Object Manager

The Object Manager produces YAML data files for Infrahub infrastructure objects — devices, locations, organizations, interfaces, modules, and any custom node type. It applies the correct file structure, value mappings, and load order so files are ready to load into a running Infrahub instance.

When to use

• Creating initial data files for a new Infrahub instance
• Populating objects from a spreadsheet, CSV, or description
• Creating a batch of devices, interfaces, or IP addresses with consistent structure
• Generating test or demo data for a schema
• Adding new infrastructure objects to an existing instance

What it produces

• YAML files with apiVersion, kind: Object, and a spec block
• Each file covers one or more objects of the same node type
• Supports multi-document YAML files (multiple objects in one file separated by ---)
• Supports expand_range: true for sequential interface/object generation (e.g., eth0 through eth47)
• Output respects load order: schemas must be loaded before objects

Example prompts

• "Create object files for 3 spine switches and 6 leaf switches with loopback interfaces"
• "Populate 5 locations: 2 regions, 2 sites within each region, and a rack in each site"
• "Generate 48 interfaces on a device named spine-01 using expand_range"
• "Create organization objects for Cisco, Juniper, and Arista as manufacturers"

Key rules enforced

• File structure — apiVersion, kind: Object, spec with nodes list; missing any of these causes load failure
• Value mapping — Text values wrapped in value: key; Dropdown fields use the choice name not the label; relationship references use the node's human_friendly_id value
• Children and hierarchy — child objects (e.g., interfaces on a device) use the correct nesting structure with kind: specified
• Load order — objects referencing other objects (e.g., interfaces referencing a device) must be in the right file or the right order within a multi-document file
• Numeric file prefixes — files are named with numeric prefixes (e.g., 01_organizations.yml, 02_locations.yml) to enforce load order

Common mistakes it catches

Mistake	What the skill does instead
Missing value: wrapper on text attributes	Wraps all text values in value:
Using Dropdown label instead of name	Uses the choice name (e.g., "active" not "Active")
Relationship references that don't match human_friendly_id	Uses the correct identifier value
Incorrect nesting for child objects	Applies the correct children structure with kind:
Load order violations	Orders files and documents so dependencies are satisfied

Loading

Load object files into a running Infrahub instance:

infrahubctl object load <file>

warning

Load schemas before objects. Objects that reference node types not yet in the schema will fail to load.