Containerlab - Running Networking Labs with Docker UX

 

Containerlab - Running Networking Labs with Docker UX

Roman Dodin

With the growing number of containerized Network Operating Systems grows the demand to easily run them in the user-defined, versatile topologies. Unfortunately, container orchestration tools like docker-compose are not a good fit for that purpose, as they do not allow a user to easily create links between the containers which comprise a topology. Containerlab provides a Command Line Interface for orchestrating and managing container-based networking labs. It starts the containers, builds a virtual wiring between them to create topologies of user's choice and manages lab's lifecycle. Having a strong focus on the containerized Network Operating Systems, containerlab also has support for running traditional VM-based networking products in the same container-like fashion. That makes it a universal tool for deploying network topologies, encompassing both legacy VM based systems and containerized products. By being open source, lightweight, fast and having multivendor support, makes containerlab a perfect tool to deploy network topologies for lab exercises, network testing and CI.

Containerlab - running networking labs with Docker UX (pdf)

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