⚠️ DEPRECATED: NetBox Enterprise Documentation Repository

🚨 This repository is deprecated as of July 17, 2025

All documentation changes must now be made in the netboxlabs-website-dochub repository.

Changes made to this repository will NOT be published to the docs site.

🔄 Where to Go Now

What you need to do	Where to do it
Edit Console/Cloud/Enterprise docs	netboxlabs-website-dochub in localdocs/console/
Add new documentation	netboxlabs-website-dochub in localdocs/console/
Update existing guides	netboxlabs-website-dochub in localdocs/console/

🚀 Quick Migration Guide

If you previously worked with this repository:

Old workflow (DEPRECATED):

# ❌ Don't do this anymore - changes won't be published
git clone https://github.com/netboxlabs/console-docs
# Edit files in docs/
# Submit PR to console-docs
# Wait for dochub integration

New workflow (CURRENT):

# ✅ Do this instead
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/netboxlabs/netboxlabs-website-dochub
cd netboxlabs-website-dochub
yarn install && yarn dev
# Edit files in localdocs/console/
# Changes go live immediately after merge

📍 New Documentation System

The documentation has moved to a unified system in the netboxlabs-website-dochub repository:

What Changed

• Direct editing: Edit documentation directly in localdocs/console/
• Immediate publishing: Changes go live after merge (no two-step process)
• Unified system: All NetBox documentation in one place
• Better development: Live preview with yarn dev

File Location Mapping

Old Location (console-docs)	New Location (dochub)
docs/administration-console/	localdocs/console/administration-console/
docs/cloud-connectivity/	localdocs/console/cloud-connectivity/
docs/netbox-enterprise/	localdocs/console/netbox-enterprise/
docs/netbox-assurance/	localdocs/console/netbox-assurance/
docs/netbox-discovery/	localdocs/console/netbox-discovery/
docs/netbox-integrations/	localdocs/console/netbox-integrations/

🛠️ Getting Started with the New System

1. Clone the New Repository

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/netboxlabs/netboxlabs-website-dochub.git
cd netboxlabs-website-dochub

2. Install Dependencies

yarn install

3. Start Development

yarn dev
# Visit http://localhost:3001 to see changes live

4. Edit Documentation

# Edit files in localdocs/console/
# Changes appear immediately in browser

5. Commit and Push

git add .
git commit -m "docs: update console documentation"
git push
# Changes go live after merge - no additional steps needed

📚 Reference Information

1. Local Development

git clone https://github.com/netboxlabs/console-docs
cd console-docs
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
mkdocs serve  # Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000

2. Write Documentation

Create .md files in the docs/ directory with proper frontmatter:

---
tags:
  - cloud                    # Edition availability
  - enterprise
  - administration           # Category
  - getting-started          # Content type
  - authentication           # Feature area
  - sso                      # Specific feature
---

# Your Documentation Title

Your content here...

3. Submit Changes

git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
git add docs/your-file.md
git commit -m "Add documentation for feature"
git push origin feature/your-feature-name
# Create pull request

📁 Repository Structure

console-docs/
├── docs/                           # 📝 Documentation content
│   ├── administration-console/     # NetBox Cloud admin features  
│   ├── cloud-connectivity/         # Cloud connectivity guides
│   ├── netbox-assurance/          # NetBox Assurance documentation
│   ├── netbox-discovery/          # NetBox Discovery documentation
│   ├── netbox-enterprise/         # NetBox Enterprise guides
│   ├── netbox-integrations/       # Third-party integrations
│   └── netbox-cloud/              # NetBox Cloud migration
├── ai-reference/                   # 🤖 AI development resources
│   ├── README.md                   # AI reference system overview
│   ├── QUICK_REFERENCE.md         # Quick lookup for common tasks
│   ├── DISTRIBUTION_URLS.md       # Customer-facing URLs
│   ├── content-strategy/          # Navigation & content strategy
│   ├── project-docs/              # Project implementation details
│   ├── reference-docs/            # Technical reference materials
│   ├── style-guides/              # Writing and tagging guidelines
│   └── templates/                 # Document templates
├── mkdocs.yml                      # 🔧 Local development configuration
└── README.md                       # 📖 This file

🏷️ Documentation Standards

Comprehensive Tagging System

Our documentation uses a multi-tier tagging system for better organization and discovery:

Edition Tags (Prominent Pills)

tags:
  - cloud        # NetBox Cloud features
  - enterprise   # NetBox Enterprise features  
  - community    # NetBox Community (open source) features
  - airgap       # Air-gapped deployments

Product Tags

tags:
  - netbox       # Core NetBox functionality
  - discovery    # NetBox Discovery features
  - assurance    # NetBox Assurance features
  - operator     # NetBox Operator features

Technical Category Tags

tags:
  - authentication  # Authentication and SSO
  - administration  # System administration
  - security       # Security features
  - api           # API documentation
  - integration   # Third-party integrations
  - backup        # Backup and restore
  - monitoring    # Monitoring and alerting

Content Type Tags

tags:
  - getting-started    # Introductory guides
  - installation       # Setup procedures
  - configuration      # Settings and customization
  - troubleshooting    # Problem resolution
  - reference         # Technical reference

Enhanced Frontmatter Format

---
title: "Document Title"
description: "Brief description of the document"
tags:
  - cloud                    # Edition availability
  - enterprise
  - administration           # Category
  - authentication           # Feature area
  - sso                      # Specific feature
  - configuration           # Content type
author: "NetBox Labs Documentation Team"
last_updated: "2025-01-02"
versions:
  netbox_cloud: "v1.10"
  netbox_enterprise: "v1.10"
category: "administration"
audience: "administrators"
complexity: "intermediate"
---

🤖 AI Reference System

The ai-reference/ directory contains comprehensive resources for AI-assisted documentation development. These materials are still useful for reference but should be applied in the new dochub repository.

Key Resources

• AI Reference README: Complete system overview
• Quick Reference: Common tasks and commands
• Style Guides: Writing standards and guidelines
• Templates: Document templates and examples

📦 Version Management

Current Version Strategy

Version	Status	Purpose
v1.9	🟢 LIVE	Current stable customer documentation
v1.10	🟡 Beta	Enterprise + Discovery/Assurance features
v1.11	🔴 Future	Upcoming features and improvements

Version Guidelines

• Current customers: Documentation on main branch (v1.9)
• New features: Use feature branches until version branches are created
• Version compatibility: Specify in frontmatter when relevant

🔄 Integration with DocHub

What DocHub Handles

• Content Integration: Combines docs from multiple repositories
• Site Building: Transforms markdown to web pages using Docusaurus
• URL Management: Creates customer-facing URLs
• Search: Provides search functionality across all docs
• Navigation: Generates unified navigation structure
• Tagging: Processes semantic tags for content organization

What This Repo Provides

• Source Content: Raw documentation files with comprehensive metadata
• AI Reference Materials: Development resources and guidelines
• Semantic Tagging: Rich frontmatter for content organization
• Local Preview: MkDocs for development testing
• Version Control: Git history for documentation changes

🌐 Distribution URLs

This repository provides content for several customer-facing distribution endpoints:

Customer Messages

• RSS Feed: https://netboxlabs.com/docs/feeds/customer-messages.xml
• Purpose: NetBox Enterprise console integration

NetBox Enterprise Helm Documentation

• Installation Guides: https://netboxlabs.com/docs/guides/helm/
• Configuration Files: https://netboxlabs.com/docs/files/helm/
• Values Template: https://netboxlabs.com/docs/files/helm/values-extra.yaml

For complete distribution URL documentation, see ai-reference/DISTRIBUTION_URLS.md.

⚠️ Important Notes

• Changes aren't live immediately - requires dochub integration
• Use comprehensive tags - helps with content organization and discovery
• Test locally before submitting PRs with mkdocs serve
• Follow two-step process for publishing
• Consult ai-reference for detailed guidelines and templates

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• MkDocs theme errors: Try pip uninstall mkdocs && pip install -r requirements.txt
• Changes not appearing: Remember the two-step publishing process
• Local preview not working: Check Python virtual environment is activated
• Tagging questions: Consult ai-reference/style-guides/

Getting Help

• Documentation Issues: Create an issue in this repository
• Publishing Questions: Ask in the netboxlabs-website-dochub repository
• AI Reference: Check ai-reference/README.md for comprehensive guidelines
• Community Support: Join NetBox Slack #netbox channel

🔍 Quality Assurance

Before Publishing

• Use proper tagging: Follow the comprehensive tagging system
• Test locally: Run mkdocs serve to verify content renders correctly
• Check frontmatter: Ensure all required metadata is present
• Review guidelines: Consult ai-reference materials for best practices

Content Standards

• Professional technical writing for network engineers
• Clear, concise language without AI-generated patterns
• Tested procedures with accurate examples
• Consistent formatting following style guides

🔄 Migration Support

Need Help Migrating?

• Read the dochub README: netboxlabs-website-dochub README
• Check the migration guide: Available in the dochub repository
• Ask questions: Create an issue in the dochub repository

Common Migration Tasks

1. Move your branch: No need to migrate - start fresh in dochub
2. Update bookmarks: Point to netboxlabs-website-dochub repository
3. Update documentation: Reference the new workflow in team processes
4. Transfer knowledge: Share the new process with team members

⚠️ Final Reminders

• ❌ This repository is READ-ONLY for documentation purposes
• ❌ PRs to this repository will NOT be published
• ✅ All changes must go to netboxlabs-website-dochub
• ✅ The new system is faster and more efficient

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Ready to get started? Head over to netboxlabs-website-dochub and follow the quick start guide!