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How to Configure the NFX250 NextGen
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{ "lLangCode": "en", "lName": "English", "lCountryCode": "us", "transcode": "en_US" }
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Managing VNFs on NFX Series Devices

date_range 12-Jun-24

Managing VNF States

By default, a VNF automatically starts when the VNF configuration is committed.

  • To disable autostart of a VNF when the VNF configuration is committed:
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    user@host# set virtual-network-functions vnf-name no-autostart 
  • To manually start a VNF:
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    user@host> request virtual-network-functions vnf-name start
  • To stop a VNF:
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    user@host> request virtual-network-functions vnf-name stop
  • To restart a VNF:
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    user@host> request virtual-network-functions vnf-name restart
  • To access the console of an active VNF:
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    user@host> request virtual-network-functions vnf-name console
    Note:

    The request virtual-network-functions vnf-name console command is supported only for root login over ssh.

  • To access a VNF through SSH:
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    user@host> request virtual-network-functions ssh vnf-name 
  • To access a VNF through Telnet:
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    user@host> request virtual-network-functions telnet vnf-name 

Managing VNF MAC Addresses

VNF interfaces that are defined, either using the CLI or specified in an init-descriptor XML file, are assigned a globally unique and persistent MAC address. A common pool of 64 MAC addresses is used to assign MAC addresses to VNF interfaces. You can configure a MAC address other than what is available in the common pool, and this address will not be overwritten.

There are 160 MAC addresses for the network interfaces on the VNF. These MAC addresses are automatically allocated when a VNF is instantiated.

  • To configure a specific MAC address for a VNF interface:
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    user@host# set virtual-network-functions vnf-name interfaces interface-name mac-address mac-address
  • To delete the MAC address configuration of a VNF interface:
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    user@host# delete virtual-network-functions vnf-name interfaces interface-name mac-address mac-address
Note:
  • To delete or modify the MAC address of a VNF interface, you must stop the VNF, make the necessary changes, and then restart the VNF.

  • The MAC address specified for a VNF interface can be either a system MAC address or a user-defined MAC address.

  • The MAC address specified from the system MAC address pool must be unique for the VNF interfaces.

Managing the MTU of a VNF Interface

The maximum transmission unit (MTU) is the largest data unit that can be forwarded without fragmentation. You can configure either 1500 bytes or 2048 bytes as the MTU size. The default MTU value is 1500 bytes, and the maximum MTU size for a VNF interface is 2048 bytes.

Note:

MTU configuration is supported only on VLAN interfaces.

  1. To configure the MTU on a VNF interface:
    content_copy zoom_out_map
    user@host# set virtual-network-functions vnf-name interfaces interface-name mtu size
    Note:

    You must restart the VNF after configuring the MTU, if the VNF does not support hot-plugging functionality.

  2. To delete the MTU of a VNF interface:
    content_copy zoom_out_map
    user@host# delete virtual-network-functions vnf-name interfaces interface-name mtu 
    Note:

    After the MTU is deleted, the MTU of the VNF interface is reset to 1500 bytes.

Note:
  • The maximum number of VLAN interfaces on the OVS that are supported in the system is 25.

Accessing a VNF from the JCP

You can access a VNF from the JCP through SSH or by using the console.

To access a VNF from the JCP through SSH:

user@host> request virtual-network-functions vnf-name ssh

To access a VNF from the JCP by using the console:

user@host> request virtual-network-functions vnf-name console

Viewing the List of VNFs

To view the list of VNFs:

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user@host> show virtual-network-functions 
ID       Name                                              State      Liveliness
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1        vjunos0                                           Running    alive
2        centos1                                           Running    alive
3        centos2                                           Running    alive

The Liveliness field of a VNF indicates whether the IP address of the VNF is reachable from the JCP. The default IP address of the liveliness bridge is 192.0.2.1/24.

Displaying the Details of a VNF

To display the details of a VNF:

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user@host> show virtual-network-functions vnf-name detail
user@host>show virtual-network-functions centos1 detail
Virtual Network Function Information
------------------------------------

Id:                 2
Name:               centos1
State:              Running
Liveliness:         Up
IP Address:         192.0.2.101
VCPUs:              1
Maximum Memory:     1048576 KiB
Used Memory:        1048576 KiB
Used 1G Hugepages:  0
Used 2M Hugepages:  0
Error:              None

Deleting a VNF

To delete a VNF:

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user@host# delete virtual-network-functions vnf-name
Note:

The VNF image remains in the disk even after you delete a VNF.

Non-Root User Access for VNF Console

You can use Junos OS to create, modify, or delete VNF on the NFX Series routers.

Junos OS CLI allows the following management operations on VNFs:

Table 1: VNF Management Operations

Operation

CLI

start

request virtual-network-functions <vnf-name> start

stop

request virtual-network-functions <vnf-name> stop

restart

request virtual-network-functions <vnf-name> restart

console access

request virtual-network-functions <vnf-name> console [force]

ssh access

request virtual-network-functions <vnf-name> ssh [user-name <user-name>]

telnet access

request virtual-network-functions <vnf-name> ssh [user-name <user-name>]

Table 2 lists the user access permissions for the VNF management options:

Table 2: User Access Permissions for VNF Management Operations before Junos OS 24.1R1.

Operation

root class user

super-user class user

operator class user

read-only class user

start

command available and works

command available and works

command not available

command not available

stop

command available and works

command available and works

command not available

command not available

restart

command available and works

command available and works

command not available

command not available

console access

command available and works

command available; but not supported

command not available

command not available

ssh access

command available and works

command available; but not supported

command not available

command not available

telnet access

command available and works

command available; but not supported

command not available

command not available

Starting In Junos OS 24.1R1, Junos OS CLI allows the management operations on VNFs for a non-root user.

A new Junos OS user permission, vnf-operation allows the request virtual-network-functions CLI hierarchy available to Junos OS users that do not belong to the root and the super-user class.

You can add the user permission to a custom user class using the statement vnf-operation at [edit system login class custom-user permissions]

Table 3 lists the VNF management options available for a user belonging to a custom Junos OS user class with vnf-operation permission.

Table 3: User Access Permissions for VNF Management Operations after Junos OS 24.1R1.

Operation

root user

super-user class user

User of a custom Junos OS user class with vnf-operation permission

start

command available and works

command available and works

command available and works

stop

command available and works

command available and works

command available and works

restart

command available and works

command available and works

command available and works

console access

command available and works

command available and works

command available and works

ssh access

command available and works

command available and works

command available and works

Accessing the VNF Console

Starting in Junos OS 24.1R1, the following message is displayed when you access the console initially:

content_copy zoom_out_map
Trying 192.168.1.1...
Connected to 192.168.1.1.
Escape character is '^]'.

The messages Trying 192.168.1.1... and Connected to 192.168.1.1. come from telnet client that is launched using the Junos OS CLI command request virtual-network-functions <vnf-name> console.

Note:

The IP addresses present in the message cannot be replaced with the name of the VNF.

Exiting the VNF Console

Starting in Junos OS 24.1R1, when the user uses the escape sequence ^] the console session terminates, and the telnet command prompt is displayed to the user.

You must enter quit or close or you must enter qor c to exit from the terminal command prompt and return to Junos OS command prompt.

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su-user@host> request virtual-network-functions testvnf1 console
Trying 192.168.1.1...
Connected to 192.168.1.1.
Escape character is '^]'.

CentOS Linux 7 (Core)
Kernel 3.10.0-1160.49.1.el7.x86_64 on an x86_64

centos2 login:
telnet> q
Connection closed.

su-user@host> exit

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