Hyperlink-ify Failed Output to Facilitate Data Cleanup

[bryanculver]

Environment

• Nautobot version: 2.4
• nautobot-netbox-importer version: latest

Proposed Functionality

As a user migrating from NetBox to Nautobot,
I want to linkify and cache records that fail during the save_failed portion of the import,
So that I can more quickly navigate and resolve issues without re-processing all data each time.

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Acceptance Criteria:

1. Phase 1: Output Enhancements and Caching

   • The save_failed entries in the importer's output are enriched with hyperlinks to the Netbox instance.
   • A local cache file is written (e.g. failed_records.json) containing:
     • The object type, primary identifier (e.g. name, ID), and raw data.
     • The specific exception or validation error encountered.
   • Subsequent runs reuse this cache to avoid re-parsing records that already succeeded.
   • CLI flag to clear or ignore the cache when needed.

2. Phase 2: Intelligent Re-Validation of Previously Failed Records

   • On re-run, importer:
     • Loads the failed cache file.
     • Compares failed records with a fresh export from NetBox to see if the invalid data still exists.
     • Also supports ignoring cache file and re-running import.
   • Provides a summary indicating:
     • Which failures were resolved.
     • Which remain and why.
   • Optional: Check NetBox instance directly provided API key and URL

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Key Benefits & Justification

1. Faster Iteration During Migration – Reduces the feedback loop by eliminating the need to re-process the entire dataset just to check known failures.
2. Improved Developer UX – Linkified errors allow for immediate inspection of problematic entries, aiding faster debugging.
3. Supports Large Datasets – Makes the importer more scalable by avoiding redundant validation work during iterative migrations.