IaC-INTEGRATION.md•7.75 kB
# OPNSense Natural Language Query Engine - IaC Integration Guide
## Overview
This Natural Language Query Engine for OPNSense is designed as a foundational component for your larger Infrastructure as Code (IaC) vision. It demonstrates how MCP servers can provide intelligent, natural language interfaces to infrastructure components.
## Architecture
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ User Natural Language │
│ "Is the Nintendo Switch online?" │
└────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌────────────────────▼────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MCP Orchestrator (Future) │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ OPNSense │ │ Proxmox │ │ AWS │ │
│ │ Query │ │ MCP │ │ MCP │ │
│ │ Engine │ │ Server │ │ Server │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌────────────────────▼────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Infrastructure Layer │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ OPNSense │ │ Proxmox │ │ AWS │ │
│ │ Firewall │ │ VMs │ │ Cloud │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
## Key Features for IaC Integration
### 1. **Natural Language Infrastructure Queries**
Instead of complex CLI commands or API calls, ask questions naturally:
- "Is the game server VM running?"
- "How much bandwidth is the media server using?"
- "Are there any unknown devices on the IoT network?"
### 2. **Cross-Platform Intelligence**
The query engine can be extended to understand relationships across platforms:
```typescript
// Future capability
"Which VMs are accessible from the guest network?"
// → Combines OPNSense firewall rules + Proxmox VM data
"Show me all resources tagged as 'production'"
// → Queries OPNSense VLANs + Proxmox VMs + AWS instances
```
### 3. **Infrastructure State Tracking**
Real-time tracking of all infrastructure components:
- Device status and locations
- Network topology and segmentation
- Resource utilization and performance
- Security posture and compliance
### 4. **Intelligent Automation Triggers**
Natural language can trigger infrastructure changes:
```typescript
// Future examples
"Block all unknown devices on the guest network"
// → Creates firewall rules automatically
"Spin up a new game server when the current one reaches 80% CPU"
// → Triggers Proxmox VM creation with predefined template
"Move the backup traffic to the overnight window"
// → Updates QoS rules and backup schedules
```
## Integration with Pulumi/SST Pattern
### 1. **Infrastructure Definition**
```typescript
// Future: Natural language to Pulumi code
const query = "Create a new isolated network for development with its own firewall rules";
// Translates to:
const devNetwork = new opnsense.VLAN("dev-network", {
tag: 10,
interface: "igc3",
description: "Development Network"
});
const devFirewall = new opnsense.FirewallRule("dev-access", {
interface: devNetwork.interface,
source: devNetwork.subnet,
destination: "any",
action: "pass"
});
```
### 2. **State Queries Across Stack**
```typescript
// Query infrastructure state naturally
const state = await mcp.query(
"Show me all development resources and their current status"
);
// Returns unified view:
{
networks: [
{ name: "dev-network", vlan: 10, devices: 12, status: "active" }
],
vms: [
{ name: "dev-api", host: "proxmox1", cpu: "45%", status: "running" }
],
services: [
{ name: "dev-database", type: "RDS", region: "us-east-1", status: "available" }
]
}
```
## Implementation Roadmap
### Phase 1: Foundation (Current) ✅
- OPNSense natural language queries
- Device fingerprinting and tracking
- Real-time network state
- Performance optimization (<100ms queries)
### Phase 2: Multi-Platform Integration
- Proxmox MCP server with VM queries
- Unifi MCP server for WiFi management
- Docker/Kubernetes MCP for container queries
- Cross-platform relationship mapping
### Phase 3: Intelligent Automation
- Natural language to IaC translation
- Automated infrastructure provisioning
- Policy-based auto-remediation
- Predictive scaling and optimization
### Phase 4: Full IaC Platform
- Visual infrastructure designer
- Git-based infrastructure versioning
- Compliance and security scanning
- Cost optimization recommendations
## Example Use Cases
### Home Lab Management
```typescript
// Morning routine
"Show me what ran overnight"
// → Backup status, update logs, bandwidth usage
"Prepare the network for gaming night"
// → Prioritize gaming traffic, check latency, ensure consoles online
```
### Security Monitoring
```typescript
"Alert me if any new devices join the network"
"Show me all devices that haven't been seen in 30 days"
"Which devices are talking to suspicious IPs?"
```
### Resource Optimization
```typescript
"Which VMs can be consolidated?"
"Show me underutilized resources"
"Predict next month's bandwidth needs"
```
## Technical Benefits
1. **Unified Query Language**: One natural language interface for all infrastructure
2. **Real-time State**: Always know what's happening across your infrastructure
3. **Predictable Performance**: All queries optimized for <100ms response
4. **Extensible Architecture**: Easy to add new infrastructure providers
5. **Git-Friendly**: All configurations and queries can be version controlled
## Next Steps
1. **Extend Device Detection**: Add more device types and patterns
2. **Build Proxmox MCP**: Create similar query engine for VM management
3. **Create MCP Orchestrator**: Unified interface for all MCP servers
4. **Implement IaC Translation**: Convert natural language to Pulumi/Terraform
5. **Add ML Predictions**: Predict infrastructure needs based on patterns
## Conclusion
This Natural Language Query Engine for OPNSense demonstrates the power of combining MCP servers with intelligent query processing. It's the first step toward a future where infrastructure can be managed entirely through natural language, making complex network and system administration accessible to everyone.
The vision: "Hey Claude, make sure my home lab is secure, efficient, and ready for anything" - and it just happens.