Presentation: Netlab Overview and Use Cases
At the recent NetBCN event, a concise presentation showcased netlab’s expanding portfolio of use cases, adding a dedicated “use cases” section to the standard deck. The speaker highlighted roughly a dozen scenarios, ranging from rapid prototyping of network designs to testing automation software and even simulating vendor TAC interactions. The full slide deck is publicly available on ipSpace.net without registration. This material positions netlab as a versatile sandbox for both development and troubleshooting tasks.
Worth Reading: Faster than Dijkstra?
Bruce Davie argues that using algorithms marketed as faster than Dijkstra’s in link‑state routing offers little practical benefit. Historical data shows Dijkstra can compute SPF for a 2,000‑node network in about 100 ms, comfortably meeting modern convergence needs. Most networks operate...
Netlab: Using L3VPN (MPLS/VPN) with SR-MPLS Core
The article demonstrates how netlab can orchestrate a full‑scale MPLS/VPN lab using an SR‑MPLS core, combining Arista cEOS PE routers with FRRouting P routers in Docker containers. LDP is disabled, forcing IS‑IS‑based segment routing to handle label distribution, while two...
Lab: More Complex EVPN/VXLAN Bridging Scenario
The latest EVPN/VXLAN lab adds a more complex bridging scenario where several EVPN MAC‑VRFs are each mapped to separate VLAN segments on individual PE devices. The topology includes three routers interconnected via an IPv4 underlay running OSPF and iBGP, and...
Configuring 6PE Route Reflector on Cisco IOS
Deploying a BGP route reflector for MPLS 6PE or L3VPN on Cisco IOS requires IPv6 routing to be enabled, even when the device never forwards IPv6 traffic. Without the "ipv6 unicast-routing" command, IOS rejects IPv6 address‑family configuration, causing integration tests to...
On AI Agents Speaking BGP
A recent proof‑of‑concept demonstrates an AI‑driven natural‑language interface that talks directly to a custom BGP daemon. The author argues that existing open‑source BGP suites like FRRouting already provide machine‑readable JSON and can be wrapped with simple REST APIs. Reinventing a...
Interesting: Open Space Events
Martin Fowler highlighted Open Space events as a self‑organizing format where participants set the agenda on the fly. The approach offers a structured yet flexible alternative to informal gatherings like Net::Beer, making it attractive for small tech meetups such as...
Netlab: The Caveats of Using Startup Configurations
Petr Ankudinov warns against relying on containerlab's startup‑config option for netlab deployments. While containerlab can apply partial startup configurations to most devices, it only supports complete startup files for Arista cEOS, forcing netlab to duplicate initial device setup. Errors in...
Public Videos: EVPN in MPLS-Based Environments
The article announces that Krzysztof Szarkowicz’s presentation on EVPN in MPLS‑based environments is now publicly available as part of the EVPN Technical Deep Dive webinar series. While EVPN is often discussed alongside VXLAN, its original purpose was to serve as...
Cisco IOS/XR OSPFv2 Not-So-Passive Interfaces
Cisco IOS/XR 25.2.1 violates the OSPF passive‑interface contract by still emitting OSPFv2 Hello packets. The router sends two hellos on a supposedly passive link, then stops, leaving the neighbor in the Init state and causing netlab integration tests to fail....
EVPN IP-VRFs on Cisco IOS/XE: Configuration Notes
The author explains how to get EVPN IP‑VRFs with transit VXLAN working on Cisco IOS/XE, emphasizing the need to configure an explicit VLAN on switch images or a bridge‑domain on router images for the transit VNI. He outlines the required...