https://github.com/sjm-steffann/netbox-reorder
NetBox Plugin to order interfaces more intuitively
https://github.com/sjm-steffann/netbox-reorder
netbox-plugin
Last synced: 5 months ago
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NetBox Plugin to order interfaces more intuitively
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/sjm-steffann/netbox-reorder
- Owner: sjm-steffann
- License: apache-2.0
- Created: 2020-07-02T17:56:09.000Z (almost 6 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2020-12-14T20:51:57.000Z (over 5 years ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-09-28T18:07:20.594Z (9 months ago)
- Topics: netbox-plugin
- Language: Python
- Homepage:
- Size: 15.6 KB
- Stars: 5
- Watchers: 3
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE.txt
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README
# NetBox plugin to order interfaces more intuitively
> :warning: **This plugin hacks into NetBox**: This plugin definitely does not follow the supported plugin protocol, and can break NetBox!
## Compatibility
This plugin in compatible with [NetBox](https://netbox.readthedocs.org/) 2.8. Because of the way this plugin hacks into the internals of NetBox compatibility with other versions is not guaranteed.
NetBox 2.10 introduced breaking
changes that make it unusable for my own use cases, so I will not be providing support for it. There is work being done
to create a fork of NetBox that is friendlier to both network operators and contributors. My future work will be in
support of that.
## Installation
First, add `netbox_reorder` to your `/opt/netbox/local_requirements.txt` file. Create it if it doesn't exist.
If you are using a local version of the plugin, for example for development, add `-e /opt/path/to/plugin` instead.
Then enable the plugin in `/opt/netbox/netbox/netbox/configuration.py`, like:
```python
PLUGINS = [
'netbox_reorder',
]
```
And finally run `/opt/netbox/upgrade.sh`. This will download and install the plugin and update the database when necessary. Don't forget to run `sudo systemctl restart netbox netbox-rq` like `upgrade.sh` tells you!
## Usage
This plugin overrides the default interface sorting algorithm of NetBox.
### Ordering of mixed interface type names
Some devices (for example Juniper switches) can have mixed interface type names. By default NetBox orders these as follows:
- ge-0/0/1
- ge-0/0/3
- xe-0/0/0
- xe-0/0/2
- xe-0/0/4
- ge-0/1/1
- ge-0/1/3
- xe-0/1/0
- xe-0/1/2
- xe-0/1/4
This is because the interface type (`ge` or `xe`) has precedence over the last part of the interface name. This makes sense when using certain Cisco equipment that has both FastEthernet and GigabitEthernet interfaces with the same numbers:
- FastEthernet0/0
- FastEthernet0/1
- GigabitEthernet0/0
- GigabitEthernet0/1
NetBox has consciously chosen this sorting algorithm. This plugin implements an alternative more intuitive algorithm where the ordering will be:
- xe-0/0/0
- ge-0/0/1
- xe-0/0/2
- ge-0/0/3
- xe-0/0/4
- xe-0/1/0
- ge-0/1/1
- xe-0/1/2
- ge-0/1/3
- xe-0/1/4
The downside is that Cisco equipment with duplicate ports numbers will be less intuitive:
- FastEthernet0/0
- GigabitEthernet0/0
- FastEthernet0/1
- GigabitEthernet0/1
### Ordering of virtual chassis interfaces
NetBox orders interfaces first by device name and then by name. This can cause interfaces in a virtual chassis to appear in an unexpected order. Consider for example the following virtual chassis:
| Device Name | Position | Interface names |
|-------------|----------|-----------------|
| one | 1 | xe-1/x/y |
| two | 2 | xe-2/x/y |
| three | 3 | xe-3/x/y |
When viewing the virtual chassis the intuitive order of interfaces would be first `xe-1/x/y`, then `xe-2/x/y` and finally `xe-3/x/y`.
However, because NetBox by default sorts first on device name, the order will be first `xe-1/x/y`, then `xe-3/x/y` and finally `xe-2/x/y`.
Why? Because "three" comes before "two" alphabetically.
This plugin patches NetBox to implement the intuitive order.