Topology File Transformation

netlab performs a complex data transformation of the lab topology file to get device-level data that is then used to create output files (Ansible inventory, Vagranfile…).

The data transformation has three major steps:

Setup Phase

  • Read topology file

  • Read customer and system default settings (topology-defaults.yml) and merge them with the topology file (netsim.read_topology.load)

  • Check for presence of required top-level topology elements (netsim.augment.topology.check_required_elements)

  • Adjust the nodes data structure: transform list of strings into a dictionary with empty values (netsim.augment.nodes.create_node_dict)

  • Adjust the list of links – transform strings or lists of nodes into link dictionaries (netsim.augment.links.adjust_link_list)

  • Initialize plugin system: load all plugins listed in the plugin top-level element (netsim.augment.plugin.init)

  • Execute plugin init hook (netsim.augment.plugin.execute)

  • Extend default.attributes with default.extra_attributes (netsim.augment.topology.extend_attribute_list)

  • Initialize node groups (netsim.augment.groups.init_groups):

    • Check the group data structures

    • Add group members based on nodes’ group attribute

    • Check recursive groups

    • Copy group device and module attribute into nodes

    • Copy group node_data into nodes

    • Process bgp.as_list to get bgp.as node attributes

    • Create BGP autogroups (groups based on BGP AS numbers)

    • Copy node_data from BGP autogroups into nodes

  • Adjust global parameters (netsim.augment.topology.adjust_global_parameters):

    • Set provider top-level element

    • Merge provider-specific device and addressing defaults with global defaults

  • Load provider plugin (netsim.providers._Provider.load)

  • Augment node provider data: set node device type, select VM/container image, copy provider-specific node data into node dictionary (netsim.augment.nodes.augment_node_provider_data)

  • Augment node data with global defaults that are not part of configuration modules (example: MTU) (augment.nodes.augment_node_system_data)

  • Setup addressing pools (netsim.addressing.setup)

Global Data Transformation

  • Execute pre_transform plugin hooks (netsim.augment.plugin.execute)

  • Execute pre_transform module adjustments (netsim.modules.adjust_modules)

  • Execute pre_transform node- and link-level module hooks

  • Validate top-level topology elements (netsim.augment.topology.check_global_elements)

Node Data Transformation

  • Execute pre_node_transform plugin hooks (netsim.augment.plugin.execute)

  • Execute pre_node_transform module hooks (netsim.modules.pre_node_transform)

  • Set unique ID for every node

  • Get loopback IP addresses, management MAC address, and management IP addresses (netsim.augment.nodes.augment_mgmt_if) from loopback and mgmt address pools

  • Execute augment_node_data provider hook (example: set hostname for containerlab nodes)

  • Execute post_node_transform plugin and module hooks

Final Steps and Cleanup

  • Execute post_transform module functions (netsim.modules.post_transform):

    • Check whether the lab devices support modules configured on them (netsim.modules.check_supported_node_devices)

    • Merge select node data into interface data (netsim.modules.copy_node_data_into_interfaces) – this is how interfaces get default ospf.area from the node.

    • Execute post_transform node-level module hook

    • Execute post_transform link-level module hook

    • Sort node module lists in order of module dependencies – a module dependent on another module will be configured after it (netsim.modules.reorder_node_modules)

  • Execute post_transform plugin hooks

  • Merge group-level and node-level custom deployment templates (netsim.augment.groups.node_config_template)

  • Delete temporary data structures from the topology (list of plugin modules, addressing pools, pointer to provider module)

Configuration Module Transformations

netsim.modules module contains these transformations

Adjust Global Module Parameters

  • Add global modules to all nodes that do not have a module parameter (augment_node_modules)

  • Adjust global module settings: add node-specific modules to global list of modules (adjust_global_modules)

  • Execute module-level init hook

  • Adjust node module parameters (merge_node_module_params):

    • Add global module parameters to node data

    • Add device-specific module parameters to node data

    • Add system default settings to node data

    Note: In all cases, skip module attributes listed in module no_propagate attribute.

  • Adjust global module parameters (merge_global_module_params)

    • Copy system default module settings into topology settings, skipping module attributes listed in module no_propagate attribute.

    • Reorder the global list of modules based on transform_after module attribute

    Note: global module parameters have to be adjusted after node parameters to get the desired node/global/device/default precedence.

  • Enable additional module parameters specified in the lab topology

  • Check global-, node- and link-level module parameters against the list of allowed module attributes (specified under module settings in system defaults) (check_module_parameters)

  • Check module dependencies (for example: SR-MPLS module can only be used with IS-IS module) (check_module_dependencies)

  • Execute module-level module_pre_default hook

  • Execute node_pre_default hooks

  • Execute link_pre_default hooks

Node-Level Module Hooks

For every node using the specified module, execute node_ hook (node_pre_default, node_pre_transform, node_post_transform).