This docker container creates a VPP instance based on the latest release. It starts up as per normal, using /etc/vpp/startup.conf (which Containerlab will replace), and once started, it'll execute /etc/vpp/bootstrap.vpp within the dataplane. There are three relevant files:

manual-pre.vpp -- can be supplied by the user, to run any configuration statements before containerlab takes control.
clab.vpp -- generated by containerlab. It will bind the vethpair interfaces into the dataplane.
manual-post.vpp -- can be supplied by the user, to run any configuration statements after containerlab is finished with its per-lab statements.

Building

docker build -f Dockerfile.bookworm . -t pimvanpelt/vpp-containerlab

Starting the container

docker network create --driver=bridge network2 --subnet=172.19.1.0/24 docker rm clab-pim docker run --cap-add=NET_ADMIN --cap-add=SYS_NICE --cap-add=SYS_PTRACE
--device=/dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun --device=/dev/vfio/vfio:/dev/vfio/vfio
--device=/dev/vhost-net:/dev/vhost-net
--privileged=True --name clab-pim
docker.io/pimvanpelt/vpp-containerlab docker network connect network2 clab-pim

Configuring VPP

docker exec -it clab-pim vppctl

vpp-clab# create host-interface v2 name eth1 vpp-clab# set interface name host-eth1 eth1 vpp-clab# set interface mtu 1500 eth1 vpp-clab# set interface ip address eth1 172.19.1.2/24 vpp-clab# set interface ip address eth1 fec0::2/64 vpp-clab# set interface state eth1 up

References

https://s3-docs.fd.io/vpp/22.02/usecases/vpp_testbench/index.html https://git.ipng.ch/ipng/drone-hugo https://github.com/ligato/vpp-base/tree/master