Network device (Cisco / pfSense via netmiko)

Network device (Cisco / pfSense via netmiko): fields, the check Connect and verify runs, the tools the agent gets and the read gate, from the connector catalog.

How-to · Updated 2026-10-23 · Describes release 0.1.164

Generated from the connector catalog (scripts/docs_integration_stubs.py); the long form of every step is Connect a datasource.

Overview

Run commands on a network device (Cisco IOS/NX-OS/ASA, Palo Alto, pfSense, ...) over ssh OR telnet via netmiko — handles enable mode, paging and legacy ssh algorithms. show/display READ commands run freely; config is approval-gated and needs the enable secret. For read-only monitoring use a privilege-1 account with NO enable secret (role=read); put the enable secret on a SEPARATE role=write instance (invisible to the agent, used only by remediation routes after approval).

Connector type key network_device, kind api, listed under On-prem / network in the catalog.

Setup

Before you start

• The datasources.manage permission; the built-in owner and operator roles carry it.
• The credential the form stores write-only (Password), created on the vendor side as described under Installation and scoped to reads; Enable secret — CONFIG/WRITE only; leave blank for a read-only (role=read) instance can stay blank.
• A network path from the platform to the address you enter in Host (IP or DNS), or a private-network agent where the platform cannot reach it.

Installation

Prepare the credential on the vendor side first, scoped to reads: the platform's read gate is a floor, not a substitute for a read-only identity. The connect dialog's Connection guidance column names the vendor-side steps and the exact read permissions for this type.

Configuration

1. Open Settings · Data in → Data sources and select Connect datasource.
2. Under Type, choose Network device (Cisco / pfSense via netmiko); the list groups the types by category.
3. Enter a Connection name; the connected list shows it, and per-connection agent tools are named after it.
4. Fill the fields in the table below.
5. Optionally, open Optional · describe this environment and say in What should AIOps know about it? what this system is and what matters; the agent reads it as the connection's description.
6. Under Use this connection for, choose Investigate only and select Connect and verify.

The form shows these fields, in this order; the API key column is the key to send through the REST API.

The same connection through the API (POST /api/aiops/{tenant_id}/datasources, datasources.manage; secret fields go in secret_values, which are stored write-only and never echoed):

{
  "type_key": "network_device",
  "name": "<name>",
  "description": "<what this is and what matters, for the agent>",
  "config": {
    "device_type": "<device type>",
    "host": "<host>",
    "port": "<port>",
    "user": "<user>"
  },
  "secret_values": {
    "password": "<password>",
    "secret": "<secret>"
  },
  "role": "read",
  "enabled": true
}

Validation

Connect and verify (and Test on the row) runs a real netmiko session that reads the device prompt and runs no command.

You should see a dialog titled <connection name> is connected with Connected — verified from the control plane (Connected — verified by your private-network agent when your agent ran the check). Test on the row later writes ok · connected — prompt '<device prompt>' into Last test. A green result proves the operation named in its detail and nothing more; Audit perms on the row reads what the credential can actually do where the vendor exposes that.

If something fails

The dialog shows Needs a fix, what to fix and the check's own detail; the row is saved either way. Select Edit, correct the field the detail names and save again, or select Retry once a cause outside the form (network, vendor-side permission) is fixed. The verdict strings Test can show (failed · SSRF guard: '<host>' resolves to non-public address …, failed · reachable but auth rejected (HTTP 401/403), failed · HTTP <code> <path>, failed · <field> not configured, failed · <ExceptionName>: …) and what to do about each are in Test a connection and read the failure, and every connection status word is in the status and error reference. A connected datasource the agent never uses is disabled, write-role, allow-listed to other pillars, or of a type platform staff disabled.

Data collected

What the agent gets from a read connection of this type:

• net_exec — the native tool bound to the first Network device (Cisco / pfSense via netmiko) connection (a second one gets <name>_net_exec). show, display, dir, get, ping, traceroute, trace, more, get_config, get_facts, who and uptime lines run freely; a config payload is refused in an investigation and runs only through a write-role instance (the one that holds the enable secret) after approval

An investigation refuses a write through any connection tool, whatever the credential allows (Investigation connections are read-only. This operation was not executed; prepare an incident change using a write connection and obtain approval.); a fix runs through a write-role connection after approval. The exact rule table is under The read/write gate in detail in Connections and remediation access.

Next steps

• Select Discover this connection in the success dialog to find the services and dependencies behind it: Launch a scan.
• See what else each agent needs in Choose your connection.
• A fix never runs through this read connection; give approved fixes their own credential with Write connections and approved fixes.