# Changes in Release 1.8

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

## New Functionality

(release-1.8.1)=
### Release 1.8.1

* 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).
* Use SSH_CONNECTION local IP address when displaying the tool launch URL
* Warn user about IBGP sessions on nodes that have no IGP
* Display original system default path settings with the '[netlab show defaults](netlab-show-defaults)' command
* Implement feature check for [VRF routing protocols](module-vrf-platform-routing-support) and report errors when the lab topology uses unsupported protocols.

(release-1.8.1-device-features)=
**New device features:**

* [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
* The default Arista cEOS container version has been changed to 4.31.2F.
* Cisco IOS XRd container support
* Use standard Linux 'lo' loopback on FRR instead of 'lo0' dummy interface
* Execute a series of integration tests with the `device-module-test` script. The results are available at https://netlab-cicd.pages.dev/
* FRR supports VXLAN-over-IPv6

(release-1.8.1-device-fixes)=
**Minor fixes in device configuration templates:**

Arista EOS:
* Create next-hop-self route maps only when required
* Reduce the IPv6 RA timer
* Optimize OSPF convergence times
* Configure OSPFv3 on interfaces before the interfaces are mentioned in the routing process.

Cisco IOS:
* Optimize BGP configuration templates to improve convergence times
* Replace 'ipv6 ospf' with 'ospfv3' commands
* Loopback interface has to have OSPFv3 point-to-point network type to be advertised with the configured prefix.

Cisco Nexus OS:
* Reduce the IPv6 RA timer
* Loopback interface has to have OSPFv3 point-to-point network type to be advertised with the configured prefix.
* Reduce OSPF SPF and LSA timers
* Redistribute connected subnets into VRF OSPF instances

FRR:
* Optimize OSPF convergence times
* Set BGP router ID on FRR VRF BGP instances
* Use 'bridge fdb' in VXLAN configuration to set the remote VTEP list
* Remove SLAAC addresses from FRR interfaces

Junos:
* Redistribute connected subnets into VRF OSPF processes.
* Enable RA on Junos interfaces

SROS:
* Allow BGP next-hop resolution via LDP

**New development tools:**

* Integration tests for **bgp.session** plugin
* Enhance the IPv6 LLA/RFC8950 integration tests
* Restructured VXLAN integration tests include multi-node test
* Restructured VRF integration tests include IPv6 and OSPFv3 tests
* _netlab_ package includes Linux ping/route validation plugin and FRR OSPF/BGP validation plugin
* Use 'retry actions' validation functionality in the initial configuration, OSPF, BGP, VLAN, VRF, and VXLAN integration tests
* Add 'netlab_interfaces' list parameter to simplify configuration templates
* Add '--validate' option to 'netlab up' to auto-start validation

(release-1.8.0)=
### Release 1.8.0

* **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.
* [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 validation tests without creating complex Jinja2 templates
* [IBGP sessions](bgp-ibgp-sessions) to routing daemons running on Linux VMs or containers can be established with external-facing IP addresses (not just remote loopbacks).
* You can set [_netlab_ defaults](defaults) from the [environment variables](defaults-env)
* You can build Docker containers for the [supported daemons](platform-daemons) with the **[netlab clab build](netlab-clab-build)** command
* [Configuration template search paths and filenames](dev-config-deploy-paths) are no longer hardcoded. Most can be configured in [system defaults](defaults) using **defaults.paths** dictionary.

**New devices and daemons:**

* [BIRD Internet Routing Daemon](platform-daemons) with [OSPF](ospf-platform) and [BGP](bgp-platform) support, including [minimal **bgp.session** support](bgp-session-platforms).
* [dnsmasq DHCP server](platform-daemons)

**New device features:**

* [DHCP clients](dhcp-platform) on Cisco IOS, Arista EOS, Cumulus Linux, and Ubuntu VMs
* [DHCP servers](dhcp-platform) on Cisco IOS, Arista EOS, dnsmasq, and Ubuntu VMs
* VRF-aware DHCP server on Cisco IOS XE
* [DHCP relays](dhcp-platform) on Cisco IOS, Arista EOS, Cumulus Linux, and Ubuntu VMs
* Inter-VRF DHCP relay on Arista EOS and Cisco IOS XE
* FRR can use the **neighbor local-as** command to create a fake IBGP session.

**Minor improvements:**

* Node and group data can include any parameter starting with `ansible_` or `netlab_`, making it easier to override Ansible variables for individual nodes.
* Use physical interface for IBGP sessions with BGP daemons running on hosts.

**Integration tests:**

Release 1.8.0 includes improved BGP, OSPFv2, and OSPFv3 integration tests with automated validation.

## Breaking changes

(release-1.8.0-breaking)=
### Release 1.8.0

* The default MTU on Cumulus Linux VMs has been changed to 1500 bytes to ensure OSPFv2/OSPFv3 interoperability with other devices.
* The **netlab collect** command no longer creates subdirectories with configuration files for Cumulus Linux devices. FRR configuration is stored in `$nodename.cfg`, **ifupdown** configuration in `$nodename-interfaces`, and FRR daemons in `$nodename-frr.conf`.
* The **stub** link role no longer results in a passive IGP interface or BGP prefix advertisement. Instead, use ***protocol*.passive** and **bgp.advertise** link- or interface attributes instead.
* **groups.node_data** attribute is deprecated. _netlab_ generates a warning if you use it; future releases might throw an error.
* `net-tools` (`arp`, `route`, `ifconfig`) are no longer installed by default on Ubuntu virtual machines as their installation increases the lab setup time ([more details](linux-ubuntu-package)). Use `ip neigh`, `ip route`, `ip addr` and `ip link`. If you rely on `net-tools`, add the following line to your [netlab defaults](defaults-user-file):

```
devices.linux.group_vars.netlab_net_tools: True
```

* [LLDP is no longer enabled on Ubuntu virtual machines](linux-lldp) by default as the installation of the LLDP service increases the lab setup time ([more details](linux-ubuntu-package)). If you want to have LLDP running on all Linux virtual machines in your labs, add the following line to your [netlab defaults](defaults-user-file):

```
devices.linux.group_vars.netlab_lldp_enable: True
```

## Bug Fixes

(bug-fixes-1.8.1-post1)=
### Bug Fixes in Release 1.8.1-post1

* Native routed VLAN does not work with a VLAN trunk on l3-switches (fixes #1088)
* Create Vagrant box metadata in 'netlab libvirt' (fixes #1089)
* Initialize the VRF ID/RD data structures when there are no global VRFs
* Improve the definition of 'identifier' data type
* Display a warning when removing a routing protocol module from a node (fixes #1094)
* Generate a warning if a node has no active VRFs (fixes #1093)
* Do not delete VRFs from node 'vrfs' dictionary if the node has VRF loopbacks
* SROS: Fixes to accomodate IXR-X devices (#1103)
* SR Linux: Fix asymmetric IRB configuration (#1107)
* Dell OS10: Improvements/Fixes on EVPN+BGP+IPv6 (#1105)
* SR OS: Fix sap id logic (#1101)
* SR Linux: Fix BGP communities inside VRFs (#1100)
* Execute 'netlab initial -o' on systems without viable Ansible connection
* Quote config directory name passed from 'netlab initial' to Ansible
* Transform MPLS module after VRF module (fixes #1096)
* Dell OS10: fixes in VRF+BGP (#1090)
* Assign a unique Router ID to every IOSv OSPF process (fixes #1066)
* Junos quirk: a routing instance can have only one loopback (fixes #1065)
* VyOS: Configure BGP router-id in IPv6-only VRFs (#1082)
* VyOS: controlled BGP community propagation (#1080)
* VyOS: fix VRF route leaking without BGP module (#1078)
* VyOS: add cluster-id in rr config (#1075)
* VyOS: support for sending IPv6 RA (#1076)

### Bug Fixes in Release 1.8.1

* `strings.confirm` function catches SIGINT and aborts
* Stop 'netlab down' complaints with the double '--force' option
* Missing BGP prefix from a stub network in IPv6 BGP RR integration test
* Fix Arista EOS VRF IPv6 routing typo
* Set PYTHONPATH when running netlab from a Git repo
* get_globbed_files should deal with path-as-string
* Allow a list of target states in the FRR BGP validation plugin
* Touch lock file in 'netlab initial' to extend 'netlab validate' delays
* Use 'bridge fdb' on FRR instead of 'ip link' to set remote VTEP
* Add '--skip-missing' to 'netlab validate'
* 'netlab status' should return an error status if no labs are running
* Choices of -t parameter of 'netlab graph' must be a list
* Hints added to warnings should not get into ERROR_LOG
* Python 3.12 does not like an ASCII smiley :(
* Add 'state=missing' parameter to OSPF/OSPFv3 prefix validation
* FRR needs router-id in VRF BGP in IPv6-only deployments
* VXLAN is not implemented for vPTX
* Catch exception thrown by `os.getcwd()
* 'netlab validate' passed insufficient args to 'netlab connect'
* Return an error if 'netlab show defaults' cannot find the requested value
* Text-only addressing report crashed in IPv6-only networks
* Copy node OSPF data into VRFs and loopback interface to simplify config templates
* FRR uses different JSON data structures for OSPFv2 and OSPFv3 routes
* Don't change multi-provider VLAN members to LAN links
* Libvirt provider should batch only nodes using libvirt
* Use double underscores in environment variables
* Check that the '--node' parameter in 'netlab inspect' is an identifier
* NXOS template did not turn off `switchport` on L3 VLAN access links

### Bug Fixes in Release 1.8.0-post2

* Check the IOS XR management IP address only for the libvirt provider
* Cannot mix include-tasks and import-tasks in recent Ansible versions
* Cleanup the 'using netlab from Git repo' setup script

### Bug Fixes in Release 1.8.0-post1

* SSH options should be in key=value format
* Create D2 links between LAN networks and nodes-in-clusters 
* Prevent vagrant complaining about vif interface names in multilab
* Remove double curly braces from f-strings

### Bug Fixes in Release 1.8.0

* Make common error header optional when calling `log.fatal`
* Unify configuration collection from FRR and Cumulus Linux
* Collect Cumulus Linux configuration into the main output directory
* Don't prettify YAML output values that are not structured
* ArubaCX EVPN VRF w/o L3VNI
* Set LIBVIRT environment variables to have a consistent box-building environment
* Replace Jinja2 logic when generating host-to-IP mappings with Ansible variable
* Retain the order of configuration module deployment in the `initial-config` playbook
* Implement warning-level error messages
* Improve logging and error reporting in the 'netlab libvirt package' command.
* Adapt to stricter IPv4 address checks introduced in **netaddr** 1.1.0
* Avoid overloaded Ansible variable name
* Add netlab directory to shell search path
* Use shared task lists to deploy config templates with the `netlab config` command.
* `netlab initial` could not configure the module(s) specified in the `--module` parameter
* Consider the lab topology directory and current directory when searching for configuration templates.

## Documentation Fixes

(doc-fixes-1.8.1-post1)=
### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.8.1-post1

* Explain why you can't change a multilab-controlled setting (fixes #1102)
* Explain the interaction between global- and node VRFs
* Document Linux commands used by netlab (fixes #1097)
* Enable RSA SSH keys on AlmaLinux to use Cisco IOSv (fixes #1098)

### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.8.1

* Use environment variables to set Multilab parameters

### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.8.0-post2

* Caveat: you might have to install MPLS drivers on Ubuntu
* Caveat: IOS XR enables the SSH server before it configures users

### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.8.0

* Changed documentation theme colors and dark mode
* Better description of custom group Ansible variables
* RouterOS CHR upload limits and trial license usage. 
* Describe the handling of physical interface attributes on VLAN access links
* Slightly rewritten vEOS Vagrant box configuration instructions
* Add missing 'netlab show' commands to help file, fix typos