# Changes in Release 25.12

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(release-25.12)=
## New Functionality

* Common framework for [standard/large/extended BGP community lists](generic-routing-community) (extended BGP community lists are coming in the next release)
* Large BGP community lists, implemented on Arista EOS, FRR, and Junos. You can use standard- or large community lists in [routing policies](generic-routing-policies)
* Support Cisco ASAv in *vrnetlab* containers
* [Reread validation tests](netlab-validate-dev) from the lab topology file (if it was modified since the lab was started) every time you run the **[netlab validate](netlab-validate)** command
* The **netlab validate** command can also read validation tests from a separate file.
* The **shutdown** [link/interface attribute](link-attributes) can be used to start labs with interfaces turned off
* The **bgp.rr_mesh** parameter [controls IBGP sessions between BGP route reflectors](bgp-ibgp-sessions)

**Minor improvements**

* Add `--title` parameter to the [**netlab graph**](netlab-graph) command
* Add [**clab.exec** parameter](clab-other-parameters) to execute commands when starting containers
* Replace routing policy **set.community.delete** attribute with **delete.community** attribute. _netlab_ automatically translates old attributes into new ones.
* Bump minimum containerlab release to 0.72.0 (needed to support Cisco ASAv and the new Cisco IOSv **kind**)
* Use daemon configuration files to create container-side bash scripts that are executed during the container startup process
* The [**netlab initial**](netlab-initial) command creates daemon configuration files in Python code, not in an Ansible playbook
* You can use the `-m`, `-i` and `-c` parameters with the **netlab initial --output** command to control the configuration files created in the output directory

(release-25.12-device-features)=
## New Device Features

Arista EOS:

* VXLAN over IPv6
* Large BGP community lists

Bird:

* A completely Ansible-free configuration process relying on Bird daemon configuration files and container-side Bash scripts

Cisco 8000v (IOS/XR):

* Static routes
* Route import into BGP, IS-IS, and OSPFv2/v3
* OSPFv2/v3 default route
* VLAN and VRF support
* BGP confederations
* BGP local-as support

Cisco ASAv:

* You can run ASAv in a vrnetlab container (supported in *containerlab* release 0.72.0)

Cisco Catalyst 8000v:

* VXLAN over IPv4 with static ingress replication
* The default container version has been changed to IOS/XE 17.16.01a (see also: [changing device images](tutorial-release)).
* _netlab_ tracks the state of the Catalyst 8000v license applied to the nodes with the **cat8000v.license** node attribute. The [default value of this parameter](caveats-cat8000v) is **premier**.
* _netlab_ checks the configured Catalyst 8000v license level and refuses to configure MPLS, SR-MPLS, VXLAN, or SRv6 on a Catalyst 8000v node if the **cat8000v.license** parameter is not set to **premier**.
* The VLAN configuration template has been changed to use the new bridge-domain configuration model (service instances are defined as members of **bridge-domain**) when the **cat8000v.license** node attribute is set to **premier**. You might have to rebuild your Catalyst 8000v containers using the latest _vrnetlab_ code for the new template to work, or set the **cat8000v.license** parameter to **none** ([more details](caveats-cat8000v)).

Cisco IOSv:

* Use the new containerlab **kind** for IOSv containers

Fortinet:

* Replace device configuration through Ansible modules with configuration templates.
* Try to use FortiOS Monitor API to upload configuration scripts to a FortiOS device; fall back to SSH/Expect if needed

FRRouting:

* Large BGP community lists
* You can enable additional FRR daemons not used by *netlab* configuration modules. List them in the **frr.daemons** node attribute
* FRRouting containers and VMs can be used as custom bridges

Junos:

* Large BGP community lists

(release-25.12-device-fixes)=
## Fixes in Configuration Templates

Cisco 8000v:
* Set default IPv6 RA interval to 5 seconds
* Configure low OSPF SPF/LSA throttle timers
* Rewrite the BGP template to use new BGP neighbor attributes

(release-25.12-breaking)=
## Breaking changes

* Catalyst 8000v VLAN configuration template assumes you use VMs or containers with the **network-premier** license. You might have to rebuild your Catalyst 8000v container using the latest *vrnetlab* code ([more details](caveats-cat8000v)).
* The code expanding [link **groups**](link-groups) retains the link order. Previously, the group members were appended to the end of the **links** list. This change will change the lab addressing for labs using link groups.
* The **routing.policy.set.community.delete/delete_list** attributes have been replaced with **routing.policy.delete.community** attribute. You can still use the old attributes in lab topology files; you might have to adjust any custom device configuration templates (or other post-processing tools) that delete communities in route maps.
* The **routing.community.type** attribute, which signalled *standard* (simple matching) versus *expanded* (regex matching) BGP community list type, has been renamed to **cl_type**. The **routing.community.type** attribute now encodes the type of communities matched by the community list (*standard*, *large*, and *extended*). There is no impact on lab topologies; you might have to update custom configuration templates.

## Development Features

* Implement `_invalid_with` data validation option
* Implement `_default` values in data validation
* Daemon **daemon_config** attribute can be used to generate container-side initial device configuration

(bug-fixes-25.12.01)=
## Bug Fixes in Release 25.12.01

* Containerlab version specified in the `clab.yml` provider definition file must be a string
* **netlab install** should stringify default values copied into the process environment

(bug-fixes-25.12)=
## Bug Fixes in Release 25.12

* Increase BGP/IS-IS redistribution wait times for Cisco 8000v
* Fix device descriptions for Catalyst 8000v and Cisco 8000v
* Enable EVPN only on IPv4 or RFC 8950 BGP sessions (#2813)
* Stop 'netlab initial' on first error during integration tests
* Add tools/ to package MANIFEST.in (#2819)
* Use the generic readiness check for the IOS/XR container
* SRSIM config deployment crashed with empty update elements
* Transform community lists into type/value format
* Move rarely-used tests into 'code coverage' tests
* Fix the node-level STP protocol override setting (#2821)
* Add the ability to generate generic warnings only once
* Do not print WARNING/INFO messages when running in QUIET mode
* Fix Junos community quirks to work with the new routing policy and community list attributes
* Unnumbered interfaces crash topology graphs
* Treat 'initial' as another module when creating daemon configs
* Add 'extra_path' parameter to write_template function (#2873)
* Path to 'daemons' directory is already included in default paths
* Refactor the containerlab configuration template (#2859)
* Normalize containerlab interface names containing '/' when used in the **netlab capture** command
* Retain link order when expanding link groups
* Copy relevant link module data to interfaces attached to a bridge
* Remove support for task-list-only device configuration
* Match the whole test names against the **netlab validate** CLI arguments
* Split the **netlab validate** command into numerous modules

Integration test fixes:

* Use symbolic wait times in integration tests
* Add wait times to VRF static routing tests
* Increased OSPF SPF times for conditional default route generation
* Extend the OSPF adjacency wait time over VLANs
* Use redistribution wait times in IS-IS integration tests
* It takes Cisco 8000v 60+ seconds to start VRF IPv6 EBGP session
* Adjust the BGP VRF tests to use 'BGP redistribution' timeouts
* Increase ping timeouts in static routing and data-plane VRF tests
* Test EVPN in a dual-stack network
* Generic integration test adjustment plugin
* vPTX (who else) needs longer for IPv6 interfaces to wake up

(doc-fixes-25.12)=
## Documentation Fixes

* Update the 'waiting for VM' part of the containerlab documentation 
* Use a recent vrnetlab version to build Cat8000v containers
* New Wireshark release breaks old plugins
* vrnetlab can build Cat8000v containers with premier license 
* Fix the list of commands printed by the **netlab help** command