---
id: python-ironicclient
version: "6.2.0"
license: Apache-2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# python-ironicclient — OpenStack Bare Metal Provisioning API Client Library

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 171.8K/mo

## What it is and what it does

python-ironicclient is the official Python client for OpenStack's Bare Metal API (Ironic), used to manage physical server provisioning and lifecycle. It provides both a Python module (ironicclient) for programmatic access and a command-line interface (openstack baremetal) for interactive management. The package wraps HTTP calls to the Ironic API and handles authentication via keystoneauth1, making it the standard way to interact with bare metal infrastructure in OpenStack environments.

The library is built on OpenStack's ecosystem libraries—cliff for CLI scaffolding, openstacksdk for unified API access, and osc-lib for command standardization. It supports modern Python versions (3.10 through 3.14) and is actively maintained as part of the OpenStack project. Installation can be minimal (core library only) or extended with the [cli] extra to include OpenStackClient integration for full command-line functionality.

Use it for:

- Provision and manage bare metal nodes programmatically within OpenStack infrastructure automation.
- Create and configure ports, drivers, and hardware properties on physical servers via Python scripts.
- Integrate bare metal provisioning into CI/CD pipelines or infrastructure-as-code workflows.
- Query node status, power states, and inventory from the command line without writing code.
- Automate driver configuration and IPMI settings across fleets of physical hardware.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Python client library and CLI for the OpenStack Bare Metal API, providing programmatic and command-line interfaces to manage bare metal provisioning and node operations.

Yes, if you are working with OpenStack Bare Metal (Ironic) infrastructure. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and is the standard client for this API. Install with low friction and permissive licensing. Not relevant outside OpenStack bare metal environments.

## Install

pip install python-ironicclient
uv add python-ironicclient
poetry add python-ironicclient

## Installing python-ironicclient

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution. Actively maintained with a release within 43 days. Depends on 12 runtime packages including keystoneauth1 and openstacksdk, which are standard OpenStack ecosystem libraries.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), the same as the rest of OpenStack. No restrictions on commercial or private use; you may modify and redistribute under the same license terms.

Quickstart:

from ironicclient import client

kwargs = {'os_auth_token': '3bcc3d3a03f44e3d8377f9247b0ad155',
          'ironic_url': 'http://ironic.example.org:6385/'}
ironic = client.get_client(1, **kwargs)

Requires Python 3.10 or later. Requires valid OpenStack authentication credentials (token and Ironic API endpoint URL) or keystone-based authentication via keystoneauth1.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works with OpenStack versions other than the current release cycle.
- Performance characteristics when managing large numbers of bare metal nodes.
- Compatibility with non-standard or custom Ironic deployments.

## Package facts

- License: Apache-2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 171.8K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

openstack bare metal client, ironic api python bindings, bare metal provisioning cli, openstack node management, ironicclient python library, baremetal provisioning api, openstack hardware provisioning, openstack, bare-metal-provisioning, infrastructure-automation

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