BGP-LS Cli dev & testing on 7-node vSONiC topo

About the Organization

<p><strong>*APPLICATION ONLY OPEN TO COLLEGE STUDENTS BASED IN THE UNITED STATES*</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Problem Statement</strong></p><p><br></p><p>BGP Link-State Protocol (BGP-LS) is a critical protocol for modern network management and SDN-style controller integration, enabling the distribution of network topology information. Currently, SONiC's BGP-LS implementation lacks comprehensive CLI tools for configuration and monitoring, making it difficult for network operators to effectively deploy and troubleshoot BGP-LS in production environments. Additionally, there is insufficient testing infrastructure to validate BGP-LS functionality in complex multi-node topologies.</p><p>This mentorship program aims to address these gaps by developing a complete CLI interface for BGP-LS operations and establishing a robust 7-node testing framework based on vSONiC instances. This will significantly improve SONiC's BGP-LS usability and reliability, making it production-ready for enterprises and service providers who rely on topology discovery for traffic engineering and network automation.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Mentorship Objectives</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Develop a comprehensive CLI interface for BGP-LS configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting in SONiC</li><li>Design and implement a 7-node test topology to validate BGP-LS functionality in complex network scenarios</li><li>Create automated test cases covering BGP-LS neighbor establishment, topology advertisement, and failure scenarios</li><li>Document CLI usage and testing procedures for community adoption and future development</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Expected Outcomes and Deliverables</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Complete BGP-LS sonic-cli implementation with commands for neighbor configuration, status checking, and topology visualization</li><li>Functional 7-node test environment with automated deployment scripts and topology configurations</li><li>Comprehensive test suite covering at least 15-20 BGP-LS scenarios including normal operations and edge cases</li><li>Technical documentation including CLI user guide, test topology design document, and contribution guidelines for future enhancements</li><li>Merge CLI codes into SONiC repo</li><li><strong>Program Length: Summer / Fall Term (May - November) 20 hours of work each week*</strong></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Recommended Qualifications</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Proficiency in Python and/or C++ programming</li><li>Understanding of BGP routing protocols and network topology concepts</li><li>Familiarity with Linux CLI development and command-line interface design patterns</li><li>Experience with network testing frameworks (pytest, ansible Framework) or willingness to learn</li><li>Basic knowledge of SONiC architecture or similar network operating systems</li><li>Strong documentation and communication skills</li></ul>