rConfig.

Note

The {HOST.NAME} macro can be used in rconfig::prompt and rconfig::enable_prompt tags. It will be automatically replaced with the device’s own hostname during transformation.

Device Profile Mode in Nautobot (V8.2.0+)

Use this Nautobot tag format in profile mode:

• rconfig::device_profile::<profile-slug>

Behavior summary:

• Profile slug resolves to an active Device Profile in rConfig
• Profile baseline fields are authoritative
• rconfig::tag::{id} values can remain additive where supported

Legacy-to-Profile Migration (Nautobot)

Recommended sequence:

1. Create Device Profiles in rConfig for common device roles.
2. Add rconfig::device_profile::{slug} to a pilot device set in Nautobot.
3. Remove legacy hard-conflict mapping tags from those devices.
4. Keep rconfig::tag::{id} values where additive tagging is needed.
5. Run extract/transform/load-to-staging and validate mapped results.
6. Run full deployment and expand rollout in batches.

Note

Profile mode should replace repeated legacy mapping tags over time. Keep migration incremental and validate each batch in staging before production deployment.

Configure Nautobot

Step 1: Create API Token

Create a Nautobot API token with read permissions:

1. Navigate to User > API Tokens in Nautobot
2. Click Add to create new token
3. Configure token settings:
   • User: Select your user account
   • Allowed IPs: Leave blank for any IP, or restrict to rConfig server IP
   • Write enabled: Leave unchecked (read-only access sufficient)
   • Description: rConfig Device Sync
4. Click Create
5. Copy the token immediately (you won’t be able to view it again)

Step 2: Tag Devices for Sync

Apply rConfig-specific tags to Nautobot devices:

1. Navigate to Devices > Devices
2. Select a device to edit
3. Scroll to Tags section
4. Add required rConfig tags with IDs:

Example tagging:

rconfig::template::1
rconfig::credentialset::5
rconfig::vendor::2
rconfig::category::3
rconfig::tag::7,10,15
rconfig::model::Catalyst 9300
rconfig::prompt::[>#]
rconfig::enable_prompt::[>#]
rconfig::snmp_group::5
rconfig::agent::3

5. Save the device
6. Repeat for all devices to be synchronized

Tip

Use Nautobot bulk edit feature to apply tags to multiple devices simultaneously. Create a tag group with all rConfig tags for easier management.

Step 3: Create Filter Tags (Optional)

Create Nautobot tags to filter which devices to sync:

1. Navigate to Organization > Tags
2. Create tags such as:
   • sync-to-rconfig
   • production-network
   • managed-devices
3. Apply filter tags to devices you want to sync

Configure the Connection

Legacy Nautobot sync has no settings page of its own

Unlike the legacy NetBox integration, there is no dedicated Settings → Integrations page for Nautobot. The legacy Nautobot CLI reuses the exact same connection record as the legacy NetBox integration; there is only one shared record for both.

To configure it:

1. Navigate to Settings > Integrations and open the NetBox integration (this same record is used for Nautobot).
2. Enter your Nautobot server’s base URL and API token in that form, even though the labels say NetBox.
3. Save.

--connection and --usertest (see CLI Commands below) check this server against the NETBOX_DEFAULT_URL / NETBOX_DEFAULT_KEY environment fallback values rather than the saved record directly, while --extract, --assessment, and --deployment read the saved Settings record. Keep both pointed at the same Nautobot server, or --connection/--usertest can report success while the actual sync commands fail (or vice versa). Because both legacy integrations share this one record, you cannot run legacy NetBox sync and legacy Nautobot sync against two different servers at the same time.

Run the Sync

Legacy Nautobot sync is CLI-only: there is no Extract List, Transform, Staging Table, or Deploy UI for it. Run the ETL steps using rconfig:integration-nautobot, described fully in CLI Commands below:

1. --connection (-c): test connectivity to the configured Nautobot server
2. --usertest (-u): verify the API token is valid
3. --extract (-e): retrieve devices from Nautobot matching your configured tag filters
4. --transform (-t) / --mapping (-m): parse rConfig tags and map them to templates, vendors, categories, and credentials
5. --load (-l): load validated devices into the staging table
6. --assessment (-a): run extract, transform, and load to staging without deploying, useful for validating configuration
7. --deployment (-d): run the full pipeline and deploy valid devices to production

Tip

Run --assessment first to review what would be imported, then re-run with --deployment once you’re satisfied with the mapped devices.

Verify Imported Devices

Navigate to Devices to confirm newly imported devices appear with the templates, vendor, category, tags, and credential set specified in your tag mappings. Re-run --extract (or --assessment) to preview what the next sync would add before deploying again.

Schedule Automated Sync

There is no “Integration Job” task type in the Scheduled Tasks UI for legacy Nautobot sync. Automate it with a cron entry that runs the deployment command directly, in root’s crontab (rConfig’s scheduled artisan commands are expected to run as root):

sudo crontab -e

Add a line for the desired frequency, for example daily at 2:00 AM:

0 2 * * * php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:integration-nautobot --deployment >> /var/log/rconfig-nautobot-sync.log 2>&1

Review the log file after the first few scheduled runs to confirm the sync completes and devices deploy as expected.

CLI Commands

Main Integration Command

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:integration-nautobot

Running without options displays available commands.

Available options:

Option	Shortcut	Description
--connection	-c	Test connection to Nautobot API
--usertest	-u	Test API token credentials
--extract	-e	Extract devices from Nautobot
--transform	-t	Transform and map devices
--mapping	-m	Run mapping process
--load	-l	Load devices to staging table
--assessment	-a	Run full process without deployment
--deployment	-d	Run full process and deploy to production

Example command sequences:

# Test connection
php artisan rconfig:integration-nautobot --connection

# Full assessment (no deployment)
php artisan rconfig:integration-nautobot --assessment

# Production deployment
php artisan rconfig:integration-nautobot --deployment

Single Device Sync Command

Synchronize an individual Nautobot device through the complete ETL workflow:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:integration-nautobot-single-device {deviceid} [options]

Parameters:

• {deviceid}: Nautobot device ID (UUID) to synchronize (required)

Options:

• -d, --deployment: Deploy device to production after staging
• -a, --assessment: Run assessment only (load to staging without deployment)

Use cases:

Test device mapping:

# Extract, transform, and stage single device
php artisan rconfig:integration-nautobot-single-device 30ae748e-7f27-4598-84d0-2e0284f896e6 --assessment

Quick device import:

# Import single device directly to production
php artisan rconfig:integration-nautobot-single-device 30ae748e-7f27-4598-84d0-2e0284f896e6 --deployment

Workflow:

1. Extracts specified Nautobot device using device UUID
2. Transforms device data using rConfig tag mappings
3. Validates required tags and referenced resources
4. Loads to staging table for review
5. Deploys to production (if -d flag used)
6. Outputs detailed process information and any errors

Tip

Use single device sync to test tag mappings and troubleshoot transformation issues before running bulk synchronization operations. Nautobot device UUIDs can be found in the device URL or API response.

Example output:

$ php artisan rconfig:integration-nautobot-single-device 30ae748e-7f27-4598-84d0-2e0284f896e6 -d

Processing Nautobot Device UUID: 30ae748e-7f27-4598-84d0-2e0284f896e6
✓ Extracting device from Nautobot
✓ Device found: core-router-01.example.com
✓ Transforming device data
✓ Parsing tags: template::1, vendor::2, category::3
✓ Validating required tags
✓ Loading to staging table
✓ Deploying to production devices
✓ Device created: core-router-01.example.com
✓ Scheduling initial configuration backup

Single device sync completed successfully.

Common Gotchas

Caution

• There is no dedicated Nautobot settings page. The connection is configured through the legacy NetBox integration’s settings form, and --connection/--usertest check a different source (environment fallback values) than --extract/--deployment do (the saved Settings record). See Configure the Connection above.
• Nautobot tags require explicit IDs, not names. rconfig::template::1 works; rconfig::template::cisco_ios does not. Verify the numeric ID exists in rConfig before tagging.
• Filter tags use AND logic, not OR. Devices need every configured filter tag to be extracted. To match any-of-several tags, run separate sync passes with one filter tag each.
• Only disable SSL verification for self-signed certificates on trusted internal networks. Production Nautobot instances should always use a verifiable certificate.

Troubleshooting

Connection test fails

Check Nautobot URL: Verify base URL is correct and accessible from rConfig server

Verify SSL settings: Disable SSL verification for self-signed certificates

Test network connectivity: Ensure firewall allows traffic between rConfig and Nautobot

Check Nautobot API status: Verify Nautobot API is enabled and responding

Credential test fails

Verify API token: Confirm token was copied correctly without extra spaces

Check token permissions: Ensure token has read access to devices and tags

Review token status: Confirm token is not expired or revoked in Nautobot

Test token manually: Use curl to test API access with the token

No devices extracted

Verify tag filters: Check that filter tags match Nautobot device tags exactly

Review AND condition: Remember multiple tags use AND logic, devices need ALL filter tags

Check device status: Confirm devices are active in Nautobot

Validate tag syntax: Verify tag names are spelled correctly (case-sensitive)

Transformation errors

Missing required tags: Add all required rConfig tags to Nautobot devices

Invalid ID format: Ensure tags use correct format with :: delimiters (e.g., rconfig::template::1)

Wrong ID numbers: Verify template, vendor, category IDs exist in rConfig

Tag parsing issues: Check for extra spaces or special characters in tag values

Devices fail to deploy

Duplicate hostnames: Check for existing devices with same hostname in rConfig

Invalid IDs: Verify all ID numbers in tags correspond to existing rConfig resources

Credential set errors: Confirm credential set ID exists and is accessible

Database constraints: Review Laravel logs for database errors

Single device sync fails

Invalid device UUID: Verify UUID exists in Nautobot and is correctly formatted

Device not accessible: Ensure API token can access the specific device

Missing tags: Check device has all required rConfig tags in Nautobot

Review command output: The single-device command prints each ETL step (extract, transform, validate, load, deploy) as it runs, so the failing step is visible directly in the output

Tag filter issues

Too restrictive: Multiple filter tags use AND logic, making extraction too narrow

No matching devices: Verify at least some devices have ALL specified filter tags

Case sensitivity: Ensure filter tag names match Nautobot tags exactly

Solution: Run multiple sync processes with different single-tag filters if OR logic needed

Scheduled sync not running

Verify the cron entry: Confirm the crontab line exists and is correctly formatted (sudo crontab -l)

Check it’s in root’s crontab: rConfig’s scheduled artisan commands are expected to run as root, not a lower-privilege service account

Review the log file: Check the output redirected from the cron entry (e.g. /var/log/rconfig-nautobot-sync.log) for errors from the last run

Test the command manually: Run php artisan rconfig:integration-nautobot --deployment directly as the same user the cron job runs as, to rule out permission or environment differences

Best Practices

Use ID-based tagging: Always use numeric IDs in Nautobot tags for templates, credentials, vendors, and categories.

Document ID mappings: Maintain a reference document mapping rConfig IDs to resource names for easy tagging.

Start with test group: Create a small set of test devices in Nautobot with proper tags before full-scale sync.

Single filter tags: Use one filter tag per sync configuration to avoid overly restrictive AND conditions.

Test single devices: Use single device sync command to validate mappings before bulk operations.

Consistent tag format: Establish and enforce tag naming standards across Nautobot inventory.

Regular monitoring: Check sync logs regularly for errors or validation issues.

Staged review: Use assessment mode to preview imports before deploying to production.

Schedule wisely: Run automated syncs during low-activity periods to minimize impact.

Backup before bulk imports: Create rConfig backup before first large-scale deployment.

Related Documentation

• Device Sync Overview - Understanding device synchronization concepts
• Zabbix Sync Setup - Configure Zabbix integration
• NetBox Sync Setup - Configure NetBox integration
• Device Management - Managing devices in rConfig