Release Notes / Documentation for the Dynamips Configuration Generator version 0.2
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Project Page:
Author: Greg Anuzelli
Contact: dynagen@gmail.com
Description
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The Dynamips Configuration Generator is a simple tool for use with the amazing Dynamips Cisco 7200 router emulator (). It reads in an INI-like configuration file and spits out a bash script with all the configuration options necessary to launch dynamips emulator instances that match your configuration. It takes care of specifying the right port adapters, generating and matching up those pesky netio descriptors, generating the bridge files, etc.
System Requirements
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Requires Python 2.3 or later. Although the tool runs under any OS, it generates a bash script for use with Unix / Linux. The script that is generated requires dynamips version 0.2.4. Earlier version will not work, and newer versions may or may not work.
Installation Notes
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The tarball contains the following files:
COPYING The GPL license
Release Notes.txt The release notes you are reading right now
dynagen The executable
kill-dyna.sh A script that shuts down all dynamips instances
mynetwork-sample.cfg A sample annotated network config file
Unpack the tarball, and copy "dynagen" and "kill-dyna.sh" to somewhere in your path (e.g. /usr/local/bin).
To try it out, make a new directory somewhere and copy "mynetwork-sample.cfg" into it. Then compile the sample network with:
dynagen mynetwork-sample.cfg mynetwork.sh
It should create a "mynetwork.sh" script, along with some VLAN files. Execute this script, and telnet to ports 2000, 2001, and 2002 to attach to the consoles of the three routers defined in the sample configuration. You will notice that the script creates a subdirectory for each router instance where the router's working files are stored. To shut down the network, run "kill-dyna.sh".
The sample config file is fairly well commented, so use that as a starting point for your own networks. You only need to rerun dynagen if you make a change to your configuration file. Otherwise just re-use the script file generated to restart your virtual network.
New Features
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Version 0.2:
- Added Frame Relay switch support
- Now works with Cygwin on Windows
Important Notes
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- When you specify serial interfaces, it always "installs" a PA-8T serial adapter, as opposed to than a PA-4T+. I figure why not do the 8 port card, since it's free. :)
Open Caveats
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- No ATM support at all. Then again, there is no longer ATM on the CCIE lab! :) I'll add this at some point.
- The configuration file generated is a little ugly and probably non-optimal, but it works.
- Documentation is a little light (i.e. this file and a commented sample configuration).
- Input error checking is spotty at best. I do some checks for what I would consider common typos that could trip you up (for example trying to put a serial adapter in slot 0). But, for example, the tool will gleefully try to create an interface Fa97/297 of type "strawberry jam" if you tell it to. Of course dynamips will then bomb out when you try to run it.
- Security: Again, limited input error checking. So for example, since the script creates a subdirectory with the name you provided for the router instances, if you run against a configuration file that contains a router named something crazy like "/bin/bash" you are probably going to have a bad day.
- Probably lots of other bugs... just look at the version number.
Thanks
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Thanks to Fabien Devaux, Christophe Fillot, MtvE for creating the dynamips emulator.