Easier way to assign existing IP address to new FHRP group?

[candlerb]

NetBox version

v3.1.1

Feature type

Change to existing functionality

Proposed functionality

When you create a new FHRP group, you can currently enter an IP address and status, and a new IP address object will be created. However it's currently not possible to select an existing IP address.

My proposal is that:

1. in the "create FHRP group" page (/ipam/fhrp-groups/add/), have a tab which lets me search for an existing IP address and assign that, as an alternative to creating a new IP. That is, under Virtual IP Address have tabs for Create and Assign. And/or:
2. from the "view FHRP group" page, allow the "Add IP Address" button page (/ipam/ip-addresses/add/?fhrpgroup=N) to be able to assign an existing IP address.

For point 2, currently there are tabs "Create" and "Bulk Create", so this would add a new tab "Assign IP". This would be analogous to the interface "Add IP Address" page (/ipam/ip-addresses/add/?interface=NN), which has tabs for "Create" and "Assign IP". Actually, I think it would make sense simply to merge these two pages, so they both have "Create", "Bulk Create" and "Assign IP".

Secondary proposal: at the "view FHRP group" page (/ipam/fhrp-groups/N/), be able to add a member interface here. This would complete the feature set: currently you can add an IP, delete an IP, delete a member interface, but not add a member interface. This would be particularly helpful as it would avoid having to jump around the web interface so much - you could manage an FHRP group from one place. It might be more work to implement though.

Use case

When upgrading data stored in Netbox 3.0 to the new FHRP model. I already have the IP address assigned to an interface, and I want to assign it to a new FHRP group instead.

It's currently a multi-step process:

1. Create the FHRP group, with no IP address assigned.
2. Navigate to the IP address. Click Edit. Change it to be assigned to the FHRP group (which also requires unassigning it from the interface - Changing already-assigned IP Address to FHRP group silently ignores change #8102)
3. Go to the device, list of interfaces, View the interface (not Edit!)
4. Click "Assign group" and select the FHRP group created in (1)
5. Repeat steps (3) and (4) for other device interface(s) to link to the group

Database changes

None

External dependencies

None

[candlerb]

Rather than open another issue, I'll mention another usability issue which had me confused for a while.

From an FHRP Group, you can't add a member Interface (see "secondary proposal" above). Therefore, it's clear you have to go to the Interface to add it to the FHRP Group.

However, when you go to the list of interfaces and click "Edit", you find no option to add an FHRP group either. So I went back and forth looking for it. In the end I found it - you have to View the interface, and then you get a list of associated FHRP groups, with a button to add or assign a new one.

It might be easier if the "Edit" interface page allowed you do this, or at least gave a clue to how to do this.

To be fair, this is consistent with adding an IP address to an interface: you can't do that from the interface edit page either. However in the main interface listing there's a big "+" button next to the interface for adding an IP address, so it's more obvious how to do it.

Perhaps the "+" button could have a dropdown, "IP Address" and "FHRP Group"? (Similar to when you add a connection there's a dropdown for interface, front port etc)

[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. NetBox is governed by a small group of core maintainers which means not all opened issues may receive direct feedback. Please see our contributing guide.

[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically closed due to lack of activity. In an effort to reduce noise, please do not comment any further. Note that the core maintainers may elect to reopen this issue at a later date if deemed necessary.