nornflow 0.9.0

A workflow orchestration tool for network automation built around Nornir.

NornFlow

NornFlow is currently in pre-release.

What is NornFlow?

NornFlow is a lightweight workflow orchestration framework built on top of Nornir, bringing structure and predictability to network automation projects.

NornFlow bridges the gap between development and operations teams by providing:

• A structured workflow system for organizing Nornir tasks into reusable automation flows
• A declarative YAML interface for defining complex automation sequences
• A command-line interface for running individual Nornir tasks or complete workflows
• A variable system with multi-level precedence for flexible customization

Why Use NornFlow?

NornFlow promotes collaboration between developers and network engineers:

⚡️ Unlimited Power for Developers: Write automation logic as pure Python functions with Nornir's task interface. No boilerplate, just clean Python code.

🚀 Productivity for Operators: Define and run workflows with familiar YAML syntax, enabling network engineers to be productive regardless of their Python programming background.

🔧 Advanced Automation Capabilities: Extends Nornir with powerful features beyond vanilla capabilities, including:

• Multi-level variable system with precedence (environment, global, domain, workflow, CLI, runtime)
• Rich Jinja2 filters for advanced templating and data manipulation
• Hooks system for extending task behavior without modifying task code
• Flexible failure strategies (skip-failed, fail-fast, run-all) for robust error handling

🧩 Project-friendly: Brings predictable structure to Nornir projects with:

• Standardized directory organization
• Consistent workflow definition patterns
• Clear separation between tasks, workflows, and inventory

Documentation

• Quick Start Guide - Get up and running fast
• Core Concepts - Learn how NornFlow works
• Variables Basics - Understand NornFlow's variable system
• NornFlow Settings - Configure your NornFlow environment
• Jinja2 Filters - Advanced template manipulation
• Hooks Guide - Extend task behavior with custom hooks
• API Reference - For developers extending NornFlow
• Testing Guide - Test tiers, CI defaults, and maintainer cEOS lab integration tests