# Changes in Release 1.8

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

## New Functionality

(release-1.8.4)=
### Release 1.8.4

* Support for [Cisco Catalyst 8000v](platform-devices)
* Unified support of [vrnetlab containers](clab-vrnetlab) (including ArubaCX, Cisco Catalyst 8000v, Cisco CSR 1000v, Dell OS10, Cisco Nexus 9000v, Mikrotik RouterOS, Juniper vMX, vPTX and vSRX)
* Automated build of GitHub Codespaces devcontainer
* Handle keyboard interrupts in long-running netlab commands, including **[netlab up](netlab-up)**, **[netlab initial](netlab-initial)** and **[netlab validate](netlab-validate)**.
* Add `--ready` action to **[netlab initial](netlab-initial)** command to wait for lab devices to become ready without configuring them.

(release-1.8.4-device-features)=
**New device features:**

* VyOS: support for RIPv2 and RIPng

(release-1.8.3)=
### Release 1.8.3

* [RIPv2/RIPng configuration module](module-ripv2) implemented on Arista EOS, Cisco IOS/IOS-XE, Cumulus Linux, FRR, and Nokia SR OS.
* Implement BGP Link Bandwidth community in [bgp.policy plugin](plugin-bgp-policy). Available on Arista EOS, Cisco IOSv/IOS-XE, Cumulus Linux, FRR, and SR OS
* Implement a BGP route server/client in [bgp.session](plugin-bgp-session). It is available on Arista EOS, Bird, Cisco IOSv/IOS-XE, Cumulus Linux, and FRR.
* Installation scripts work with Ubuntu 24.04. They were also tested on Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Debian Bookworm.
* **netlab install** [describes Python package installation options](netlab-install-python) and asks for user confirmation before installing packages as root.
* The `--user` option of the **netlab install** command installs Python packages in the user's `.local` directory.

(release-1.8.3-device-fixes)=
**Minor fixes in device configuration templates:**

Aruba CX:
* Reset BGP sessions after applying neighbor route-maps in bgp.policy template

FRR:
* Load VRF kernel module during initial configuration, and disable management VRF when it is not available (#1210)

SR Linux:
* Add +1 to allow-own-as value (#1189)
* Fix next-hop-self for EBGP routes (#1203)
* Add quirk to warn about BGP extended communities not being filtered (#1201)
* Fix BGP prefix origination (#1200)
* Fix IBGP local-as test case (#1199)
* Add BGP export policy to filter what gets announced (#1204)

SR OS:
* Fix ISIS context (#1188)
* Add BGP export policy to filter what gets announced (#1204)

VyOS:
* Support for the bgp.policy plugin (#1195)

(release-1.8.3-dev)=
**New development tools:**

* bgp.policy integration tests
* Implement Arista EOS and Cumulus Linux BGP and OSPF validation plugins, add integration tests for validation plugins
* Refactor FRR BGP and OSPF validation plugin
* Add 'best', 'locpref' and 'med' checks to the 'bgp_prefix' validation function
* Move 'aspath' and 'community' checks into the main 'bgp_prefix' validation function
* Validation plugins can Raise successful results with the `log.Result` exception or skip a test with the `log.Skipped exception
* Implement custom data type validators

(release-1.8.2)=
### Release 1.8.2

* [Create reports](netlab-report) from a subset of nodes
* [Inspect](netlab-inspect) the same variable(s) [across multiple nodes](netlab-inspect-node)
* Check for Vagrant boxes or Docker containers before [starting the lab](netlab-up) and display pointers to build recipes.
* Check installed Ansible collections before starting **[netlab up](netlab-up)** or **[netlab initial](netlab-initial)**
* New device: Sonic (based on Azure sonic-vs images). It supports IPv4, IPv6, and EBGP.

(release-1.8.2-vagrant)=
Improvements in Vagrant box building process ([**netlab libvirt package**](netlab-libvirt-package) command):

* Automatically unpack OVA files
* Use a temporary build directory within `/tmp`, resulting in cleaner source directories.
* Use internal code to generate a Vagrant box, skipping the download of an external script and an extra copying operation.
* The resulting Vagrant box is not compressed, resulting in significantly faster completion.

Other improvements:

* Use `defaults.paths` setting when loading transformation plugins 
* Implement a mechanism to prepend/append directories to default search paths
* Generate a warning if the topology was modified after the snapshot was created
* IS-IS integration tests
* Create different hostnames for VRF IP addresses (for example, `r1-red` instead of `r1`)

(release-1.8.2-device-features)=
**New device features:**

* Add box preinstall hook that copies extra Dell OS10 files to build directory (#1125)

(release-1.8.2-device-fixes)=
**Minor fixes in device configuration templates:**

ArubaCX:
* Enable IPv6 Router Advertisements
* Implement VRF route redistribution between connected subnets, OSPF, and BGP
* Reduce *connect retry* and *advertisement interval* BGP timers

Dell OS10:
* Reduce the maximum boot waiting time to two minutes
* Multiple BGP configuration fixes (including a fixed BGP template definition)
* Do not set IPv6 ND on loopbacks
* Reject lab topologies running OSPF on SVI interfaces

FRR:
* Implement bgp.session parameters for unnumbered EBGP sessions
* Management VRF in FRR containers
* Use the same mechanism to build /etc/hosts in Linux/FRR containers and virtual machines

IOS/IOS XE:
* Change loopback OSPFv3 network type to comply with RFC 5340
* IOSv fix: configure ISIS routing process after enabling ISIS on interfaces

Nexus OS:
* BGP community propagation on VRF EBGP sessions
* Configuration errors in NXOS bgp.session template
* Change loopback OSPFv3 network type to comply with RFC 5340

Nokia SR Linux:
* Fix VRF BGP import/export policies  
* IS-IS over IPv4 unnumbered interfaces
* Remove check for IPv6 LLA on interface EBGP sessions
* Allow activation of IPv4 over IPv6 session and vice versa 
* Fix formatting of OSPF area ID as IPv4 address
* Catch inter-VRF leaking scenarios without EVPN
* Remove the hardcoded notion that stubs get implemented as loopbacks
* Support OSPF over unnumbered ipv4 interfaces
* Fix IS-IS cost metric configuration
* Capture lack of IS-IS multi-topology support

Nokia SR OS:
* Instantiate IS-IS in the correct context
* Minor IPv6 gateway fixes
* Set OSPF router ID

Mikrotik RouterOS7:
* Enable IPv6 Router Advertisements using an interval of less than 30 seconds
* Rewrite OSPF configuration template
* Add 'remove-private-as' and refactor bgp.session configuration template
* Change BGP configuration templates to use the new BGP and router redistribution configuration syntax

VyOS:
* Restart FRR after changing the VyOS hostname
* Refactor of bgp.session template (#1180)

**New development tools:**

* Restructured bgp.session integration tests
* Split the initial interface configuration test into addresses and MTU tests
* Increase timeouts for GTSM and BGP password integration tests
* New VRF integration test: BGP community propagation in VRF

(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
* The loopback interface has to have an OSPFv3 point-to-point network type to be advertised with the configured prefix.

Cisco Nexus OS:
* Reduce the IPv6 RA timer
* The loopback interface has to have an 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
* Reduce IS-IS LSP generation timers to speed up IS-IS convergence

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](topo-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](topo-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
```

* The _clab_ [user-defined custom configuration files](clab-config-template) are no longer expected to be in the current directory but use the device-specific [configuration deployment search paths](dev-config-deploy-paths). For example, the FRR `daemons` configuration template has to be in `./templates/frr/daemons.j2`.

## Bug Fixes

(bug-fixes-1.8.4-post2)=
### Bug Fixes in Release 1.8.4-post2

* Save FRR running configuration (#1233)
* Add missing `__init__.py` files in FRR validation modules (#1232)

(bug-fixes-1.8.4-post1)=
### Bug Fixes in Release 1.8.4-post1

* Convert OSPF areas specified as integers into IP addresses (for example, **area 0** becomes **area 0.0.0.0**)
* A validation logging message was printed before the log system was initialized
* Extra initial validation delay is no longer needed on vPTX

(bug-fixes-1.8.4)=
### Bug Fixes in Release 1.8.4

* Add missing IOS XR initial configuration file
* Fix OSPFv3 unnumbered integration test
* Rewrite FRR/clab modprobe test to work around Ansible stupidities

(bug-fixes-1.8.3)=
### Bug Fixes in Release 1.8.3

* Recreate topology.sys data when printing 'connect to tool' message in 'netlab connect'
* Check overlap with node names before creating BGP groups (fixes #1193)
* Bug fix: use an older version of the Graphite container
* Execute node custom configs after plugin custom configs (fixes #1198)
* Don't skip VXLAN module if a node has EVPN L3VNIs (fixes #1197)
* bgp.session: Make 'locpref' and 'med' link/interface attributes
* Report an error when a device template is not found in custom config directory
* Update template file name rendering for custom configs in subdirectories (#1208)
* Use absolute path to kvm-ok, document workarounds (fixes #1205)
* Install libssh-dev (required by ansible-pylibssh on Ubuntu 24.04)

(bug-fixes-1.8.2)=
### Bug Fixes in Release 1.8.2

* Addressing report breaks in IPv4-only networks
* Do not include missing directories in the evaluated search paths
* Add system defaults (`/etc/netlab`) directory to search paths
* Node name in links.interfaces should be a node_id
* Create the box-building ASAv virtual machine using an XML template
* Cleanup box building environment after a KeyboardInterrupt
* Use explicit MTU in OSPF, BGP, VRF, and VXLAN integration tests
* IBGP local-as is not supported on ArubaCX
* Use 'stub_loopback' device setting before the system default
* Always execute 'vagrant box list' and 'docker images ls', even when starting **netlab up** with `--dry-run` option
* Wiring report crashes if an interface has no neighbors
* **netlab status** should survive labs with missing 'status'
* Use low static VNI in multivendor VXLAN test
* isis.network_type attribute could be a bool
* Improve parsing of JSON results in **netlab validate**
* Print error messages when failing to load validation plugins or when a validation plugin does not have the required action
* Pass **netlab connect** `-q` flag to the logging module
* SR Linux: Fix path to root CA for 'netlab collect'
* SR Linux: Cannot configure L2 MTU on IXR-H platforms
* Clear BGP sessions after configuring parameters in bgp.session plugin

(bug-fixes-1.8.1-post2)=
### Bug Fixes in Release 1.8.1-post2

* Node name in links.interfaces should be a **node_id** (not a generic identifier)
* Addressing report fails in IPv4-only networks

(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 accommodate 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-1.8.4-post2)=
### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.8.4-post2

* _clab_ configuration template search path for user-specified templates has changed in release 1.8.0

(doc-fixes-1.8.4-post1)=
### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.8.4-post1

* FRR supports IPv4 EBGP AF over IPv6 LLA

(doc-fixes-1.8.3)=
### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.8.3

* FRR containers need the VRF kernel module on the host

(doc-fixes-1.8.2)=
### Documentation Fixes in Release 1.8.2

* Move generic box-building caveats into a single file
* The 'EVPN needs an AS' hint should be more explicit
* Updated Dell OS10 Ansible-related information
* Update URL for the latest ArubaCX release
* Optimized Aruba CX box-building recipe
* Simplify RouterOS7 box building process
* Updated platform documentation and added pointers to build recipes
* Add a 'write/reload' step to dellos10 build recipe
* nokia.grpc collection works with Ansible release 9.5.1
* Describe how to get kvm-ok on non-Ubuntu distros
* Document IS-IS caveats
* Update [](topo-links) documentation

(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