# Changes in Release 0.9 through 0.9.3

## Start and Stop the Lab with Netlab Commands

**[netlab up](../netlab/up.md)** command creates configuration files, starts the virtual lab, and deploys device configurations. **[netlab down](../netlab/down.md)** destroys the virtual lab.

## Simple YAML inventory

Several **netlab** commands (notably **netlab connect**) relied on **ansible-inventory** to get device inventory data. **[netlab create](../netlab/create.md)** can now create a simple lab inventory in a YAML file (default name: netsim-devices.yml). That file can be used with **[netlab connect](../netlab/connect.md)** in Ansible-free environments.

## New or Changed Devices

* Linux hosts (Ubuntu VMs or Alpine containers) are available in release 0.9.1.\
  [More details](../platforms.md)
* Cumulus VX 4.4.0 *Virtualbox* Vagrant box is broken -- box version is fixed @ 4.3.0 (release 0.9.2-2)

## Topology Graphs

[**netlab create**](../netlab/create.md) command can create *graphviz*[^1] .DOT files that can be used to draw:

* A graph of physical connections (nodes and links)
* A graph of autonomous systems, nodes, and BGP sessions

[^1]: *graphviz* is an excellent graphing tool that takes graph specification in text format, performs somewhat decent auto-placement and draws the graph in a number of output formats (including JPEG, PNG, and PDF).

## Transformed Lab Topology in YAML or JSON Format

[**netlab create**](../netlab/create.md) command can output the transformed lab topology (nodes, links, defaults...) in YAML or JSON format for use in third-party tools.

## Generic Output Framework

You can specify desired output format(s) in [**netlab create**](../netlab/create.md) command, including:

* Virtualization provider configuration file
* Ansible inventory in various formats
* Topology graph in DOT format (physical topology or BGP sessions)
* YAML or JSON printout of transformed topology.

*netsim-tools* uses an extensible output framework implemented with dynamically loaded Python modules allowing you to add your own output formats.

## Other Changes

* Undocumented **netlab transform** command introduced in release 0.8 has been removed and replaced with generic output framework within **netlab create** command.
* Release 0.9.3 supports [static node IDs](../nodes.md#augmenting-node-data) (used to generate management MAC address, interface addresses on multi-access links, and loopback addresses) and [static interface addresses](../links.md#static-interface-addressing) on multi-access links.
* Arista EOS configuration deployment playbook uses **wait_for_connection** module to wait for SSH daemon when connecting to cEOS container (release 0.9.3)

*python-box* release 5.4.0 brought good and bad news:

* It implemented *mypy* hints forcing me to cleanup the static typing hints and fix odd bits of code.
* Unfortunately it also borked the *setdefaults* method. All calls to *setdefaults* have been replaced with more explicit alternatives.