Automating BGP Filtering with bgpq4

Automating BGP Filtering with bgpq4

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) filtering is a critical aspect of securing and optimizing routing within an autonomous system. However, manually creating and maintaining filtering configurations based on IRR (Internet Routing Registry) data can be a daunting and time-consuming task. That’s where bgpq4 comes in.

bgpq4 is a powerful automation tool designed specifically for generating BGP filtering configurations. By leveraging IRR data, bgpq4 can generate prefix-lists, access-lists, policy-statement terms, and as-path lists for various router platforms.

Key Features of bgpq4

• Flexible Configuration Generation: bgpq4 offers a wide range of options to generate configurations in different formats, including Cisco, Juniper, Nokia, Arista EOS, Bird, OpenBGPD, and more. You can specify the format, ASNs, sources, and other parameters to customize the output.

• Trusted Data Sources: bgpq4 allows you to select trusted data sources to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the generated configurations. By default, bgpq4 trusts data from RIR (Regional Internet Registry) maintained databases such as AFRINIC, ARIN, APNIC, LACNIC, and RIPE. It is recommended to use only the databases in which you and your customers have registered route-objects.

• Efficient Aggregation: bgpq4 supports automatic aggregation of prefix-lists to reduce the size of the filtering configurations. This can greatly improve the efficiency of the routing system while maintaining accurate filtering.

• Performance Tuning: To handle extra-large AS-SETs more efficiently, bgpq4 provides recommendations for tuning the operating system settings, such as enlarging the TCP send buffer. This optimization can significantly improve the performance of bgpq4 when expanding large AS-SETs.

• Container Image: bgpq4 offers a multi-arch container image based on Alpine Linux, providing easy deployment and compatibility across different architectures. The image is available on the GitHub Container Registry and can be used with popular container platforms.

Getting Started with bgpq4

To start using bgpq4, you can build it from the source code or use the pre-built container image. Once installed, you can use the various command-line options to generate the desired configurations. bgpq4 supports both IPv4 and IPv6 prefix filtering.

For example, to generate a Cisco prefix-filter for AS20597, you can run the following command:

$ bgpq4 -Al eltel AS20597
no ip prefix-list eltel
ip prefix-list eltel permit 81.9.0.0/20
ip prefix-list eltel permit 81.9.32.0/20
ip prefix-list eltel permit 81.9.96.0/20
ip prefix-list eltel permit 81.222.128.0/20
ip prefix-list eltel permit 81.222.192.0/18
ip prefix-list eltel permit 85.249.8.0/21
ip prefix-list eltel permit 85.249.224.0/19
ip prefix-list eltel permit 89.112.0.0/18 ge 19 le 19
ip prefix-list eltel permit 89.112.4.0/22
ip prefix-list eltel permit 89.112.64.0/19
ip prefix-list eltel permit 217.170.64.0/19 ge 20 le 20

This command generates an optimized Cisco prefix-filter for AS20597, aggregating some specific subnets into larger blocks.

Keeping Up with bgpq4

bgpq4 is constantly evolving, and it’s essential to stay updated with the latest developments and best practices. You can find the bgpq4 project on GitHub, where you’ll find the source code, documentation, and issue tracker.

Additionally, the bgpq4 community is active and supportive. You can join the bgpq4 mailing list to connect with other users and stay informed about new releases, updates, and discussions.

Conclusion

bgpq4 is a valuable automation tool for simplifying BGP filtering configuration generation. By leveraging IRR data and utilizing trusted sources, bgpq4 ensures accurate and efficient filtering configurations for various router platforms. The flexibility, performance tuning options, and container image support make bgpq4 a powerful tool in the hands of network administrators and engineers.

If you’re responsible for managing BGP filtering configurations, bgpq4 is definitely worth exploring. Its ease of use, robust features, and active community support can greatly enhance your routing security and efficiency.

References:
– bgpq4 on GitHub
– NLNOG’s BGP Filter Guide
– bgpq4 Mailing List
– GitHub Container Registry