Introduction to IOS-XR 6.

0
Joachim Jerberg Jensen joajense@cisco.com
System Engineer, Global Service Providers
CCIE SP #42403
Agenda
Introduction
Software Architecture Overview
Flexible Packaging
Application Hosting
Configuration, Monitoring and Troubleshooting
Conclusions

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Introduction

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 coming to a platform closer to you
In development

Not committed yet

NCS5001 NCS5011 NCS1002 w/ macsec

NCS5002
NCS5502

NCS5508 NCS1002 NCS5501 ASR9000(*) NCS 6000

Q4 CY15 Q2 CY16 Q4 CY16

* On ASR9k, 32-bit QNX images and 64-bit linux images will be supported
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Guiding Principles for IOS-XR operational enhancements
Bring Your own Application
Provide a platform on which customers can host their apps (3rd party apps,
customer apps, cisco apps)

Automatable interfaces
Provide visibility into the device through machine friendly interfaces

Open architecture Decrease tool chain variance

Fit into customers operational workflow

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Pillars of IOS-XR operational enhancements
Visibility & Operational Data, Deep analytical hooks
Telemetry Policy-based, flexible, Push Model

Data accessible via published model driven interfaces

Evolved
Machine friendly
Programmability Enables automation @ scale

Application Ability to run 3rd party off the shelf applications built with Linux tool chains
Hosting Run custom applications inside an LXC container on the 64-bit Linux host

Packages can be inspected on box using standard tool chain (RPM tools)
Flexible Platform
Automated package dependency checkers
and Packaging Open Bootloaders (iPXE) and end-to-end auto-provision

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Software Architecture

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IOS XR 6.0 introduces a new software infrastructure offering

64-bit OpenEmbedded Linux support.

Processes containerization.
Brings in standard Linux toolchain. Classic XR XR 6.0
Third-Party Applications Support.

System System
NCS 5500, NCS 5000 and NCS1002 Control Admin
Control Admin
will support only 64-bit Linux
32 bit QNX 64 bit Linux
ASR 9000 will still have 32-bit QNX NPU X86 Hardware
support

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 Traditional Virtualization
Introduction to Containers App App

LXC (LinuX Containers) let you run a Lib Lib

Linux system within another Linux system.
OS OS
A container is a group of processes on a Operating System
Linux machine. Hypervisor
Those processes form an isolated X86 Hardware
environment.
Containers
Inside the container, it looks like a Virtual App App
Machine.
Lib Lib
Outside the container, it looks like normal
processes running on the system. OS OS
Containers look like Virtual Machines, but Operating System
are more efficient. X86 Hardware 9
Why Containers?
They are Fast Deploy and Boot in less than one Second vs Minutes for
Virtual Machines
They are Lightweight Only a few MB of Disk Space per Container vs
several hundred MB for traditional Virtual Machines.
They provide Similar Services as VMs Each container has:
Its own network interfaces LXC1 LXC2
- Can be bridged, routed... just like with KVM. App App
Its own filesystem Lib Lib
- e.g.: RedHat host can run Debian container.
OS OS
Isolation (security)
- Two containers can't harm (or even see) each other. Operating System
Isolation (resource usage) X86 Hardware
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- Soft & Hard quotas for RAM, CPU, I/O.
Linux Containers Kernel Requirements
To create a virtual environment, containers use the following kernel features.

1. Namespaces: Partition essential kernel

App App structures to create virtual environments:
pid (processes)
Lib Lib
net (network interfaces, routing...)
OS OS
2. Control Groups: Limit, account, and isolate
Operating System resource usage:
Exposed through a virtual filesystem
X86 Hardware
3. Chroot: operation that changes the apparent
root directory of the container process.
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 IOS-XR Container Architecture
Modular Router Fixed Router
LXC LXC LXC
Control Admin Third Control Admin Third
Plane Plane Party Plane Plane Party

64-bit Host OS 64-bit Host OS

Routing Processor Routing Processor

Control Admin
64-bit Host OS

Plane Plane

LXC
Fabric Fabric

Front Panel
Line Card

LXC

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IOS-XR Container Roles: The Host
Runs Yocto based 64-bit Open
Embedded Linux kernel.
Built using Windriver 7
The main functions of the host are:
Control Admin Third Interact directly with the underlying
hardware.
Plane Plane Party
Provide kernel services for the
containers.
Provide libraries, tools, and utilities to
64-bit Host OS help launch, monitor, and maintain
containers.
Routing Processor Provide the network infrastructure to
allow containers to communicate.

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IOS-XR Container Roles: The Control Plane
The heart of IOS-XR 6.0
Runs a Yocto based 64-bit OELinux
composed of 2 types of packages:
1. Cisco developed packages for core
network functions (BGP, MPLS, etc.)
Control Admin Third
2. Yocto packages for standard Linux
Plane Plane Party tools and libraries (bash, python,
tcpdump, etc.).

64-bit Host OS
Routing Processor

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IOS-XR Container Roles: The Admin Plane
Runs a Yocto based 64-bit Linux.
Provides services that were originally
provided by the admin mode of XR.
Runs processes responsible to
Control Admin Third perform system diagnostics, monitor
Plane Plane Party environmental variables, and manage
hardware components.
First container to be booted by the
64-bit Host OS host, and is responsible for the start
and maintenance of all the other
Routing Processor
containers in the system.

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IOS-XR Container Roles: Third Party

Runs any 64-bit Linux distribution.

Launched from the XR container
using virsh and libvirtd.
Control Admin Third Access Network Interface through the
Plane Plane Party Third Party Network Name Space
(TPNNS).

64-bit Host OS
Routing Processor

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XR Boot Process
XR 6.0 image will be released in the form of bootable self-extracting ISOs
Similar to any Linux distribution.
NCS 5000 and 5500 possess a BIOS that offers NetBooting using iPXE.
iPXE is an open-source network boot firmware that supports:
1. Booting from HTTP/HTTPS.
2. Controlling the boot process via scripts.
3. Performing image validation.

XR 6.0 comes with an Auto-Provision process

Executed at the end of the control-plane boot sequence.
Executed inside the Shell.
Can execute Scripts or apply Static Configuration.
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 DHCP SERVER
IOS-XR Boot Process with iPXE IP address
Next-server
iPXE Filename=http://<http-srv>/image-new.ISO
N boot 1
Y IP address
Next-server
iPXE 2 Filename=http://<http-srv>/AutoProv-SN.sh
or
Filename=http://<http-srv>/Config-SN.txt
XR Install
HTTP SERVER
XR Boot 3
Image-new.ISO
4 GET script-SN.sh or config-SN.txt
AutoProvision script-SN.sh
execution config-SN.txt

5 Additional
Apply GET addon scripts/packages/configuration Scripts
Execute script Packages, etc
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18
Single DHCP Server Configuration
host NCS5500-rp0 {
hardware ethernet e4:c7:22:be:10:ba; DHCP
option 77
fixed-address 192.168.0.10;
If exists user-class and option user-class = "iPXE" {
DHCP
# Image request, provide ISO option 67
filename "http://192.168.0.10/images/ncs5500 -mini-x.iso-r6.0.0 ";
} elsif exists user-class and option user-class = "exr-config" {
# Auto-provision request, provide script or configuration
filename "http://192.168.0.10/scripts/ncs5500-rp0.sh";
}
}
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NCS 5000 on board ports

Management Ethernet 0 and 1 is mapped to IOS-XR

Permanently
Console port uses Console mux feature (By using CTRL+O
we can switch between the HOST OS(Linux), Admin LXC
and XR LXC

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NCK5K BIOS

NCS5K BIOS can be accessed by either pressing esc or F12 Key when Box is
Powered.
It will list out following options
(1) UEFI: SMART eUSB HS-SD/MMC (Internal Disk)
(2) UEFI: Sony Storage Media 0100 (External USB )
(3) UEFI: Built-in EFI IPXE
(4) UEFI: Built-in EFI Shell

Boot order can be Changed on the BIOS Menu

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Boot With External USB

Download the uncompressed image file in external USB.

It contains folder structure with following files
EFI/Cisco/ncs5k-mini-x.iso
\EFI\Cisco\grub.efi
\EFI\Cisco\bootx64.efi
\EFI\Cisco\grub.cfg

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What will you see
iPXE in action

iPXE 1.0.0+ (3e573) -- Open Source Network Boot Firmware --

http://ipxe.org
Features: DNS HTTP TFTP VLAN EFI ISO9660 NBI Menu
Trying net0...
net0: c4:72:95:a6:14:e1 using dh8900cc on PCI01:00.1 (open)
[Link:up, TX:0 TXE:0 RX:0 RXE:0]
Configuring (net0 c4:72:95:a6:14:e1).................. Ok << Talking t o DHCP/PXE
server t o obtain network information
net0: 1.37.1.101/255.255.0.0 gw 1.37.1.0
net0: fe80::c672:95ff:fea6:14e1/64
net0: 2001:1800:5000:1:c672:95ff:fea6:14e1/64 gw fe80::20c:29ff:fefb:b9fe
net1: fe80::c672:95ff:fea6:14e3/64 (inaccessible)
Next server: 1.37.1.235
Filename: http://1.37.1.235/nkhade/skywarp-mini-x.iso
http://1.37.1.235/nkhade/skywarp-mini-x.iso... 58% << Downloading file as
indicated by DHCP/PXE server to boot install image
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Flexible Packaging

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Networking Software Delivery Direction

What How

Server-like Workflows Linux Operations

Modular, Disaggregated Business Driven Packaging
Integration with Stack Programmatic Validation
Reduced Delivery Cycles Targeted Validation

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RPM: XR New Package Format

RPM Package Manager is the new Package format starting with IOS-XR 6.0.
Packages are placed in a reachable repository and accessed via
FTP/SFTP/SCP/TFTP or HTTP or pre-staged on the box
Third Party packages are installed with RPM or YUM inside the Shell.
IOS-XR packages are installed with install update/upgrade.
Install commands are a wrapper around YUM to provide multi-arch support.
Both YUM and install commands provide dependency verification/resolution.

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Anatomy of RPM Packages

RPM

Archive CPIO binary Archive

Describe package contents

MetaData Install structure /var/lib/rpm
Dependencies

Scriptlet Pre and Post Install Instructions

Database of installed packages
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 XR Packages Naming Convention
Package <name>-<version>-<release>.<architecture>.rpm

ncs5500-mpls-1.0.0.0-r600.x86_64.rpm

SMU <name>-<version>-<release>.<defect>.<architecture>.rpm

ncs5500-mpls-1.0.0.1-r600.CSCab12345.x86_64.rpm
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 Package Repository
www.cisco.com Local Repository
Mini ISO <REPO_ROOT>
Platform +
Pkgs 6.0.0.17L
Release ncs-5500-mini-x.iso-6.0.0.17L.iso
Mini ISO
+
k9 pkg ncs-5500-mpls-te-rsvp-1.1.0.0-r60017L.x86_64.rpm
XR Software +
Pkgs ncs-5500-bgp-1.0.0.0-r60017L.x86_64.rpm

Full K9 ISO ncs-5500-eigrp-1.0.0.0-r60017L.x86_64.rpm

ncs-5500-k9sec-1.0.0.0-r60017L.x86_64.rpm
Full ISO
ncs-5500-mgbl-2.0.0.0-r60017L.x86_64.rpm

XR SMUs DDTS SMU ncs-5500-mpls-1.1.0.0-r60017L.x86_64.rpm

ncs-5500-m2m-1.0.0.0-r60017L.x86_64.rpm

Svc Pak DDTS SMUs ncs-5500-mpls-1.1.0.1-r60017L.CSCab12345.x86_64.rpm

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 Updating XR Packages

Command Line Behavior

install update source <repository> No package specified, update latest SMUs of all
installed packages
install update source <repository> ncs5500-mpls Package name specified, will install that package,
update all latest SMUs of that package(s) (along with
its dependencies).
install update source <repository> ncs5500-mpls- SMU installation: the SMU will be downloaded and
1.0.0.1-r622.CSCab12345.x86_64.rpm installed (along with its dependent SMUs).

install update source <repository> ncs5500-mpls- Asynchronous package upgrade, that package will be
1.0.2.0-r622.x86_64.rpm installed (along with its dependent SMUs).
Available in future release

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Upgrading XR Packages

Command L ine Behavior

install upgrade source <repository> version 6.1.1 Upgrade the base image to the specified version.
All installed packages will be upgraded to same
release as the base package.
install upgrade source <repository> version 6.1.1 Perform install upgrade and install update for a
ncs5500-mpls-1.0.2.0-r623.x86_64.rpm specific package(s) in one operation.

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PIE Install RPM Install
No dependency management Dependency management
Offline process required to copy packages Online process over secure transport
Require multiple operations Single operation
install add install update or install upgrade
install activate
install commit

CSM for package content On-box / Off-box package inspection

using rpm tool
Description
Dependencies
Content
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Installing and Updating Third Party Packages
Third Party Packages are traditional Linux tools available from the Shell
Communication: lighttpd ,openssh, wget, curl, etc.
Programing: python, ruby, perl, etc.
Utilities: sed, gawk, tar, gzip, vi, etc.

Additional packages provided by vendors (No Cisco Support)

Chef
Puppet

Installed using yum or rpm

yum-config-manager --add-repo=http://192.168.0.254/XR/6.0.0
yum install chef y

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Application Hosting

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Third Party Network Name Space
Provide visibility of fabric Control Plane Admin Plane Third Party
attached interfaces outside
TPNNS TPNNS
of XR CLI.
Mgmt Mgmt
Available to processes in the Internal
Gig Gig
XR containers or Third Party IPC
TenGig TenGig
containers. Interfaces
HunGig HunGig
Requires that the interface is
Up with a valid IP address.
Routing handled by XR. TPNNS
64-bit Host OS
Routing Processor
[xr-vm_node0_RP0_CPU0:~]$ip netns exec tpnns bash
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 Third Party Container Application Workflow
2 Deploy 3 Launch
Create the Container archive on a Linux
Server.
Copy the archive file to /misc/app_host.
Unarchive in a rootfs directory.
Create XML file specifying LXC Control Admin Third
parameters. Plane Plane Party
1 Create
Run virsh command.
64-bit Host OS
Routing Processor
virsh c lxc+tcp://10.11.12.15:16509 create <XML File>
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Configuration, Monitoring
and Troubleshooting

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Streaming Telemetry: Introduction
Where Data Is Created Where Data Is Useful

SNMP

syslog
sensing &
measurement
storage &
CLI analysis

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Streaming Telemetry
Design Vision

Get as much data off the box as quickly

Performance as possible

Grant full access to all operational data

Coverage on the box

Serialize the data in a flexible, efficient

Automation way that fits customers automated tools

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Telemetry
Common modeling language: Goal is YANG (experimental SysDB name space in 6.0)
Describes monitoring data structure and attributes

Push Model
Stream data continuously w ith incremental updates based on subscriptions

Data delivery:
JSON (compressed) inside TCP.
Google Protocol Buffer inside UDP.
Google Protocol Buffer inside gRPC.

Observe network state through a time-series data stream

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 Streaming Telemetry Model
Telemetry Configuration XR Control Plane
Described in JSON. Telemetry
Configuration Namespace
Define one or multiple collection
group(s).
Each group contains a rate and a pointer
to one or multiple objects in the
Telemetry
experimental SysDB path (6.0 only) Policy

Telemetry Policy Telemetry

Define the encoder, transport and the Receiver
receiver(s) for each policy. Telemetry
Agent
Telemetry Agent
XR process that runs automatically and Host OS
looks for registered policies to act on.
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Streaming Telemetry Example
{
"Name": "GenericCounters",
"Metadata": {
"Version": 25,
"Description": "This is a sample policy to demonstrate the syntax",
"Comment": "This is the first draft",
"Identifier": "<data that may be sent by the encoder to the mgmt station>"
},
"CollectionGroups": {
"FirstGroup":{
"Period": 30,
"Paths":["RootOper.InfraStatistics.Interface([*]).Latest.GenericCounters"]
}
}
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 Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF)
NETCONF provides mechanisms to install, manipulate, and delete device
configuration.
It uses an XML based data encoding for the configuration data as well as the
protocol messages.
NETCONF protocol operations are realized as remote procedure calls (RPCs)
over SSH.
SSH Clients Networking Device
SSH
Retrieve, Configure, Copy, and Delete

RPC calls are divided in 4 groups of methods: Retrieve, Configure, Copy, and Delete.
Additional methods can be supported 43
Programmatic Interface
Secure Connection Negotiate RPC-based Configuration
Transport communication Manager
Oriented Capabilities
model

Backend
Apps
XR SSH
NETCONF
SSHd Programmatic Proxy
Agent SysDB
Interface Server
YANG Client SysDB
Framework Library
Web RESTCONF
Server Agent XR YANG

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Conclusions

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Key Takeaway
No Change in traditional CLI Operation
In 6.0, available on NCS-5500, NCS-5000 and NCS1000 Platform
In 6.1.1, available on ASR9k (traditional 32-bit QNX offering will still be
supported)
Operational enhancement for Automated Operations
Operating System change for Open Source tooling

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IOS XR 6.0 Operational Enhancements

IOS XR 6.0

Flexible Platform & Packaging

Evolved programmability
Visibility & Telemetry

Application Hosting
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Were ready. Are you?