NetBox Local

A complete NetBox instance that runs offline on Windows — no Docker, no WSL, no administrator rights.

It was built for emergency notebooks: when the central NetBox is unreachable, this holds a copy of the data and looks exactly like the real thing, because it is the real thing. It also works as a standalone local NetBox for anyone who would rather not run a container or a Linux VM.

Documentation: English · Deutsch

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What it does

NORMAL OPERATION (daily, unattended)

   Production NetBox                    Windows notebook
   ┌───────────────┐                    ┌────────────────────────┐
   │ ~120 endpoints│  REST API, HTTPS   │ Task Scheduler, 17:00  │
   │               │ ─────────────────► │ Sync-NetBoxExport      │
   └───────────────┘   read-only        │        ↓               │
                                        │ Monday.zip … Sunday    │
                                        └────────────────────────┘

DURING AN OUTAGE (one double-click)

   start PostgreSQL + Garnet + web server
        ↓
   load the newest export (replaces the previous dataset)
        ↓
   browser opens http://127.0.0.1:8001/

Highlights

• Real NetBox, not a rebuild — same interface, same features
• Self-contained: NetBox, PostgreSQL, Garnet, .NET runtime and Python in one directory, installed per user
• Three access modes: read-only replica, full-access standalone instance, or both accounts side by side
• Lossless import of a complete API export, including MPTT trees, generic relations, cable paths and the search index
• Scheduled export registered by the installer, with the days and time chosen there. It runs as a Windows scheduled task, independently of NetBox Local — the application never has to be started for the data to stay current
• MSI installer with an access-mode dialog, no administrator rights required

Requirements

Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit, about 2 GB of free disk space. Network access to the production NetBox is needed only for the daily export, never while looking things up.

Getting started

Install the MSI from the releases page, or build everything from source:

.\build\fetch-components.ps1 -PinHashes   # download components (~400 MB)
.\build\build-bundle.ps1                  # assemble dist\bundle
.\installer\Build-Installer.ps1           # produce the MSI

Installing the MSI already registers the scheduled export. Details, the standalone case and how to change the schedule afterwards are in README_en.md.

Repository layout

Path	Contents
build/	component manifest with pinned SHA256 checksums, fetch and assembly scripts
config/	NetBoxLocal.json — the single configuration file
installer/	WiX definitions, build and signing scripts
src/export/	API export plus Register-SyncTask.ps1, run by the Task Scheduler
src/import/	import of an export into the local instance
src/launcher/	start, stop, account setup, desktop shortcut
assets/	application icon

The runnable bundle is not in this repository. It is roughly 620 MB of third-party software and is reproduced byte for byte by the build scripts, which pin every component to a verified checksum.

Status

Working and tested end to end: bundle build, API export, import of a real dataset (about 12,000 objects), read-only enforcement, MSI installation and uninstallation.

Not done yet: the MSI is unsigned, so Windows SmartScreen warns on first launch. installer/Sign-Installer.ps1 is ready for a code signing certificate.

Licence

MIT for the scripts and documentation in this repository. The bundled components keep their own licences; none of them are redistributed here.

NetBox is a trademark of NetBox Labs. This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by NetBox Labs.