- Recap of the source-of-truth model and where this course takes it.
- The NetBox REST API in depth: filtering, pagination, bulk operations and writes.
- GraphQL in NetBox: shaping precise queries and when to prefer it over REST.
- Extending the data model: custom fields and config contexts.
- Enforcing data quality with custom validators.
- Data quality and migration strategies for populating a trustworthy source of truth.
Advanced · 3 days · London · in person only
Network Automation Advanced
Three days building production-grade automation and compliance workflows around a network source of truth.
£2,700 ex VAT per delegate
01The course
This three-day course is for engineers who already understand the fundamentals of source-of-truth network automation and want to build robust, production-grade workflows around it. It goes well beyond generating a configuration from a template, into data quality, integration, event-driven automation and change pipelines.
Working with NetBox as the source of truth, you will use its REST and GraphQL APIs at depth, extend its data model, and wire it into established automation frameworks. The course treats automation as an engineering discipline: how to design an architecture around a source of truth, keep its data trustworthy, and check the network against its intended state at scale.
This is a professional training course sold to businesses only. It is taught in person by a practising network automation engineer, and the majority of each day is spent on realistic lab exercises.
This is a 3-day course. Travel and accommodation are your own responsibility to arrange and pay for — delegates travelling from outside London will need several nights. Please do not book travel before the confirmation date for your chosen course date; Rockwey is not liable for travel, accommodation or any other costs.
02Outcomes
What you will be able to do
- Query and modify NetBox data at depth using both its REST API and GraphQL.
- Extend the NetBox data model with custom fields, config contexts and custom validators to enforce data quality.
- Build event-driven automation using NetBox webhooks and event rules.
- Integrate NetBox as a source of truth into Ansible and Nornir automation workflows.
- Generate device configurations and run compliance checks against intended state across many devices.
- Apply data quality and migration strategies to populate and maintain a trustworthy source of truth.
- Design an automation architecture centred on a source of truth, with clear boundaries between systems.
- Build a CI-style pipeline that validates and controls network change before it reaches production.
03Prerequisites
- Completion of the Network Automation Fundamentals course, or equivalent practical experience.
- Equivalent experience means: working Python basics (variables, functions, loops, and using libraries); comfort making and interpreting REST API calls; and day-to-day networking knowledge from running or supporting networks.
- You should already be comfortable modelling a network in NetBox and generating a configuration from it; the course builds on that rather than re-teaching it.
04Agenda
- Integrating NetBox with Ansible: using it as a dynamic inventory and data source.
- Integrating NetBox with Nornir for Python-driven workflows.
- Generating device configurations across many devices from NetBox data.
- Compliance checking: comparing running state against intended state at scale.
- Structuring templates and code for maintainability across a fleet.
- Webhooks and event rules: triggering automation from changes in NetBox.
- Designing event-driven workflows and their failure handling.
- Designing an automation architecture around a source of truth.
- Building a CI-style pipeline to validate and gate network change before production.
- Bringing it together: a review exercise across the full workflow.
05Equipment
Bring your own equipment
Rockwey provides no laptops or equipment — delegates must bring their own, meeting these requirements:
- A laptop on which you have administrative rights and can install software.
- A modern web browser on its current version (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari).
- An SSH client: the native terminal on macOS or Linux, or Windows Terminal or PuTTY on Windows.
- The ability to join a guest wireless network. A corporate VPN must not be forced on the connection, as it commonly blocks lab access.
- Outbound network access on ports 22 (SSH) and 443 (HTTPS).
- Important: locked-down corporate laptops frequently block outbound SSH on port 22 and force traffic through a proxy, which breaks access to the lab. The lab is also reachable through a browser-based terminal over port 443 as a fallback. Please run the connectivity check at /training/connectivity-check at least a week before the course so we can resolve any issues in good time.
Run the connectivity check at least a week before the course.
06Dates & booking
Dates, venue and availability
Venue: confirmed with each course date — central London. A vegetarian lunch, teas, coffees and soft drinks are included in the price. No dinner is provided.
Class size: minimum 10 delegates, maximum 14. Below 10 the course does not run. We confirm each course is running — or cancel it — on the confirmation date, 10 working days before the start, so you have a firm answer before booking travel. Bookings close 3 working days before the course start; after that no place can be booked or guaranteed.
November 2026 — date to be confirmed — enquiries to training@rockwey.com.
Courses are sold to businesses only; booking requires a UK company registration number or VAT number and confirmation that you are purchasing in the course of a business. Payment is by purchase order and BACS — no card payments. A place is not secured until cleared funds are received. Full terms and conditions.
NetBox is a trademark of its respective owner. Rockwey is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a partner of NetBox or NetBox Labs.