Release notes
=============

**Release 1.8.1-post1 (2024-04-24)**

This release contains only [bug fixes](bug-fixes-1.8.1-post1) and [documentation fixes](doc-fixes-1.8.1-post1).

**[Release 1.8.1](release-1.8.1) (2024-04-08)**

* Refactor the **[netlab status](netlab-status)** printout
* Add '[retry tests until the timeout](validate-retry)' functionality to **[netlab validate](netlab-validate)** (including the actual time it took to get the expected results).
* [OSPFv3 in VRFs](module-vrf-platform-routing-support), implemented on Arista EOS, Cisco IOS, Cisco IOS-XE, FRR, and Junos (vMX, vPTX, vSRX).
* [EBGP sessions over IPv4 unnumbered and IPv6 LLA interfaces](bgp-platform) on Arista EOS
* Cisco IOS XRd container support
* [Numerous configuration template fixes](release-1.8.1-device-fixes), including reduced OSPF SPF/LSA and IPv6 ND RA timers.

[More features...](release-1.8.1)

**[Release 1.8.0](release-1.8.0) (2024-03-01)**

* **netlab up** command can [reload saved device configurations](netlab-up-reload) instead of starting the initial device configuration process.
* [DHCP configuration module](module-dhcp) implements DHCP clients, DHCP servers, and DHCP relays for IPv4 and IPv6.
* Lab topology can include control plane- and network services [daemons](platform-daemons) running in Linux containers. This release includes BIRD and dnsmasq daemons.
* [BGP configuration module](module-bgp) supports 4-octet BGP AS numbers and [large BGP communities](bgp-community-propagation).
* [Validation plugins](validate-plugin) allow you to write more powerful **netlab validate** validation tests without creating complex Jinja2 templates
* You can build Docker containers for the [supported daemons](platform-daemons) with the **[netlab clab build](netlab-clab-build)** command

[More features...](release-1.8.0)

**Release 1.7.2 (2024-01-26)**

This release contains only [bug fixes](bug-fixes-1.7.2) and [documentation fixes](doc-fixes-1.7.2).

**[Release 1.7.1](release-1.7.1) (2024-01-08)**

* [Automatically create nodes from group members](groups-auto-create)
* [Add 'wait' parameter](validate-wait) to validation tests
* Use colors in netlab up/down/test/validate printouts
* Use color-coded error messages
* Use the **rich** Python library to pretty-print tables, JSON, and YAML

[More features...](release-1.7.1)

**[Release 1.7.0](release-1.7.0) (2023-12-03)**

* **[netlab validate](netlab/validate.md)** command can be used to execute [lab validation tests](topology/validate.md).
* The [**fabric** plugin](plugins/fabric.md) generates a whole leaf-and-spine fabric topology from a few parameters.
* The [**bgp.domain** plugin](plugins/bgp.domain.md) allows you to create topologies with multiple independent devices or sites using the same BGP AS number.
* The [**bgp.policy** plugin](plugins/bgp.policy.md) supports AS-path prepending on Arista EOS, Aruba AOS-CX, Cisco CSR 1000v, Cisco IOSv, Cumulus Linux, FRR
* [**bgp.originate** plugin](plugins/bgp.originate.md) uses loopbacks (instead of static routes to Null device) to originate BGP IPv4 and IPv6 prefixes
* The `--show` option of the **[netlab connect](netlab/connect.md)** command implements a consistent cross-device way of executing show commands.

[More features...](release-1.7.0)

**[Release 1.6.4](release-1.6.4) (2023-10-23)**

* Implement simple BGP routing policies in [bgp.policy plugin](plugins/bgp.policy.md)
* Implement **[remove_private_as](bgp-session-as-path)**, passive BGP peers and [BFD for BGP neighbors](bgp-session-platforms) in [bgp.session plugin](plugins/bgp.session)
* [Selectively apply BGP session attributes](bgp-session-apply) to IBGP and EBGP sessions
* [Enable external tools](tools-enable-default) in user defaults
* [Default groups](default-groups) allow you to specify user- or project-wide groups in the defaults files.

{.text-right}
[More features...](release-1.6.4)

**[Release 1.6.3](release-1.6.3) (2023-10-06)**

* [EBGP multihop sessions](plugins/ebgp.multihop.md)
* [ebgp.utils plugin](plugins/ebgp.utils.md) supports TCP-AO, configurable BGP timers, and Generic TTL Security Mechanism (TTL session protection)
* [OSPF reports](module/ospf.md)
* Shorter version of [BGP neighbor report](module/bgp.md)
* [BFD on Cumulus Linux](bfd-platform)

{.text-right}
[More features...](release-1.6.3)

**[Release 1.6.2](release-1.6.2) (2023-08-26)**

* [Support for ArubaOS-CX with containerlab](platforms.md#supported-virtual-network-devices)
* Display a subset of available reports in **[netlab show reports](netlab-show-reports)** command
* Display warnings in reports relying on **ipaddr** Ansible filter
* Add IPv6 prefixes and neighbors to BGP reports
* Add IPv6 column to text addressing report
* Make some report columns optional to reduce the report width
* Implement [inter-VRF route leaking](module/vrf.md#platform-support) for Cumulus/FRR

**[Release 1.6.1](release-1.6.1) (2023-08-18)**

* **[netlab report](netlab/report.md)** can generate Markdown markup (ideal for augmenting documentation written in Markdown)
* BGP AS number and BGP neighbor reports (text, Markdown, HTML)
* [Make user/system default locations configurable](defaults-locations)

**[Release 1.6.0](release-1.6.0) (2023-08-01)**

* New commands: **[netlab report](netlab/report.md)**, **[netlab graph](netlab/graph.md)** and **[netlab inspect](netlab/inspect.md)**
* New reports: node and link addressing, lab wiring, management IP addresses and credentials
* Improved **[netlab show](netlab/show.md)** command can display [configuration modules](modules.md), [output modules](outputs/index.md), [virtualization providers](providers.md) and reports
* [Connect containers to outside world](clab-network-external) through *macvlan* interfaces
* Host-to-lab-device port forwarding with [*libvirt*](libvirt-port-forwarding) and *[containerlab](clab-port-forwarding)*
* Nokia SR OS OSPF P2MP support

{.text-right}
[More features...](release-1.6.0)

**[Release 1.5.4](release-1.5.4) (2023-06-10)**

* [Juniper vPTX/vEVO](platforms.md) support by Stefano Sasso (initial configuration, IPv4+IPv6, OSPFv2/v3, IS-IS, BGP, BFD, VLANs, VRFs, MPLS, SR-MPLS)
* [Juniper vSRX](platforms.md) can be run as a *vrnetlab*-packaged container (by Stefano Sasso)
* Documentation migrated to [netlab.tools](https://netlab.tools)

**[Release 1.5.3](release-1.5.3) (2023-05-15)**

* ['unknown' device type](platform-unknown) can be used to deploy devices not yet supported by *netlab*
* [Public *libvirt* networks](libvirt-network-external) can be used to connect labs to outside world
* MPLS VPN support for SR OS
* Improved virtualization provider installation testing with (hopefully) useful error messages

{.text-right}
[More features...](release-1.5.3)

**[Release 1.5.2](release-1.5.2) (2023-04-27)**

* [External network management tools](extools.md)
* [Aruba AOS-CX Support](platforms.md)
* [Reusable topology components](components.md)
* [Tunnel interfaces](links-tunnel)
* Add `--force flag to '[netlab down](netlab/down.md)' command
* Use [Ansible filters in netlab templating system](labs/clab.md#jinja2-filters-available-in-custom-configuration-files)
* Deploy [per-node custom configuration templates](dev/config/deploy.md#finding-custom-configuration-templates)

**[Release 1.5.1](release-1.5.1) (2023-04-02)**

* [Simplified definition of VLAN access links](module-vlan-creating-access-links)
* [Simplified definition of VRF links](module-vrf-links)
* [Link groups](link-groups)
* Stricter type checks for node names, group names, VLAN names, VRF names, link roles, address pools, device names, and Linux bridges. Names must be *identifiers*: alphanumeric strings up to 16 characters long.
* *netlab* status file [tracks active lab instances](netlab/status.md) -- used by **[netlab create](netlab/create.md)**, **[netlab up](netlab/up.md)** and **[netlab down](netlab/down.md)** commands to check for duplicate lab instances.
* [Output module](outputs/d2.md) for [D2 diagram scripting language](https://d2lang.com/tour/intro)

**[Release 1.5.0](release-1.5.0) (2023-01-28)**

* [Multi-provider topologies](labs/multi-provider.md)
* [Running multiple lab instances on Linux Servers](plugins/multilab.md)
* Split large *libvirt* topology into [smaller **vagrant up** batches](labs/libvirt.md#starting-virtual-machines-in-batches)
* [Use custom network/bridge name and IP subnet](labs/libvirt.md#libvirt-management-network) for `vagrant-libvirt` management network
* ['loopback' link type](links.md#loopback-links) can be used to create additional loopback interfaces

{.text-right}
[More features...](release-1.5.0)

**[Release 1.4.3](release-1.4.3) (2023-01-12)**

* [IOS XRv](platforms.md) support (initial configuration, IPv4+IPv6, OSPFv2/v3, IS-IS, BGP)
* [MPLS, LDP and L3VPN](module/mpls.md) support on FRR
* [Rewrite Linux container deployment](clab-linux) to remove Python and `ip` dependencies
* [Custom templates for container configuration files](clab-config-template)

**[Release 1.4.2](release-1.4.2) (2022-12-18)**

* [Juniper vMX](platforms.md) support
* Junos BFD, VRF, MPLS, SR-MPLS, and MPLS/VPN support
* Full VLAN support on vMX and routed VLAN interfaces on vSRX
* CSR 1000v VLAN and VXLAN support
* VyOS containerlab support

**[Release 1.4.1](release-1.4.1) (2022-11-25)**

* Cisco ASAv support
* VRRP and anycast gateway on Dell OS10
* VRRP on VyOS
* Unnumbered OSPF interfaces on VyOS
* Add support for all EVPN bundle services

**[Release 1.4.0](release-1.4.0) (2022-11-04)**

* EVPN asymmetric IRB
* Anycast gateway and VRRP
* EVPN MPLS transport
* New address allocation algorithm for links with small IPv4 prefixes
* Tighter control of VXLAN-enabled and EVPN-controlled VLANs and VRFs
* Unmanaged and unprovisioned devices

**[Release 1.3.2](release/1.3.md) (2022-10-01)**

* Mikrotik RouterOS version 7 support by Stefano Sasso, including IPv4, IPv6, VLANs, VRFs, OSPFv2, OSPFv3, BGP, MPLS, MPLS/VPN
* Nokia SR OS support for VLAN, VXLAN, EVPN, VRF, and OSPFv3 by Jeroen van Bemmel
* OSPFv3 on Cumulus Linux and Nexus OS
* EVPN (bridging and symmetric IRB) on Nexus OS
* EVPN VLAN bundle service on SR Linux
* EVPN transit VNI shared between VRFs
* Define VLAN and VRF parameters in groups

**[Release 1.3.1](release/1.3.md) (2022-09-17)**

* VXLAN, VLANs, VRFs, and EVPN implemented on FRR and Cumulus Linux
* BGP local-as implemented in the BGP configuration module and supported on Arista EOS, Cisco IOS, Dell OS10, FRR, and Nokia SR Linux.
* Configurable BGP transport sessions
* Configurable default BGP address families supported on Arista EOS, Cisco IOS, Cumulus Linux, FRR, and Nokia SR Linux.
* Select address pools with 'pool' VLAN or link attribute (using 'role' attribute to select an addressing pool is deprecated)
* FRR support for IPv6 LLA (unnumbered) BGP sessions
* New default VM versions: FRR 8.3.1 and Cumulus Linux 4.4.0 (container), Cumulus Linux (NVUE) 5.2.0 (VM)
* Per-VRF BGP router ID on Cisco IOS and Arista EOS

**[Release 1.3](release/1.3.md) (2022-08-27)**

* 'netsim-tools' package renamed to 'networklab'
* VXLAN configuration module
* EVPN configuration module
* 6PE added to MPLS configuration module
* IS-IS on VyOS
* VLANs and VRFs on Cisco Nexus OS
* VRFs on Nokia SR Linux
* Default route origination on EBGP sessions

**[Release 1.2.4](release/1.2.md) (2022-06-20)**

* VLAN support for Mikrotik RouterOS and VyOS
* Routed VLANs and routed VLAN subinterfaces
* ebgp_utils plugin
* User-modifiable templates used in Vagrantfile creation
* Bug fixes and documentation fixes

**[Release 1.2.3](release/1.2.md) (2022-05-26)**

* VLAN support for SR Linux
* Bug fixes
  
**[Release 1.2.2](release/1.2.md) (2022-05-02)**

* VLAN configuration module
* External topology provider to use *netlab* with hardware labs
* VRF loopback interfaces
* netlab restart command restarts or reconfigures the lab
* Use the snapshot file to start a lab
* Specify NIC model used by *libvirt* virtualization provider
* Set device type or configuration modules in groups
* Persistent Linux network provisioning
* Debian supported by the installation scripts

**[Release 1.2.1](release/1.2) (2022-04-16)**

* Graphite GUI
* Dell OS10 on *libvirt*
* VRFs, MPLS, and MPLS/VPN on Mikrotik RouterOS and VyOS
* Containerlab support for Cumulus NVUE
* VRF Lite on Cumulus NVUE

**[Release 1.2.0](release/1.2.md) (2022-04-01)**

* VRF definitions and layer-3 VRFs
* VRF-aware OSPF, IS-IS and BGP
* Traditional MPLS with LDP
* BGP Labeled Unicast
* MPLS/VPN: VPNv4 and VPNv6 address family support
* OSPFv3 support on Juniper vSRX
* Use topology snapshot file in **netlab down**

**[Release 1.1.4](release/1.1) (2022-03-09)**

* **netlab clab tarball** create a tar package that can be deployed with *containerlab* without *netlab*
* Added **tar** and **cleanup** options to **netlab collect**
* Added **cleanup** option to **netlab down**
* Support for OSPFv3 on VyOS
* Build recipes for Arista vEOS and Juniper vSRX use management VRF
* Use **netlab_device_type** instead of **ansible_network_os** to select configuration templates
* Developer documentation for initial device configurations, OSPFv2 and OSPFv3
* Add **fetch_config** action for SR Linux and SR OS. You can use **netlab collect** to get current configuration from these devices

**[Release 1.1.3](release/1.1.md) (2022-02-14)**

* Restructured installation documentation
* OSPFv3 support
* netlab show command displays system settings in tabular format
* EIGRP implementation of common routing protocol features
* Configurable address family support (IPv4 and/or IPv6) for IS-IS, OSPF, and EIGRP
* Libvirt box creating script for Cisco CSR 1000v and Juniper vSRX 3.0
* Support for /31 IPv4 P2P links
* Configurable MTU for VyOS and RouterOS

**[Release 1.1.2](release/1.1.md) (2022-01-29)**

* Containerlab installation script
* System and interface MTU
* Configurable VM memory and CPU settings
* Configurable BGP cluster ID
* Router ID calculations for IPv6-only devices and configurable router ID
* Hosts and default gateways
* Static loopback addresses
* Cumulus Linux 5.0 support (configuration via NVUE)
* BGP graphs can show RR-client sessions as directed arrows
* Building vEOS and Nexus 9300v libvirt boxes has been significantly simplified with **netlab libvirt package** command
* Proof-of-concept EVPN and SRv6 modules

**[Release 1.1.1](release/1.1.md) (2022-01-20)**

* Cumulus VX: unnumbered interfaces and support for EBGP sessions over unnumbered IPv4 interfaces
* OVS bridge support in containerlab provider
* Bug fixes

**[Release 1.1](release/1.1.md) (2022-01-09)**

* New IPAM functionality: layer-2-only links and interfaces, per-protocol unnumbered interfaces
* IPAM code refactoring
* BFD configuration module
* BFD with IS-IS and OSPF
* Device capability checks: unnumbered interfaces, OSPF and IS-IS over unnumbered links
* Linux bridges are used to implement multi-access links in *containerlab*
* Simplified IS-IS and OSPF configuration templates
* Reorganized nodes list into a dictionary
* Reorganized link interfaces into a list

**[Release 1.0.6](release/1.0.md) (2021-12-28)**

* Full SR Linux and SR OS support
* Plugin packages and module extensions
* Hierarchical device groups
* Custom deployment templates moved to 'netlab initial'
* Device-specific module attributes
* Support for multi-access links in containerlab

**[Release 1.0.5](release/1.0.md) (2021-12-19)**

* Custom deployment templates for individual nodes
* Support for vagrant-libvirt 0.7.0
* Support for more than 10 lab devices under libvirt
* Extendable topology-, link- and module parameters
* Automatic creation of vagrant-libvirt management network
* Bug fixes

**[Release 1.0.4](release/1.0.md) (2021-12-11)**

* Fortinet configuration (IPv4, IPv6, OSPF)
* Links without IP addressing
* IOSv, CSR, vSRX on VirtualBox
* Bug fixes

**[Release 1.0.3](release/1.0.md) (2021-12-06)**

* Initial support for Fortinet devices
* Skip devices that cannot be configured during lab initialization process
* Bug fixes

**[Release 1.0.2](release/1.0) (2021-11-27)**

* Support for Mikrotik CHS and Vyos devices (contributed by Stefano Sasso)
* Group-specific node data
* Automatic creation of AS-based groups
* Custom plugins

**[Release 1.0.1](release/1.0) (2021-11-20)**

* Custom inventory groups
* Group-specific custom configuration templates
* Composite command debugging
* Quiet run of Ansible playbooks

**[Release 1.0](release/1.0) (2021-10-25)**

* **netlab up** enables *LLDP passthrough* on Linux bridges created with *libvirt* Vagrant plugin
* Cleanup: remove the old CLI commands and related documentation

**Release 0.9.3 (2021-10-13)**

* Add **netlab up** and **netlab down** commands
* Add static node IDs and interface addresses

**Release 0.9.2 (2021-10-08)**

* Add a simple YAML-based inventory file to replace **ansible_inventory** if you happen to hate Ansible.

**Release 0.9.1 (2021-09-19)**

* Hosts in network labs (Linux VMs or containers)

**Release 0.9 (2021-08-20)**

* Topology graphs (physical topology and BGP sessions)
* YAML or JSON representation of transformed network topology
* Generic output framework

**Release 0.8 (2021-07-09)**

* Python package
* Unified CLI
* Support for Cumulus VX and Nokia SR Linux containers
* Installation and testing scripts

**Release 0.7 (2021-05-31)**

* EIGRP configuration module
* BGP parameters: advertise_loopback, originate prefixes, community propagation
* BGP IPv6 address family configuration
* OSPF reference bandwidth
* IS-IS P2P network type on all P2P links (not just unnumbered)
* Single-module initial configuration
* Python type hinting and mypy checks

**Release 0.6.3 (2021-05-24)**

* BGP configuration module
* IS-IS configuration module
* Segment Routing with MPLS
* OSPF configuration improvements: external links and passive interfaces
* FRR and Cumulus VX support
* Installation playbook
* Bug fixes

**Release 0.5 (2021-04-11)**

* containerlab support
* Flexible virtualization provider framework

**Release 0.4 (2021-03-26)**

* Unnumbered interfaces
* Configuration modules framework
* Baseline OSPF module

**Release 0.3 (2021-01-24)**

* Support for multiple virtualization providers
* Vagrant with VirtualBox
* EOS and Nexus OS supported on Vagrant/VirtualBox
* Device images (Vagrant boxes) are configurable in the defaults

**Release 0.2 (2021-01-12)**

Major refactoring of addressing configuration

* Structured address pools (loopback, lan, p2p)
* IPv4 and IPv6 support
* Initial configuration modules updated to work in dual-stack or IPv6-only environments

**Release 0.11 (2021-01-07)**

Arrcus ArcOS support contributed by Dave Thelen

Refactored configuration gathering -- use explicit **device_facts** modules or platform-specific tasks for platforms that don't gather device configuration with fact-gathering module

2020-12-21
: Nexus 9300v support

2020-12-17
: Initial release (IOSv, CSR, EOS)

```eval_rst
.. toctree::
   :caption: Individual release notes
   :maxdepth: 2

   release/1.8.md
   release/1.7.md
   release/1.6.md
   release/1.5.md
   release/1.4.md
   release/1.3.md
   release/1.2.md
   release/1.1.md
   release/1.0.md
```   

```eval_rst
.. toctree::
   :caption: Older releases
   :maxdepth: 1

   release/0.9.md
   release/0.8.md
   release/0.7.md
   release/0.6.md
   release/0.5.md
   release/0.4.md
   release/0.3.md
..
```