netbox/docs/development/index.md

NetBox Development

NetBox is maintained as a GitHub project under the Apache 2 license. Users are encouraged to submit GitHub issues for feature requests and bug reports, however we are very selective about pull requests. Please see the CONTRIBUTING guide for more direction on contributing to NetBox.

Communication

Communication among developers should always occur via public channels:

• GitHub issues - All feature requests, bug reports, and other substantial changes to the code base must be documented in an issue.
• The mailing list - The preferred forum for general discussion and support issues. Ideal for shaping a feature request prior to submitting an issue.
• #netbox on NetworkToCode - Good for quick chats. Avoid any discussion that might need to be referenced later on, as the chat history is not retained long.

Governance

NetBox follows the benevolent dictator model of governance, with Jeremy Stretch ultimately responsible for all changes to the code base. While community contributions are welcomed and encouraged, the lead maintainer's primary role is to ensure the project's long-term maintainability and continued focus on its primary functions (in other words, avoid scope creep).

Project Structure

All development of the current NetBox release occurs in the develop branch; releases are packaged from the master branch. The master branch should always represent the current stable release in its entirety, such that installing NetBox by either downloading a packaged release or cloning the master branch provides the same code base.

NetBox components are arranged into functional subsections called apps (a carryover from Django verancular). Each app holds the models, views, and templates relevant to a particular function:

• circuits: Communications circuits and providers (not to be confused with power circuits)
• dcim: Datacenter infrastructure management (sites, racks, and devices)
• extras: Additional features not considered part of the core data model
• ipam: IP address management (VRFs, prefixes, IP addresses, and VLANs)
• secrets: Encrypted storage of sensitive data (e.g. login credentials)
• tenancy: Tenants (such as customers) to which NetBox objects may be assigned
• utilities: Resources which are not user-facing (extendable classes, etc.)
• virtualization: Virtual machines and clusters