Nautobot in Action – Global Series Index
A comprehensive guide to building a complete network automation solution with Nautobot, from zero to production-ready deployment.
Series Overview
This series takes you from a basic Nautobot installation to a fully automated network environment. You'll learn how to use Nautobot as your Single Source of Truth (SSoT), implement configuration management, ensure compliance, and build event-driven automation workflows.
What You'll Learn: - Deploy and configure Nautobot with Git integration - Onboard existing network devices automatically - Implement Golden Config for compliance and drift detection - Build remediation workflows for non-compliant devices - Create event-driven automation for network changes - Deploy new devices with Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) - Integrate with external tools via APIs
Prerequisites: - Basic understanding of networking concepts - Familiarity with Docker and Git - A lab environment (Containerlab recommended)
Estimated Time: 8-12 hours across all parts
Core Series
1. Part 1 – Nautobot as Your Single Source of Truth (SSoT)
Coming Soon - August 18, 2025
- Deploy Nautobot
- Connect to Git repository
- Create base inventory
- Add first Jinja2 template
- Create and run first Nautobot Job
Estimated Time: ~2 hours
2. Part 2 – Onboarding Brownfield Devices with the Device Onboarding App
Coming Soon - August 25, 2025
- Install and configure Device Onboarding app
- Discover existing devices
- Auto-create devices with platforms, roles, and interfaces
- Store discovered configs in Git
Estimated Time: ~1.5 hours
3. Part 3 – Golden Config for Intended Configs & Compliance
Coming Soon - September 1, 2025
- Install Golden Config plugin
- Configure backup jobs
- Store intended configs in Git
- Run compliance reports and detect drift
Estimated Time: ~2 hours
4. Part 4 – Remediation: Making Devices Compliant
Coming Soon - September 8, 2025
- Generate remediation configs (intended, missing, manual)
- Create a multi-vendor remediation Job
- Push remediation to devices and re-check compliance
Estimated Time: ~2 hours
5. Part 5 – Event-Driven Automation: Interface Change Jobs
Coming Soon - September 15, 2025
- Job Hooks on interface changes
- Sync admin-state, description, VLANs
- Handle multi-vendor syntax differences
Estimated Time: ~1.5 hours
6. Part 6 – Full Device Deployment, ZTP & Site Validation
Coming Soon - September 22, 2025
- Push intended configs to startup/running configs
- Integrate with ZTP server
- Validate site cabling (LLDP/CDP) and VLAN/IP assignments
- Force compliance push option
- Generate site compliance report
Estimated Time: ~2 hours
Optional / Advanced Parts
7. Part 7 – API Integrations
Publishing: September 29, 2025
- Integrating Nautobot Jobs with Infoblox, ISE, and other tools
- Using REST and GraphQL queries
Estimated Time: ~1.5 hours
8. Part 8 – GitOps-Style Change Management
Publishing: October 6, 2025
- PR → Review → Automated Deployment
- Using Golden Config in a GitOps pipeline
Estimated Time: ~1.5 hours
9. Part 9 – Multi-Vendor Compliance Pipelines
Publishing: October 13, 2025
- Advanced Golden Config with vendor-specific templates
- Compliance across Cisco, Arista, Juniper
Estimated Time: ~2 hours
10. Part 10 – Golden Config for Firewalls and Wireless Controllers
Publishing: October 20, 2025
- Handling non-switch/router devices
- Backups, intended configs, and compliance for firewalls and WLCs
Estimated Time: ~1.5 hours
Lab Setup Reference
Containerlab Lab Deployment
[Available: Building a Reusable Network Automation Lab with Containerlab]
- Build a reusable multi-vendor lab with Containerlab
- Topology file, device images, and Nautobot + ZTP integration
- This lab is used for all parts of the series
Estimated Time: ~1 hour
Getting Started
- Set up your lab environment using the Containerlab guide above
- Start with Part 1 to deploy Nautobot and create your first inventory
- Follow each part sequentially as they build upon each other
- Complete the core series (Parts 1-6) for a production-ready setup
- Explore advanced topics (Parts 7-10) for additional integrations
Support & Community
- Questions? Leave a comment on any post
- Found an issue? Report it in the comments
- Want to contribute? Submit a pull request to the GitHub repository
Happy automating! 🚀