dpsctl import

`dpsctl import` Usage Guide

Overview

dpsctl import includes commands for importing entities from external sources into DPS.

Entity import uses an asynchronous workflow:

Start import — dpsctl import entity initiates entity generation from the specified source (BCM or Nautobot). The server runs generation in the background and returns a request ID immediately.
Check status — dpsctl import entity-status polls the server with the request ID, waits for completion, and then streams the generated entities.

Generation runs with a server default timeout of 10 minutes (maximum 30 minutes). Request state is cleaned up 30 minutes after the request is created.

Supported Sources

Source	`--source` value	Description
Base Command Manager (BCM)	`bcm`	Generate entities from BCM cluster inventory
Nautobot	`nautobot`	Generate entities from Nautobot DCIM inventory via the Topology Management gRPC service

Usage

dpsctl import entity --source=<bcm|nautobot> [flags]

Flags

Includes global dpsctl options.

Flag	Source	Description
`--source value`	both	Entity source: `bcm` or `nautobot` (required)
`--url value`	BCM	BCM server URL (required when `--source=bcm`)
`--username value`	BCM	Authentication username (required when `--source=bcm`)
`--password value`	BCM	Authentication password (required when `--source=bcm`)
`--tls-insecure-skip-verify`	BCM	Skip TLS certificate verification
`--locations value`	Nautobot	Comma-separated locations (UUIDs or names) to filter import
`--racks value`	Nautobot	Comma-separated racks (UUIDs or names) to filter import
`--device-types value`	Nautobot	Comma-separated device types (UUIDs or names) to filter import
`--request-string value`	Nautobot	Free-form URL param string; defined filter flags take precedence over overlapping keys
`--help, -h`	both	Show help

When --source=nautobot, BCM flags (--url, --username, --password, --tls-insecure-skip-verify) are ignored. When --source=bcm, Nautobot filter flags are ignored.

Examples

Generate Entities from BCM

$ dpsctl import entity \
  --source bcm \
  --url https://bcm.example.com:8443 \
  --username admin \
  --password secretpassword
{
  "request_id": "abc123-def456-ghi789"
}

The command returns a request_id that you use to retrieve the generated entities.

Retrieve Entities Using Request ID

After starting entity generation, use the request ID with import entity-status:

$ dpsctl import entity-status --request-id abc123-def456-ghi789

See dpsctl import entity-status for full details.

Generate Entities with TLS Skip Verify

$ dpsctl import entity \
  --source bcm \
  --url https://bcm.example.com:8443 \
  --username admin \
  --password secretpassword \
  --tls-insecure-skip-verify

Generate Entities from Nautobot with Filters

$ dpsctl import entity \
  --source nautobot \
  --locations "dc1,dc2" \
  --racks "rack-a" \
  --device-types "server-type-1" \
  --request-string "status=active"
{
  "request_id": "abc123-def456-ghi789"
}

Nautobot connects to the Topology Management gRPC service (configured via dpsctl login/connection).

Notes

The --source flag is required. Supported values are bcm and nautobot.
BCM: --url, --username, and --password are required. BCM source requires BCM version 11 or later. BCM credentials must have sufficient privileges to read cluster inventory.
Nautobot: Uses the Topology Management gRPC service. No BCM credentials are needed. Filters (--locations, --racks, --device-types, --request-string) scope the import to a subset of Nautobot DCIM inventory. At least one filter is required.
Entity generation runs asynchronously on the server. The command returns immediately with a request ID.
Use dpsctl import entity-status with the returned request ID to poll for and retrieve the generated entities.