From User Request to Multi-Domain Orchestration with OpsMill Infrahub

Alex Gittings of OpsMill demonstrated how Infrahub turns a simple user request into coordinated changes across networking, security, and compute. Using a simulated ISP and data center environment, the session showed self-service requests through a Backstage portal, generators that build technical data from business intent, branch-based review, and deployment through Nornir and Kubernetes. Gittings, a solution architect, presented at Networking Field Day 41, with Damien Garros joining to answer delegate questions.

The Containerlab environment combined an Arista spine-leaf VXLAN fabric, a Nokia SR Linux WAN, a branch site, a Juniper SRX firewall, and a Kubernetes cluster. Gittings noted that teams can start from common schemas on the OpsMill Marketplace and change them safely in isolated branches. The core schema, including IP addresses, can be extended, and users set their own uniqueness rules, such as per VRF or per site. Playing a user named Alice, he requested an internal wiki through the portal. Generators then assigned a prefix, created firewall policies, and produced DNS, Kubernetes, and fabric configurations. The request showed up as an Infrahub branch with 131 changes, credited to Alice rather than the portal. An admin reviewed the resulting firewall, Kubernetes, and AVD-generated Arista configurations before merging. Infrahub can manage IP allocation within a delegated supernet and sync results back to Infoblox or BlueCat.

Delegate questions focused on how Infrahub fits with existing systems. Gittings said the portal is interchangeable, and Backstage reconciles requests made outside the portal. When asked about removing configuration, the presenters said safe deletion depends on declarative methods such as commit replace or vendor Terraform modules, which work out what needs to be removed. Garros said OpsMill deliberately avoids direct integration with any single vendor. The demo used Nornir for the switches and firewall and a separate system for Kubernetes, and some customers run Infrahub on top of Cisco ACI. He described vendor platforms as vertical, per-domain solutions, and positioned Infrahub as a horizontal business-intent layer that sits above them and complements them.