# Changes in Release 1.6

```eval_rst
.. contents:: Table of Contents
   :depth: 2
   :local:
```

## New Functionality

(Release-1.6.4)=
### Release 1.6.4

* 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
* [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.
* [Version-specific lab topology files](../dev/versioning.md) allow _netlab_ to select a lab topology that is a best fit to for _netlab_ release you're running.
* **[netlab show attributes](netlab-show-attributes)** command displays valid lab topology attributes and their expected data types
* **[netlab show defaults](netlab-show-defaults)** command is the easiest way to display user/system defaults
* Add [configurable IPv6 prefix length](address-pool-specs) to address pools
* Rename ebgp.utils plugin to [bgp.session](../plugins/bgp.session.md)
* Display relevant 'use netlab show attributes' help when failing validation checks

**Platform enhancements:**

* Add BFD for BGP neighbors, remove-private-as option, and passive BGP peers support for Arista EOS, Cisco IOSv, Cisco IOS/XE, Cumulus Linux and FRR
* Add [bgp.policy](../plugins/bgp.policy.md) support for Arista EOS, Cisco IOSv, Cisco IOS/XE, Cumulus Linux and FRR
* Add [bgp.session](../plugins/bgp.session.md), [bgp.policy](../plugins/bgp.policy.md) and [ebgp.multihop](../plugins/ebgp.multihop) support for Aruba AOS-CX (contributed by Stefano Sasso)
* Add [ebgp.multihop](../plugins/ebgp.multihop) support for SR Linux and SR OS (contributed by Jeroem van Bemmel)
* Add [BFD](../module/bfd.md) for OSPFv2, OSPFv3 and BGP on FRR
* bgp.session: add BGP timers, BFD, passive BGP peer, and remove-private-as support for Nokia SR Linux (1.6.4-post2)
* Add bgp.policy support for Nokia SR Linux (1.6.4-post2)
* bgp.session: implement BFD, BGP timers and passive BGP for vMX, vSRX, and vPTX (1.6.4-post3)
* MPLS: Add 6PE and BGP-LU for Nokia SR OS (1.6.4-post3)

**New plugin functionality:**

* Add `_requires` metadata to handle mandatory plugin dependencies
* Use `_config_name` plugin metadata instead of API call
* Sort loaded plugins based on their dependencies documented in `_execute_after` metadata
* Implement plugin redirect (used to rename ebgp.utils to bgp.session)
* Accept `__init__.py` as a replacement for `plugin.py` in directory-based plugins

**Documentation improvements:**

* [Plugin development documentation](../dev/plugins.md)
* [Document debugging options](dev-transform-debugging)

(release-1.6.3)=
### Release 1.6.3

* [EBGP multihop sessions](../plugins/ebgp.multihop.md) in the global routing table. Implemented on Arista EOS, Cisco IOSv, Cisco IOS-XE, FRR and Cumulus Linux 4.x.
* [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): areas/routers/interfaces in md/html/text format
* Shorter version of [BGP neighbor report](../module/bgp.md)
* Specify [minimum netlab version](topology-reference-extra-elements) in lab topology
* Add [gRPC test topology](../netlab/test.md)
* Implement [BFD on Cumulus Linux](bfd-platform)
* Implement *collect configuration* action for [FRR](platform-config-support)
* Change default FRR release to 9.0.1
* Add ['disable' link attribute](link-attributes)
* Load plugin defaults together with the plugin module
* Device configuration templates could be [loaded from system- or user directory](customize-templates).

**Documentation improvements**

* New [customizing _netlab_ page](../customize.md) with links to a dozen customization mechanisms.
* Add "more information" links to the documentation home page
* Add links to platform caveats
* Restructure [containerlab attribute documentation](clab-other-parameters)
* Update VLAN development documentation
* Add [containerlab example](nodes-provider-attributes-clab) to *provider-specific node attributes* documentation

(release-1.6.2)=
### Release 1.6.2

* [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 columns optional in BGP reports 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

* **[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)

Internal changes:

* _netsim_ no longer uses `netsim.common` module. This change [might impact existing plugins](release-1.6.1-breaking).

(release-1.6.0)=
### Release 1.6.0

**New commands:**

* **[netlab report](../netlab/report.md)** generates built-in or user-defined text- or HTML reports based on transformed lab topology.
* **[netlab graph](../netlab/graph.md)** command generates [topology graph descriptions](../outputs/graph.md) in GraphViz or D2 format
* **[netlab inspect](../netlab/inspect.md)** command displays data structures in transformed lab topology
* Improved **[netlab show](../netlab/show.md)** command displays information as a table, raw text, or YAML

**New reports:**

The reports you can create with the **[netlab report](../netlab/report.md)** command include:

* Node, interface and link addressing reports
* Lab wiring summary
* Device management IP addresses, usernames, and passwords

**Explore netlab internals**

The **[netlab show](../netlab/show.md)**  command can display:

* Configuration modules and optional features supported by individual modules
* Configuration modules and features supported by individual devices
* Virtualization providers and their status
* Output modules that can be used with the **[netlab create](../netlab/create.md)** command
* System reports you can use with **[netlab report](../netlab/report.md)** command

**External connectivity**:

* [Connect containers to outside world](clab-network-external) through *macvlan* interfaces (requires *containerlab* release 0.43.0)
* [Host-to-VM port forwarding](libvirt-port-forwarding) in *libvirt* environment
* [Mapping of container management ports to host ports](clab-port-forwarding)

**Other new features**:

* Improved FRR VXLAN data plane configuration
* OSPF strict BFD support (RFC 9355)
* Nokia SR OS OSPF P2MP support
* [Add **mgmt._permanent** option](libvirt-mgmt) to make *vagrant-libvirt* management network persistent (fixes #855)

**Documentation improvements:**

* Document Linux loopback interface usage
* Document assignment of management IP addresses in libvirt and containerlab environments
* Rewrite documentation for *external* provider and multi-provider topologies

**Internal changes:**

* Use device **features** instead of module **supported_on** lists to specify modules supported by individual devices
* Device settings inheritance should make it easier to add similar devices. It has been implemented for most device types, including a new Junos meta-device (the parent for vSRX, vMX and vPTX devices).

[Breaking changes](release-1.6.0-breaking):

* `get_from_box` function has been removed

## Breaking changes

(release-1.6.1-breaking)=
### Release 1.6.1

_netlab_ code stopped using `netsim.common` module. That module should no longer be used, but is still included in the package in case some plugins still use it. We'll remove the module in 1.7/2.0 release. 

(release-1.6.0-breaking)=
### Release 1.6.0

* `get_from_box` function has been removed. The function might be used by early plugins which will break when ran with _netlab_ release 1.6.0. Update your plugins to use Box **get** method which supports hierarchical names since version 7.0 ([more details](release-1.5.2-breaking))

## Bug Fixes

### Bug Fixes in release 1.6.4-post3

* **netlab install** scripts have to work when started as root user
* Nokia SR OS: Fix missing macro parameter 'name'
* Minor tweaks to Nokia SR Linux template
* Move Nokia SROS interface naming logic to initial.j2 if_name macro
* Nokia SR OS initial configuration: fix quoting of "[null]" value
* Enable BFD for Junos devices

### Bug Fixes in Release 1.6.4-post2

* Set BGP address family flags based on interface BGP advertisement status (fixes #929)
* Create BGP reports even when a router has no neighbors
* Group error messages should be f-strings
* vPTX box building script should run **make-config.sh** as root
* Fix a typo breaking Virtualbox FRR support (#920)

### Bug Fixes in Release 1.6.4-post1

* bgp.policy plugin removes bgp.session data from BGP neighbors

### Bug Fixes in Release 1.6.4

* Use management VRF with Arista cEOS
* Cosmetic fix: align table header columns in BGP reports
* Sort custom configurations to speed up 'netlab initial'
* Add typing tests of 'extra' plugins to the CI/CD tests
* Rewrite bgp.session plugin to use BGP neighbor generators
* Make 'loading plugins' error messages easier to understand
* Add jQuery to documentation pages
* Clear BGP sessions after changing BGP timers in bgp.session plugin
* FRR VM crashed when initializing an Ethernet stub network
* Stop mypy CI/CD tests on first error

### Bug Fixes in Release 1.6.3

* Add tunnel interface names to Cumulus/FRR settings to support ebgp.multihop
* Tweak Cisco IOS NSF timers to speed up initial BGP convergence
* Use a hint when reporting 'missing global AS' in EVPN module
* Throw an error if a group definition is empty (None)
* Use relevant link names when transforming link lists from components or BGP multihop sessions
* Prettify the 'cannot load plugin' error message
* Make bgp.no_propagate setting extendable
* Consistently use _vlan_mode attribute throughout the VLAN module
* A few minor fixes for SR OS MPLS configs
* Propagate node VLAN mode into link 'interfaces' early enough to matter
* ECMP Fixes for 7250 IXR
* Allow only 'route' value for link/interface-level vlan.mode attribute
* Use node-level vlan.mode when copying global VLAN data into node VLAN data
* Remove remote neighbor attributes in ebgp.utils
* Implement feature checks in ebgp.utils plugin
* Rewrite 'ebgp.utils' plugin to use the plugin defaults functionality
* Implement 'copy attribute definition' functionality and use it for plugin defaults
* Add linux-modules-extra to ubuntu install script (#873)
* Make 'netlab test' command more resilient
* Workaround: Nokia Ansible collection crashes with Ansible 5.x and later
* Copy only mandatory attributes from PHY to VLAN interface
* Wiring report fixes

### Bug Fixes in Release 1.6.2

* Fix EVPN VLAN attributes (#865)
* Bump clab version to 0.44.3 (#864)
* BGP reports should survive topologies with no BGP in them
* 'netlab show reports' skips include files in reports directory
* Migrate simple VRF integration tests to the new "links-in-vrfs" format

### Bug Fixes in Release 1.6.1

* Python package manifest (MANIFEST.in) did not include `show-usage.txt` (the help file for **[netlab show](../netlab/show.md)** command)
* Collect Cumulus Linux interface configuration with `ifquery`
* `ifquery` has to be executed as root on Cumulus Linux

### Bug Fixes in Release 1.6.0

* Allow 'mgmt' attributes in node data
* Change pinned containerlab version to the one supporting macvlan endpoints
* Create system-wide virsh networks during 'netlab up'
* Fix a typo in a BGP attribute type
* Update SRv6 module to use new dictionary-based attribute definition

## Documentation Fixes

### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.6.4-post3

* Outdated link in Ubuntu VM installation documentation
* Display version-specific topology file used to start a lab
* There's no release 1.5.5

### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.6.4-post2

* Add 'use /tmp on Ubuntu 22.04' to box building instructions
* Document further problems with vPTX DHCP client
* We're not recommending using pip3 as root (fixes #923)
* More HTML anchors for platform support tables

### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.6.2

* Rewrote confusing introduction to BGP configuration module platform feature support
* Fix a 'device image default' example that contained invalid container name

### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.6.1

* Use consistent anchors in "netlab show" documentation
* New Aruba download link