NetMRI Import Tool

NetMRI Import Tool: Automated Device Migration to rConfig V8

The NetMRI Import Tool enables seamless migration of network devices from Infoblox NetMRI to rConfig V8. This command-line utility automates the process of connecting to NetMRI’s REST API, extracting device inventory with organizational metadata (sites, zones), applying filters, mapping device types, and importing devices with proper templates and credentials—eliminating manual data entry and ensuring consistency across your device inventory.

NetMRI

Available in rConfig V8.1.1 This tool significantly reduces migration time by automating NetMRI API integration, device type mapping, and bulk imports with site/zone tag mapping.

Why Migrate from NetMRI?

While NetMRI provides enterprise-grade network automation, rConfig V8 offers a modern, flexible configuration management platform with:

Modern architecture: Cloud-ready platform with RESTful API and modern web interface

Cost-effective: Open-source foundation with professional support options vs. expensive enterprise licensing

Template engine: Advanced configuration snippet deployment with variable substitution and bulk changes

Flexible scheduling: Cron-based task scheduling with dependency management and parallel execution

Enhanced reporting: Rich analytics, change tracking, and configuration comparison with export capabilities

Extensible integrations: Open API for custom integrations with monitoring, ticketing, and automation platforms

Active development: Regular updates and community-driven feature development

The NetMRI Import Tool makes this transition seamless with automated API-based device extraction and intelligent mapping.

How It Works

The import process follows four steps:

Setup NetMRI connection: Configure API endpoint, authentication, and device filters
Create device type mappings: Define how NetMRI device types translate to rConfig templates, vendors, and credentials
Load devices from NetMRI: Connect to NetMRI API, apply filters, and generate import-ready JSON
Import devices to rConfig: Bulk import devices with validated configurations and immediate backup scheduling

File Locations

The import tool uses the following file locations:

Connection file: storage/app/rconfig/netmri_connection.json
Connection stub: storage/app/rconfig/netmri_connection.stub.json
Mappings file: storage/app/rconfig/netmri_mappings.json
Temporary files: storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/
Import JSON files: storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/rconfig_import_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.json
Failure logs: storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/netmri_import_failures_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.txt

These directories are created automatically if they don’t exist.

Prerequisites

Before importing devices, ensure you have:

Access to NetMRI instance with API enabled
NetMRI API credentials (username/password or API token)
Network connectivity from rConfig server to NetMRI API endpoint
Administrator access to rConfig V8
Device templates configured in rConfig matching your NetMRI device types
At least one credential set created in rConfig (required for device authentication)
SSH/command-line access to the rConfig server

Step 0: Setup NetMRI Connection

Command

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection

Options

--setup - Configure NetMRI API connection interactively
--test - Test existing connection to NetMRI
--show - Display current connection configuration
--edit-filters - Configure device filters (sites, zones, types)
--set-url=URL - Update API URL only
--clear - Remove connection configuration
--info - Display command help and usage information

Initial Setup

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --setup

You’ll be prompted to provide:

NetMRI API URL: Full URL to your NetMRI instance (e.g., https://netmri.company.com)

API Version: NetMRI API version (default: 3.9, supports 3.x and higher)

Authentication type: Choose between:

Basic Auth: Username and password authentication
API Token: Token-based authentication (recommended for security)

Credentials:

For basic auth: Username and password (optional password storage)
For token auth: API token value

SSL Verification: Enable/disable SSL certificate verification (disable for self-signed certificates)

Password storage: Option to encrypt and store password in config file (not recommended for production)

Connection Configuration File

The setup creates storage/app/rconfig/netmri_connection.json:

{
  "api_url": "https://netmri.company.com",
  "api_version": "3.9",
  "auth_type": "basic",
  "username": "api_user",
  "password": null,
  "password_encrypted": false,
  "api_token": null,
  "verify_ssl": true,
  "timeout": 30,
  "created_at": "2025-01-25T14:30:00Z",
  "last_tested": "2025-01-25T14:35:00Z",
  "connection_status": "success",
  "netmri_version": "7.6.1",
  "device_count": 1247,
  "filters": {
    "include_sites": [],
    "exclude_sites": [],
    "include_zones": [],
    "exclude_zones": [],
    "include_device_types": [],
    "exclude_device_types": [],
    "only_managed": true
  }
}

Authentication Types

Basic Authentication (username/password):

Standard HTTP basic auth to NetMRI API
Password can be stored (encrypted) or prompted for each use
Best for: Testing and development environments

API Token (recommended):

Token-based authentication for enhanced security
Token stored encrypted in configuration file
Best for: Production environments
Generate token in NetMRI: Admin > API Tokens

Test Connection

Verify NetMRI connectivity:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --test

Output on success:

Testing connection to: https://netmri.company.com
✓ Connection successful!
NetMRI version: 7.6.1
Total devices: 1247

View Connection Details

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --show

Output displays:

Current NetMRI Connection Configuration:

API URL: https://netmri.company.com
API Version: 3.9
Auth Type: basic
Username: api_user
Password: not stored (will prompt)
Verify SSL: yes
Timeout: 30s

Connection Status: success
Last Tested: 2025-01-25T14:35:00Z
NetMRI Version: 7.6.1
Total Devices: 1247

Active Filters:
Include Sites: DC-East, DC-West
Exclude Zones: Lab, Testing
Only Managed Devices: yes

Configure Device Filters

NetMRI organizes devices by sites, zones, and device types. Configure filters to selectively import devices:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --edit-filters

The tool will:

Connect to NetMRI API: Authenticate using stored credentials
Fetch metadata: Retrieve available sites, zones, and device types with device counts
Configure site filters: Choose to include all, include specific, or exclude specific sites
Configure zone filters: Choose to include all, include specific, or exclude specific zones
Configure device type filters: Choose to include all, include specific, or exclude specific types
Set managed filter: Option to import only managed devices (recommended)

Example site filter configuration:

Available Sites in NetMRI:
  - DC-East (523 devices)
  - DC-West (487 devices)
  - Branch-Offices (237 devices)

Filter by sites?
  Import all sites
  Include specific sites
  Exclude specific sites

Example zone filter configuration:

Available Zones in NetMRI:
  - Core (145 devices)
  - Distribution (298 devices)
  - Access (652 devices)
  - DMZ (89 devices)
  - Lab (63 devices)

Filter by zones?
  Import all zones
  Include specific zones
  Exclude specific zones

Filter estimation:

After configuring filters, the tool estimates the device count:

Filters saved!
Estimated devices to import: 856 (391 filtered out)

NetMRI Organizational Structure

NetMRI organizes devices hierarchically:

Sites (Data Centers, Campuses)
  └── Zones (Core, Distribution, DMZ, Access)
      └── Networks (Subnets)
          └── Devices

Mapping to rConfig:

Sites → Device groups or tags (configured in mappings)
Zones → Tags (configured in mappings)
Device Types → Templates (configured in mappings)

BEST PRACTICE: Configure filters before loading devices to reduce processing time and focus on production devices only. Use “only managed devices” to exclude unmanaged or decommissioned equipment.

Step 1: Create Device Type Mappings

Command

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-device-mappings

Options

--list - Display all existing device type mappings
--add - Create a new device type mapping interactively
--edit=TYPE - Modify an existing mapping for specified device type
--delete=TYPE - Remove a device type mapping
--info - Display command help and usage information

Create New Mapping

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-device-mappings --add

You’ll be prompted to provide:

NetMRI device type: The device type from NetMRI (e.g., cisco-ios, juniper-junos, arista-eos)

rConfig device type: The internal device type name (e.g., cisco_ios)

Template ID: The device template ID to use for this device type

Vendor ID: The vendor ID associated with this device type

Category ID: The category ID for organizing devices

Credential ID: The pre-created credential set ID (devices will use this by default)

Default Group ID: Optional device group ID to assign devices to

Prompts: Device enable and main prompts (use {device_name} as placeholder)

Tags: Multi-select tags for device classification (use Space to select, Enter to confirm)

Site/Zone tag mapping: Map NetMRI sites/zones to additional tags (optional)

Common NetMRI Device Types

cisco-ios: Cisco IOS routers and switches
cisco-nxos: Cisco Nexus data center switches
cisco-asa: Cisco ASA firewalls
juniper-junos: Juniper JunOS devices
arista-eos: Arista Networks switches
hp-procurve: HP ProCurve switches
paloalto-panos: Palo Alto firewalls
fortinet-fortigate: Fortinet FortiGate firewalls
f5-big-ip: F5 BIG-IP load balancers

Site/Zone Tag Mapping

Map NetMRI organizational structure to rConfig tags:

Do you want to map NetMRI sites/zones to additional tags? (yes/no)
> yes

You can map NetMRI site or zone names to specific tag IDs.
Example: Map "DMZ" zone to a "DMZ" tag ID

Enter NetMRI site or zone name (e.g., "DMZ", "DC-East"):
> DMZ

Enter tag ID to assign to devices in this site/zone:
> 15

Add another site/zone mapping? (yes/no)
> yes

Enter NetMRI site or zone name (e.g., "DMZ", "DC-East"):
> DC-East

Enter tag ID to assign to devices in this site/zone:
> 10

This automatically assigns additional tags to devices based on their NetMRI site or zone during import.

View Existing Mappings

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-device-mappings --list

Output displays all configured mappings:

=== CISCO-IOS ===
rConfig Type: cisco_ios
Template ID: 1
Vendor ID: 1
Category ID: 2
Credential ID: 5
Default Group ID: 1
Prompts:
  - device_enable_prompt: {device_name}>
  - device_main_prompt: {device_name}#
Tags: 5, 8
Site/Zone Tag Mapping:
  - DMZ: Tag ID 15
  - DC-East: Tag ID 10

Edit or Delete Mappings

# Edit existing mapping
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-device-mappings --edit=cisco-ios

# Delete mapping
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-device-mappings --delete=cisco-ios

Mapping File Structure

The mappings are stored in storage/app/rconfig/netmri_mappings.json:

{
  "cisco-ios": {
    "template_id": 1,
    "vendor_id": 1,
    "category_id": 2,
    "credential_id": 5,
    "default_group_id": 1,
    "prompts": {
      "device_enable_prompt": "{device_name}>",
      "device_main_prompt": "{device_name}#"
    },
    "tags": [5, 8],
    "device_type": "cisco_ios",
    "site_zone_tag_mapping": {
      "DMZ": 15,
      "DC-East": 10
    }
  }
}

CAUTION: Accurate mappings are critical for successful imports. Verify template, vendor, category, and credential IDs exist in rConfig before creating mappings. Credential sets must be created in rConfig before running mappings setup.

Step 2: Load Devices from NetMRI

Command

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-load-devices

Options

--batch-size=N - Number of devices to fetch per API call (default: 100)
--max-devices=N - Maximum number of devices to import (for testing)
--info - Display command help and usage information

What Happens During Loading

Prerequisite checks: Validates connection and mappings exist
Connection test: Verifies NetMRI API connectivity
Filter display: Shows active filters for confirmation
API pagination: Fetches devices in batches from NetMRI API
Filter application: Applies site, zone, and device type filters
Device processing: For each device:
- Extracts name, IP, model, type, site, zone
- Looks up device type mapping
- Applies credential from mapping
- Maps site/zone to additional tags
- Validates data completeness
JSON generation: Creates timestamped import file
Failure logging: Records devices that failed processing

NetMRI API Endpoints Used

The tool queries these NetMRI API endpoints:

/api/3.x/about - NetMRI version and system info
/api/3.x/devices/index - Device inventory list
/api/3.x/device_sites/index - Available sites with device counts
/api/3.x/device_zones/index - Available zones with device counts
/api/3.x/device_types/index - Device types with device counts

Authentication During Load

If password was not stored during setup, you’ll be prompted:

Password for api_user: ********

For API token authentication, the token is retrieved from the connection file automatically.

Active Filters Display

Before processing, active filters are displayed:

Active filters:
  Include Sites: DC-East, DC-West
  Exclude Zones: Lab, Testing
  Only Managed Devices: yes

Proceed with device loading? (yes/no)

Processing Example

Loading NetMRI connection info...
✓ Found connection to: https://netmri.company.com

Connecting to NetMRI...
✓ Connected successfully

Active filters:
  Include Sites: DC-East, DC-West
  Exclude Zones: Lab, Testing
  Only Managed Devices: yes

Proceed with device loading? (yes/no)
> yes

Fetching devices from NetMRI...
Retrieved 856 devices from NetMRI

Processing devices ████████████████████ 100%

Device loading completed successfully!
Generated rConfig compatible data: rconfig_import_2025-01-25_14-45-30.json
Valid devices processed: 823

15 devices failed processing. See netmri_import_failures_2025-01-25_14-45-30.txt

Output Files

Success file: storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/rconfig_import_2025-01-25_14-45-30.json

Failures file: storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/netmri_import_failures_2025-01-25_14-45-30.txt

Credential Assignment Logic

All devices in a mapping use the same credential set specified in the mapping:

device_cred_id: Set from mapping’s credential_id field
No per-device credential extraction (unlike RANCID)
Credential must be pre-created in rConfig before mapping setup

Benefits:

Simplifies credential management
Forces credential consolidation (best practice)
More secure than storing credentials in JSON
User controls credential assignment via mappings

Advanced scenarios:

If different devices of the same type need different credentials:

Create multiple mappings with device type filters
Manually override credentials post-import

Example JSON Output

[
  {
    "device_name": "core-rtr-01",
    "device_ip": "10.1.1.1",
    "device_model": "Cisco 7606",
    "template_id": 1,
    "vendor_id": 1,
    "device_category_id": 2,
    "device_cred_id": 5,
    "prompts": {
      "device_enable_prompt": "core-rtr-01>",
      "device_main_prompt": "core-rtr-01#"
    },
    "tags": [5, 8, 10],
    "netmri_device_type": "cisco-ios",
    "netmri_site": "DC-East",
    "netmri_zone": "Core",
    "group_id": 1,
    "connection_type": "ssh",
    "port": 22
  },
  {
    "device_name": "fw-dmz-01",
    "device_ip": "10.2.5.10",
    "device_model": "ASA 5585",
    "template_id": 3,
    "vendor_id": 1,
    "device_category_id": 4,
    "device_cred_id": 7,
    "prompts": {
      "device_enable_prompt": "fw-dmz-01>",
      "device_main_prompt": "fw-dmz-01#"
    },
    "tags": [5, 8, 15],
    "netmri_device_type": "cisco-asa",
    "netmri_site": "DC-East",
    "netmri_zone": "DMZ",
    "group_id": 1,
    "connection_type": "ssh",
    "port": 22
  }
]

Batch Size and Pagination

For large NetMRI deployments (1000+ devices):

# Increase batch size for faster loading
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-load-devices --batch-size=200

# Test with limited devices first
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-load-devices --max-devices=50

The tool automatically paginates through all devices in batches to handle large inventories efficiently.

Device Summary

After processing, view a summary breakdown:

Would you like to view a summary? (yes/no)
> yes

823 devices processed successfully

Device type breakdown:
- cisco_ios: 458 devices
- juniper_junos: 189 devices
- cisco_nxos: 97 devices
- arista_eos: 79 devices

Site breakdown:
- DC-East: 412 devices
- DC-West: 411 devices

Zone breakdown:
- Core: 145 devices
- Distribution: 298 devices
- Access: 380 devices

NOTE: The {device_name} placeholder in prompts is automatically replaced with the actual device hostname during the loading process.

Step 3: Import Devices to rConfig

Command

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-import-devices /path/to/rconfig_import.json

Options

--group=ID - Assign all imported devices to specified device group (default: 1)
--dry-run - Preview import without modifying database
--info - Display command help and usage information

Interactive Import Options

When run without a file path, the command offers:

What would you like to do?
  Show information about this command
  Import devices from a JSON file
  Import from the latest available JSON file
  Select from all available import files
  Exit

Latest file mode: Automatically finds and uses the most recent JSON file

Select file mode: Displays all available import files with:

Filename
Modification date
File size
Device count (parsed from file)

Import Process Flow

JSON validation: Verifies file structure and required fields
Device validation: Checks each device for:
- Required fields present
- Valid IP address format
- Template exists in database
- Vendor exists in database
- Category exists in database
- Credential set exists in database
- Prompts structure is valid
- No duplicate devices (by name or IP)
Validation report: Shows failed devices with specific errors
User confirmation: Prompts to continue with valid devices only
Transaction-based import: All valid devices imported in single transaction
Device creation: Creates device records with mapped configurations
Relationship linking: Associates:
- Tags (many-to-many)
- Vendor (many-to-many, single vendor)
- Category (many-to-many, single category)
- Template (many-to-many, single template)
Duplicate handling: Automatically skips devices that already exist
Summary report: Displays import statistics

Validation Rules

Required fields:

device_name
device_ip (must be valid IP format)
device_model
template_id (must exist in database)
vendor_id (must exist in database)
device_category_id (must exist in database)
device_cred_id (credential set must exist if > 0)
prompts.device_enable_prompt
prompts.device_main_prompt

Duplicate detection:

No existing device with same device_name
No existing device with same device_ip

Dry Run Mode

Test the import without making changes:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-import-devices \
  --dry-run \
  storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/rconfig_import_2025-01-25_14-45-30.json

Output preview:

Running in dry-run mode - no database changes will be made

Found 823 devices in the import file

Validating devices ████████████████████ 100%

8 devices failed validation:
Device: old-switch-01
  - Template ID 99 not found
Device: test-device-02
  - Invalid IP address: 999.999.999.999

Continue with 815 valid devices? (yes/no)
> yes

Dry run completed. 815 devices would be imported.

Production Import

Execute the actual import:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-import-devices \
  --group=2 \
  storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/rconfig_import_2025-01-25_14-45-30.json

Or use the interactive menu to select the latest file:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-import-devices
# Select: "Import from the latest available JSON file"

Import results:

Found 823 devices in the import file

Validating devices ████████████████████ 100%

Importing devices ████████████████████ 100%

Import completed successfully!
Imported: 815 devices
Skipped: 8 devices (already exist)

NOTE: All imports use database transactions. If any error occurs during import, all changes are rolled back automatically.

Complete Workflow Example

# Step 0: Setup NetMRI connection
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --setup

# Enter API details:
# - API URL: https://netmri.company.com
# - API Version: 3.9
# - Auth type: basic
# - Username: api_user
# - Password: ********
# - Verify SSL: yes

# Test the connection
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --test

# Configure device filters
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --edit-filters

# Select filters:
# - Include sites: DC-East, DC-West
# - Exclude zones: Lab, Testing
# - Only managed devices: yes

# View connection info
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --show

# Step 1: Create device type mappings
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-device-mappings --add

# Add mappings for NetMRI types: cisco-ios, juniper-junos, cisco-nxos, etc.
# Include site/zone tag mappings for organizational structure

# Verify mappings
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-device-mappings --list

# Step 2: Load devices from NetMRI
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-load-devices

# The command will:
# - Connect to NetMRI API
# - Apply configured filters
# - Process devices in batches
# - Generate timestamped JSON file

# Review summary
# Would you like to view a summary? yes

# Review failures log if any
cat storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/netmri_import_failures_2025-01-25_14-45-30.txt

# Step 3: Preview import (dry run)
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-import-devices \
  --dry-run \
  storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/rconfig_import_2025-01-25_14-45-30.json

# Step 4: Execute production import
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-import-devices \
  --group=1 \
  storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/rconfig_import_2025-01-25_14-45-30.json

# Or use interactive mode to select latest file
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-import-devices
# Select: "Import from the latest available JSON file"

Troubleshooting

NetMRI connection failed

Symptoms:

Error: “Connection failed: HTTP 401”
Error: “Connection failed: Could not resolve host”

Resolution:

Verify NetMRI API accessibility:

# Test network connectivity
ping netmri.company.com

# Test HTTPS connectivity
curl -k https://netmri.company.com/api/3.9/about

# Verify credentials
php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --test

Check connection configuration:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --show

Update API URL if needed:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --set-url=https://correct.url.com

SSL certificate verification errors

Symptoms:

Error: “SSL certificate problem: self signed certificate”
Connection fails with SSL errors

Resolution:

Disable SSL verification (not recommended for production):

Edit connection file or re-run setup:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --setup
# When prompted for "Verify SSL certificates?": select "no"

Or install NetMRI’s CA certificate on the rConfig server.

Authentication failures

Symptoms:

Error: “HTTP 401: Unauthorized”
Error: “Invalid credentials”

Resolution:

Verify credentials in NetMRI:

Log in to NetMRI web interface
Check API user permissions
For token auth: regenerate API token

Update connection configuration:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --setup

No connection configuration found

Symptoms:

Error: “NetMRI connection not configured!”
Tool prompts to run setup

Resolution:

Setup connection first:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-connection --setup

No device type mappings configured

Symptoms:

Error: “No device type mappings configured!”
Error: “Device type mappings file not found!”

Resolution:

Create mappings:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-device-mappings --add

Verify mappings exist:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-device-mappings --list

Device type mapping not found

Symptoms:

Devices logged to failures file with “Unknown device type ‘xyz’. No mapping found.”

Resolution:

Identify missing device types from failures log:

cat storage/app/rconfig/tempdir/netmri_import_failures_2025-01-25_14-45-30.txt

Create missing mappings:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:netmri-device-mappings --add

Invalid template/vendor/category/credential ID

Symptoms:

Import fails with “Template ID X does not exist”
Validation shows “Credential set ID X not found”

Resolution:

Verify IDs exist in rConfig:

Navigate to Settings > Templates (or Vendors/Categories/Credentials)
Note the correct ID numbers
Update mapping with