HOWTO: Run cisco router emulator in ubuntu 8.04

[hariprs]

Tested with Ubuntu Hardy

Dynamips:
Dynamips is a Cisco router emulator written by Christophe Fillot. It emulates 1700, 2600, 3600, 3700, and 7200 hardware platforms, and runs standard IOS images. ( This discription is taken from http://dynagen.org/tutorial.htm#_Toc193247991 )

Dynagen:
Dynagen is a front-end for use with the Dynamips Cisco router emulator. It uses an INI-like configuration file to provision Dynamips emulator networks. It takes care of specifying the right port adapters, generating and matching up those pesky NIO descriptors, specifying bridges, frame-relay, ATM switches, etc. It also provides a management CLI for listing devices, suspending and reloading instances, determining and managing idle-pc values, performing packet captures, etc. ( This discription is taken from http://dynagen.org/ )

This tutorial helps you to run cisco IOS images using Dynamips-Dynagen emulators in ubuntu. Will be much useful to those whose are preparing for cisco certifications.

This tutorial doesnot explains extended network configuration of Dynamips. This guide simply provides you on howto install Dynamips-Dynagen in ubuntu and run a cisco router IOS image in ubuntu.

Following softwares/libs are required to run Dynamips-Dynagen

1) libpcap v0.9.x
2) python v2.5.x

Use synaptic package manager to install the above softwares

1) Go to Start>System>Administration>synaptic package manager
2) Search libpcap & python
3) Mark the above mentioned versions and press apply to install.

Install Dynamips & Dynagen:

1) Create a new directory for dynamips

sudo mkdir /opt/dynamips

2) Change to dynamips directory

cd /opt/dynamips

3) Download latest dynagen software using wget

sudo wget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/dyna-gen/dynagen-0.11.0.tar.gz?modtime=1208688475&big_mirror=0

4) Extract the tarball

sudo tar -xvzf dynagen-0.11.0.tar.gz

5) Change to /opt/dynamips/dynagen-x.x.x directory

cd /opt/dynamips/dynagen-0.11.0

6) Look at the README.txt file to see which version of Dynamips is required for this version of Dynagen

less README.txt

At the time of this tutorial, at least dynamips version 0.2.8-RC1 is required.

7) Change to /opt/dynamips directory

cd /opt/dynamips

8 ) Download Dynamips from Dynamips blog

sudo wget http://www.ipflow.utc.fr/dynamips/dynamips-0.2.8-RC2-amd64.bin

Since my arch is AMD64bit i downloaded 64bit version, You can visit http://www.ipflow.utc.fr/blog/ to download latest and for different arch versions.

9) Use chmod to change permission

sudo chmod 755 dynamips-0.2.8-RC2-amd64.bin

10) Navigate to /usr/bin to create symbolic links for dynagen & dynamips

cd /usr/bin

sudo ln -s /opt/dynamips/dynamips-0.2.8-RC2-amd64.bin dynamips

sudo ln -s /opt/dynamips/dynagen-0.11.0/dynagen dynagen

11) Updatedb

sudo updatedb

12) Create a directory for cisco routers images

sudo mkdir /opt/dynamips/images

Run the simulator:

1) Download the cisco router IOS images from www.cisco.com
Note: You must have cisco login to download the IOS image. Normally cisco customer & CCIE will have a login.

2) Put the downloaded cisco IOS image in /opt/dynamips/images folder.

sudo mv c7200-jk9o3s-mz.123.12e.bin /opt/dynamips/images

3) Update the configuration file with correct image path and RAM size required. The dynagen comes with some sample configuration file. I used it for this tutorial.

sudo vi /opt/dynamips/dynagen-0.11.0/sample_labs/simple1/simple1.net

# Simple lab



[localhost]



    [[7200]]

    # image = \Program Files\Dynamips\images\c7200-jk9o3s-mz.124-7a.image <<--Comment out this windows path 

    # On Linux / Unix use forward slashes:

    image = /opt/dynamips/images/c7200-jk9o3s-mz.124-7a.bin <<-- Uncomment and update this line with correct path

    npe = npe-400

    ram = 160 <<-- Update this value with required RAM size

        

    [[ROUTER R1]]

    s1/0 = R2 s1/0

    

    [[router R2]]

    # No need to specify an adapter here, it is taken care of

    # by the interface specification under Router R1

Finally save and exit. You can also specify more configuration details in this file if you know more about dynagen config parameters.

4) Start the dynamips process

sudo dynamips -H 7200 &

5) Use the dynagen command to process the .net configuration file and start the virtual network.

sudo dynagen simple1.net

You will placed inside the dynagen console

6) Use list command to list the network equipments and port details for console access.

=>list
Name    Type     State     Server           Console
R1      7200     Running   localhost:7200   2001
R2      7200     Running   localhost:7200   2002

7) Finally telnet to the router console

=> telnet R1

Note: You can also use utilities like putty to telnet to router console.

To learn more about Dynamips/Dynagen visit the below links

http://dynagen.org/tutorial.htm#_Toc193247991
http://www.ipflow.utc.fr/index.php/Cisco_7200_Simulator
http://www.ipflow.utc.fr/blog/

[MrFSL]

If you are serious about cisco emulation I STRONGLY suggest GNS3.

Works great in linux. I have used this in conjunction with vmware to make a complete virtual network testbed.


http://www.gns3.net/

[hariprs]

Originally Posted by MrFSL If you are serious about cisco emulation I STRONGLY suggest GNS3. Works great in linux. I have used this in conjunction with vmware to make a complete virtual network testbed. http://www.gns3.net/

Thanks a lot, I was looking for a GUI for dynamips-Dynagen. It works for me in Hardy.

[mizu12]

Originally Posted by MrFSL If you are serious about cisco emulation I STRONGLY suggest GNS3. Works great in linux. I have used this in conjunction with vmware to make a complete virtual network testbed. http://www.gns3.net/

I installed it through Synaptic on Hardy (followed the instructions on their site), it's easy to do and it works as it has to. I tried it under windows it's painfully slow compared to Linux.

GNS3 is a great frontend to dynamips, you dont have to bother about the config files, you do all the nasty things with the GUI.

[m83]

I find that using CISCO's PacketTracer with WINE is fulfilling all my needs for network simulation with CISCO equipment.

Setting up a Dynamips-Dynagen environment looks like a lot of trouble that is not worth the effort.

[nickert0n]

Thank you for this!

[cormic]

Just got a great little lab running in about an hour using GNS3 and the frame relay tutorial located at http://www.blindhog.net/gns3-how-to-...ame-relay-lab/

This is really nice piece of software. The CPU is running at 100% but that is to be expected.

Thanks for the pointers all

[geezerone]

I have tried this but get the "locked R1 error"

[hariprs]

Originally Posted by geezerone I have tried this but get the "locked R1 error"

Probably you didn't configured the correct path to the image. check your configuration.

[geezerone]

Hi

Sorted it out. It was due to file permissions being that of root. Changed with

chown <userid> <file/directory>

to 'my user' and worked. Needed to remove the configuration files for the lab which had root as owner too. Once restarted the lab had files with my user permissions.

Hope this helps someone.

Regarding Synaptic - why aren't the files created in /opt/ like your and other (blindhog) tutorials?