Device description column is required but unsettable in Custom Scripts

[rfdrake]

NetBox version

v3.4.1

Python version

3.10

Steps to Reproduce

Create a script to create devices. In the run() definition add this:

   def run(self, data, commit):
        device = Device(
            name=data["d_name"],
            device_type=data["d_type"],
            site=data["site"],
            device_role=data["role"],
            status=data["status"],
            comments=data["comments"],
        )
        device.save()

That should fail with a "description" of relation "dcim_device" violates not-null constraint.

Then this version:

   def run(self, data, commit):
        device = Device(
            name=data["d_name"],
            device_type=data["d_type"],
            site=data["site"],
            device_role=data["role"],
            status=data["status"],
            comments=data["comments"],
            description="",
        )
        device.save()

Fails with "Device() got an unexpected keyword argument 'description'"

Expected Behavior

We should be able to create a device using the Device() model.

Observed Behavior

This is the error if you don't have a description field:

An exception occurred: IntegrityError: null value in column "description" of relation "dcim_device" violates not-null constraint DETAIL: Failing row contains (9746, 2022-12-29 18:59:15.994142+00, 2022-12-29 18:59:15.994235+00, gw1-test-device, , null, , planned, , 13, 146, null, null, null, null, null, null, 2232, null, null, null, null, null, gw00000001-test-device, {}, null, , null).

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/backends/utils.py", line 89, in _execute
    return self.cursor.execute(sql, params)
psycopg2.errors.NotNullViolation: null value in column "description" of relation "dcim_device" violates not-null constraint
DETAIL:  Failing row contains (9746, 2022-12-29 18:59:15.994142+00, 2022-12-29 18:59:15.994235+00, gw1-test-device, , null, , planned, , 13, 146, null, null, null, null, null, null, 2232, null, null, null, null, null, gw00000001-test-device, {}, null, , null).


The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/opt/netbox/netbox/extras/scripts.py", line 464, in _run_script
    script.output = script.run(data=data, commit=commit)
  File "/etc/netbox/scripts/create_device.py", line 42, in run
    device.save()
  File "/opt/netbox/netbox/dcim/models/devices.py", line 831, in save
    super().save(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/models/base.py", line 806, in save
    self.save_base(
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/models/base.py", line 857, in save_base
    updated = self._save_table(
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/models/base.py", line 1000, in _save_table
    results = self._do_insert(
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/models/base.py", line 1041, in _do_insert
    return manager._insert(
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/models/manager.py", line 85, in manager_method
    return getattr(self.get_queryset(), name)(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/models/query.py", line 1434, in _insert
    return query.get_compiler(using=using).execute_sql(returning_fields)
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/models/sql/compiler.py", line 1621, in execute_sql
    cursor.execute(sql, params)
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/backends/utils.py", line 67, in execute
    return self._execute_with_wrappers(
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/backends/utils.py", line 80, in _execute_with_wrappers
    return executor(sql, params, many, context)
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/backends/utils.py", line 84, in _execute
    with self.db.wrap_database_errors:
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/utils.py", line 91, in __exit__
    raise dj_exc_value.with_traceback(traceback) from exc_value
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/backends/utils.py", line 89, in _execute
    return self.cursor.execute(sql, params)
django.db.utils.IntegrityError: null value in column "description" of relation "dcim_device" violates not-null constraint
DETAIL:  Failing row contains (9746, 2022-12-29 18:59:15.994142+00, 2022-12-29 18:59:15.994235+00, gw1-test-device, , null, , planned, , 13, 146, null, null, null, null, null, null, 2232, null, null, null, null, null, gw00000001-test-device, {}, null, , null).

This is the error if you have a description field:

An exception occurred: TypeError: Device() got an unexpected keyword argument 'description'

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/opt/netbox/netbox/extras/scripts.py", line 464, in _run_script
    script.output = script.run(data=data, commit=commit)
  File "/etc/netbox/scripts/create_device.py", line 34, in run
    device = Device(
  File "/opt/netbox/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/django/db/models/base.py", line 559, in __init__
    raise TypeError(
TypeError: Device() got an unexpected keyword argument 'description'

I think the problem is that "description" isn't defined as a column in netbox/dcim/models/devices.py, but I'm not entirely sure because that was just from a quick look. This could also be something I broke in my custom script or whatever.

Please let me know if you need more information.

[kkthxbye-code]

Converted this to a discussion as it is not a bug.

That should fail with a "description" of relation "dcim_device" violates not-null constraint.

Runs correctly here:

device = Device(
    name="test2",
    device_type=DeviceType.objects.get(id=8),
    site=Site.objects.first(),
    device_role=DeviceRole.objects.first(),
    status=DeviceStatusChoices.STATUS_ACTIVE,
    comments="",
)

device.full_clean()
device.save()

Fails with "Device() got an unexpected keyword argument 'description'"

Completes without issues here.

I think the problem is that "description" isn't defined as a column in netbox/dcim/models/devices.py

It is defined right here:

netbox/netbox/netbox/models/__init__.py

Lines 62 to 69 in 08a419e

	class PrimaryModel(NetBoxModel):
	"""
	Primary models represent real objects within the infrastructure being modeled.
	"""
	description = models.CharField(
	max_length=200,
	blank=True
	)

Must be something about your netbox instance or maybe you overwrote something in your script. Works as intended in normal installs.

[rfdrake]

Thanks for looking at this, and sorry it ended up being an issue on my end.

I restarted the container and it works now, so somehow the docker image must have been in a weird configuration.

[kkthxbye-code]

No problem at all, glad you got it working!