How to manage MAAS networks

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Learn more about MAAS networking

Routine network management

Manage MAAS networks by setting gateways, routes, loopback, bridges, and bonds.

Set default gateway

maas $PROFILE subnet update $SUBNET_CIDR gateway_ip=$MY_GATEWAY

Add static routes

UI:
Networking > Subnets > (Select subnet) > Add static route > Fill fields > Save

CLI:

maas $PROFILE static-routes create source=$SOURCE_SUBNET destination=$DEST_SUBNET gateway_ip=$GATEWAY_IP

Configure loopback

After commissioning, manually add a loopback interface using a placeholder MAC (00:00:00:00:00:00).

For automation, use cloud-init.

Create bridges

UI:
Machines > (Select machine) > Network > (Select interface) > Create bridge > (Configure details) > Save interface

CLI:

INTERFACE_ID=$(maas $PROFILE machine read $SYSTEM_ID | jq .boot_interface.id)
BRIDGE_ID=$(maas $PROFILE interfaces create-bridge $SYSTEM_ID name=br0 parent=$INTERFACE_ID | jq .id)
SUBNET_ID=$(maas $PROFILE subnets read | jq -r '.[] | select(.cidr == "10.0.0.0/24" and .managed == true).id')
maas $PROFILE interface link-subnet $SYSTEM_ID $BRIDGE_ID subnet=$SUBNET_ID mode="STATIC" ip_address="10.0.0.101"

Bridging via netplan

Modify /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml:

network:
  bridges:
    br0:
      addresses:
        - 10.0.0.101/24
      gateway4: 10.0.0.1
      interfaces:
        - enp1s0

Apply:

sudo netplan apply

Create bonds

UI:
Machines > (Select machine) > Network > (Select 2 physical interface) > Create bond > (Configure details) > Save interface

CLI:

maas $PROFILE interfaces create-bond $SYSTEM_ID name=$BOND_NAME parents=$IFACE1_ID,$IFACE2_ID bond_mode=$BOND_MODE

Modes:

  • balance-rr: Round-robin
  • active-backup: Failover only
  • balance-xor: Hash-based

Two-NIC setup

UI steps

  • NIC 1 (private subnet): Set to DHCP (e.g., 192.168.10.0/24).
  • NIC 2 (public internet): Set to DHCP/static (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24).

Netplan example

network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    ens18:
      addresses:
        - 192.168.10.5/24
      gateway4: 192.168.10.1
    ens19:
      addresses:
        - 192.168.1.10/24
      gateway4: 192.168.1.1
      nameservers:
        addresses:
          - 8.8.8.8
          - 8.8.4.4

Network discovery

Network discovery detects connected devices, including non-deployables.

Learn more about network discovery.

Turn discovery on

UI:
Networking > Network discovery > Configuration > Enabled

CLI:

maas $PROFILE maas set-config name=network_discovery value="enabled"

Turn discovery off

UI:
Networking > Network discovery > Configuration > Disabled

CLI:

maas $PROFILE maas set-config name=network_discovery value="disabled"

Subnets

Note: The following instructions are based on MAAS 3.4. For earlier versions, the UI element names may differ.

Examine subnets

UI
Networking > Subnets > (Select subnet)

CLI

  • List subnets:
    maas $PROFILE subnets read
  • Retrieve details of a specific subnet:
    maas $PROFILE subnet read $SUBNET_ID

Toggle subnet management

UI
Subnets > (Select subnet) > Edit > Managed allocation > Save

CLI

  • Enable management:
    maas $PROFILE subnet update $SUBNET_CIDR managed=true
  • Disable management:
    maas $PROFILE subnet update $SUBNET_CIDR managed=false

Set a default gateway

UI
Subnets > (Select subnet) > Edit > Enter Gateway IP > Save

CLI

maas $PROFILE subnet update $SUBNET_CIDR gateway_ip=$GATEWAY_IP

Configure DNS servers per subnet

UI
Subnets > (Select subnet)j > Edit > DNS servers > Save

CLI

maas $PROFILE subnet update $SUBNET_CIDR dns_servers=$DNS_SERVER_IPS

Add static routes

UI
Subnets > (Select subnet) > Static routes > Add static route > Enter Gateway IP > Enter Destination subnet > Enter (optional) Metric > Save

CLI

maas $PROFILE static-routes create source=$SOURCE_SUBNET destination=$DEST_SUBNET gateway_ip=$GATEWAY_IP

VLANs

Create VLAN

UI
Subnets > Add > VLAN > (Fill fields) > Add VLAN

CLI

maas $PROFILE vlans create $FABRIC_ID name=$VLAN_NAME vid=$VLAN_ID

Assign VLAN to interface

UI
Machines > (Select machine> > (Select physical interface) > Actions > Add VLAN

CLI

maas $PROFILE interfaces create-vlan $SYSTEM_ID vlan=$VLAN_ID parent=$INTERFACE_ID

Delete VLAN

UI
Subnets > (Select VLAN) > Delete VLAN > Delete VLAN*

CLI

maas $PROFILE vlan delete $FABRIC_ID $VLAN_ID

DHCP management

Enable MAAS DHCP

UI:
Subnets > (Select VLAN) > Configure DHCP (Fill fields) > Configure DHCP

CLI:

maas $PROFILE vlan update $FABRIC_ID $VLAN_TAG dhcp_on=True primary_rack=$PRIMARY_RACK

Enable DHCP for HA

CLI

maas $PROFILE vlan update $FABRIC_ID $VLAN_TAG dhcp_on=True primary_rack=$PRIMARY_RACK secondary_rack=$SECONDARY_RACK

Set default gateway

UI
Subnets > (Select subnet) > Edit > (Set Gateway IP) > Set

CLI

maas $PROFILE subnet update $SUBNET_CIDR gateway_ip=$MY_GATEWAY

Set up a DHCP relay

UI
Subnets > (Select VLAN) > Configure DHCP > Relay to another VLAN > (Select VLAN) > Configure DHCP

CLI:

maas $PROFILE vlan update $FABRIC_ID $VLAN_VID_SRC relay_vlan=$VLAN_ID_TARGET

DHCP snippets

Create snippets

UI
Settings > DHCP snippets > Add snippet > (Fill fields) > Save snippet

CLI (global snippet)

maas $PROFILE dhcpsnippets create name=$DHCP_SNIPPET_NAME value=$DHCP_CONFIG description=$DESCRIPTION global_snippet=true

CLI (subnet snippet)

maas $PROFILE dhcpsnippets create name=$DHCP_SNIPPET_NAME value=$DHCP_CONFIG description=$DESCRIPTION subnet=$SUBNET_ID

CLI (node snippet)

maas $PROFILE dhcpsnippets create name=$DHCP_SNIPPET_NAME value=$DHCP_CONFIG description=$DESCRIPTION node=$NODE_ID

List snippets

UI
Settings > DHCP snippets

CLI

maas $PROFILE dhcpsnippets read

Update a snippet

UI
Settings > DHCP snippets > Actions > Pencil icon (edit) > (Edit snippet) > Save snippet

maas $PROFILE dhcpsnippet update $DHCP_SNIPPET_ID enabled=false

Delete a snippet

UI
Settings > DHCP snippets > Actions > Trash can icon (delete) > Delete

CLI

maas $PROFILE dhcpsnippet delete $DHCP_SNIPPET_ID

IP management

Static IP via netplan

Modify /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml:

network:
  ethernets:
    ens160:
      addresses:
        - 192.168.0.100/24
      gateway4: 192.168.0.1
      nameservers:
        addresses:
          - 8.8.8.8
          - 8.8.4.4

Reserve IPs

Reserve single IP

CLI

maas $PROFILE ipaddresses reserve ip=$IP_ADDRESS_STATIC_SINGLE

Reserve dynamic range

UI
Subnets > (Select subnet> > (Scroll down> > Reserve range > Reserve dynamic range > (Fill fields) > Reserve

CLI

maas $PROFILE ipranges create type=dynamic subnet=$SUBNET_ADDRESS start_ip=$IP_DYNAMIC_RANGE_LOW end_ip=$IP_DYNAMIC_RANGE_HIGH

Reserved range:

UI
Subnets > (Select subnet> > (Scroll down) > Reserve range > Reserve range > (Fill fields) Reserve

CLI

maas $PROFILE ipranges create type=reserved subnet=$SUBNET_ADDRESS start_ip=$IP_STATIC_RANGE_LOW end_ip=$IP_STATIC_RANGE_HIGH

NTP management

Use external NTP

UI:
Settings > Network > NTP > (Fill in NTP address) > External Only > Save

CLI:

maas $PROFILE maas set-config name=ntp_servers value=$NTP_IP_ADDRESS
maas $PROFILE maas set-config name=ntp_external_only value=true

DNS management

Set DNS server

UI
Settings > DNS > (Fill fields) > Save

CLI

maas $PROFILE subnet update $SUBNET_CIDR dns_servers=$MY_DNS_SERVER

Create DNS records

A record

CLI

maas $PROFILE dnsresources create fqdn=$HOSTNAME.$DOMAIN ip_addresses=$IPV4ADDRESS

AAAA record

maas $PROFILE dnsresources create fqdn=$HOSTNAME.$DOMAIN ip_addresses=$IPV6ADDRESS

Set CNAME record

CLI

maas $PROFILE dnsresource-records create fqdn=$HOSTNAME.$DOMAIN rrtype=cname rrdata=$ALIAS

For example:

CLI

maas $PROFILE dnsresource-records create fqdn=webserver.maas.io rrtype=cname rrdata=www

Set MX record

CLI

maas $PROFILE dnsresource-records create fqdn=$DOMAIN rrtype=mx rrdata='10 $MAIL_SERVER.$DOMAIN'

For example:

CLI

maas $PROFILE dnsresource-records create fqdn=maas.io rrtype=mx rrdata='10 smtp.maas.io'

Set DNS forwarder

CLI

maas $PROFILE maas set-config name=upstream_dns value=$MY_UPSTREAM_DNS

Last updated 6 days ago.

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