Create Lab Configuration Files

The netlab create command reads network topology description in YAML format, performs data transformation from high-level data model to devices-and-links data model, and creates virtualization- and automation configuration files needed to set up your lab.

Network Topology Sources

netlab create uses these sources of information to build the desired lab topology:

• Network topology in YAML format (default: topology.yml, but see also Version-Specific Lab Topology Files)

• Default settings that can be specified in project-, user- or system default files

Data Model Transformation

After reading the network topology, netlab create performs a complex data transformation to create device- and link-level data structures fully describing network topology, IP addressing and (optional) routing protocols.

You can influence the data model transformation with optional configuration modules and custom plugins.

Creating Configuration Files

netlab create uses transformed node- and link-level data structures to create:

• Snapshot of the transformed topology in the netlab.snapshot.yml file. This file is used by netlab down command to find the virtualization provider and link (bridge) names.

• Vagrantfile supporting libvirt or virtualbox environment

• clab.yml file used by containerlab.

• Ansible inventory[1], either as a single-file data structure, or as a minimal inventory file with data stored primarily in host_vars and group_vars

• Various graphs in graphviz DOT format

• YAML or JSON representation of transformed lab topology or parts of the transformed data model

• Configuration file for graphite visualization tool

Warning

‌netlab create command refuses to create provider configuration files, Ansible inventory, or netlab.snapshot.yml file if it finds netlab.lock file in the current directory.

netlab.lock file is created by the ‌netlab up command to ensure subsequent ‌netlab create commands don’t overwrite the provider configuration files. It is automatically removed after a successful completion of ‌netlab down command.

The Output Formats section describes how you can control the output files and their format with CLI parameters. See Output Formats for more details on individual file formats.

Usage

usage: netlab create [-h] [--log] [-q] [-v] [--defaults DEFAULTS] [-d DEVICE]
                     [-p PROVIDER] [-s SETTINGS] [--plugin PLUGIN]
                     [-o OUTPUT] [topology]

Create provider- and automation configuration files

positional arguments:
  topology              Topology file (default: topology.yml)

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --log                 Enable basic logging
  -q, --quiet           Report only major errors
  -v, --verbose         Verbose logging
  --defaults DEFAULTS   Local topology defaults file
  -d DEVICE, --device DEVICE
                        Default device type
  -p PROVIDER, --provider PROVIDER
                        Override virtualization provider
  --plugin PLUGIN       Additional plugin(s)
  -s SETTINGS, --set SETTINGS
                        Additional parameters added to topology file
  -o OUTPUT, --output OUTPUT
                        Output format(s): format:option=filename
  --devices             Create provider configuration file and netlab-devices.yml

output files created when no output is specified:

  * Transformed topology snapshot in netlab.snapshot.yml
  * Virtualization provider file with provider-specific filename
    (Vagrantfile or clab.yml)
  * Ansible inventory file (hosts.yml) and configuration (ansible.cfg)

For a complete list of output formats please consult the documentation

For more details on topology file format, please read the lab topology overview and reference documentation.

Output Formats

Without specifying the output format(s), netlab create creates a provider configuration file (Vagrantfile or clab.yml) and either Ansible inventory data (hosts.yml, ansible.cfg, host_vars, group_vars) or netlab-devices.yml file (if the --devices flag was specified).

You could specify one or more output formats with the -o CLI parameter. For more details please read the output formats part of the documentation.

Setting Topology Parameters from Command Line

The following CLI flags can be used to change individual topology parameters:

• -d sets default device type (defaults.device)

• -p sets virtualization provider (provider)

• -s uses key=value format to set specified topology element value. The key could be a hierarchical dotted name.

• --plugin specifies additional plugins not listed in lab topology or system defaults (example: multilab plugin)

Example

Assume the following topology file that uses containerlab provider to set up a lab of three Cumulus VX devices:

defaults:
  device: cumulus

provider: clab

module: [ ospf ]
nodes: [ s1, s2, s3 ]
links: [ s1-s2, s2-s3 ]

When running…

$ netlab create -d iosv -p libvirt -s ospf.area=123

… you’ll get a Vagrant file using vagrant-libvirt plugin that will create a lab with three Cisco IOS routers. OSPF configuration of those routers will use area 123.

Setting Node Parameters

The --set CLI parameter can set a scalar value (number, string, True/False) anywhere within the topology file dictionary hierarchy but cannot set parameters within lists. If you want to set parameters for individual nodes you have to use the dictionary format of the nodes top-level element.

Example: Assume you want to test OSPF interoperability between Cumulus Linux and other device types. Create a topology file as above, but specify nodes as a dictionary:

defaults:
  device: cumulus

module: [ ospf ]

nodes:
  s1:
  s2:
  s3:
links: [ s1-s2, s2-s3 ]

Now you can use the --set nodes.sx.device CLI parameter to change the device type of any node in the lab. To change S1 to Cisco IOS, use:

$ netlab up -s nodes.s1.device=iosv

---

[1]

Or netlab-devices.yml file when the --devices flag is used