BIRD contains a simple programming language. (No, it can't yet read mail :-).
There are two objects in this language: filters and functions. Filters are
interpreted by BIRD core when a route is being passed between protocols and
routing tables. The filter language contains control structures such as if's and
switches, but it allows no loops. An example of a filter using many features can
be found in filter/test.conf.
Filter gets the route, looks at its attributes and modifies some of them if
it wishes. At the end, it decides whether to pass the changed route through
(using accept) or whether to reject it. A simple filter looks like
this:
filter not_too_far
int var;
{
if defined( rip_metric ) then
var = rip_metric;
else {
var = 1;
rip_metric = 1;
}
if rip_metric > 10 then
reject "RIP metric is too big";
else
accept "ok";
}
As you can see, a filter has a header, a list of local variables, and a body.
The header consists of the filter keyword followed by a (unique) name of
filter. The list of local variables consists of type name;
pairs where each pair defines one local variable. The body consists of { statements }. Each statement is terminated by a ;. You
can group several statements to a single compound statement by using braces
({ statements }) which is useful if you want to make a bigger
block of code conditional.
BIRD supports functions, so that you don't have to repeat the same blocks of code over and over. Functions can have zero or more parameters and they can have local variables. Recursion is not allowed. Function definitions look like this:
function name ()
int local_variable;
{
local_variable = 5;
}
function with_parameters (int parameter)
{
print parameter;
}
Unlike in C, variables are declared after the function line, but before
the first {. You can't declare variables in nested blocks. Functions are
called like in C: name(); with_parameters(5);. Function may return
values using the return [expr] command. Returning a value exits
from current function (this is similar to C).
Filters are declared in a way similar to functions except they can't have
explicit parameters. They get a route table entry as an implicit parameter, it
is also passed automatically to any functions called. The filter must terminate
with either accept or reject statement. If there's a runtime error in
filter, the route is rejected.
A nice trick to debug filters is to use show route filter name
from the command line client. An example session might look like:
pavel@bug:~/bird$ ./birdc -s bird.ctl
BIRD 0.0.0 ready.
bird> show route
10.0.0.0/8 dev eth0 [direct1 23:21] (240)
195.113.30.2/32 dev tunl1 [direct1 23:21] (240)
127.0.0.0/8 dev lo [direct1 23:21] (240)
bird> show route ?
show route [<prefix>] [table <t>] [filter <f>] [all] [primary]...
bird> show route filter { if 127.0.0.5 ~ net then accept; }
127.0.0.0/8 dev lo [direct1 23:21] (240)
bird>
Each variable and each value has certain type. Booleans, integers and enums are incompatible with each other (that is to prevent you from shooting in the foot).
boolThis is a boolean type, it can have only two values, true and
false. Boolean is the only type you can use in if statements.
intThis is a general integer type. It is an unsigned 32bit type; i.e., you
can expect it to store values from 0 to 4294967295. Overflows are not
checked. You can use 0x1234 syntax to write hexadecimal values.
pairThis is a pair of two short integers. Each component can have values
from 0 to 65535. Literals of this type are written as (1234,5678).
The same syntax can also be used to construct a pair from two arbitrary
integer expressions (for example (1+2,a)).
quadThis is a dotted quad of numbers used to represent router IDs (and others). Each component can have a value from 0 to 255. Literals of this type are written like IPv4 addresses.
stringThis is a string of characters. There are no ways to modify strings in
filters. You can pass them between functions, assign them to variables
of type string, print such variables, use standard string
comparison operations (e.g. =, !=, <, >, <=, >=), but
you can't concatenate two strings. String literals are written as
"This is a string constant". Additionally matching (~,
!~) operators could be used to match a string value against
a shell pattern (represented also as a string).
ipThis type can hold a single IP address. Depending on the compile-time
configuration of BIRD you are using, it is either an IPv4 or IPv6
address. IP addresses are written in the standard notation
(10.20.30.40 or fec0:3:4::1). You can apply special operator
.mask(num) on values of type ip. It masks out all but
first num bits from the IP address. So
1.2.3.4.mask(8) = 1.0.0.0 is true.
prefixThis type can hold a network prefix consisting of IP address and prefix
length. Prefix literals are written as ipaddress/pxlen,
or ipaddress/netmask. There are two special
operators on prefixes: .ip which extracts the IP address from the
pair, and .len, which separates prefix length from the pair.
So 1.2.0.0/16.len = 16 is true.
ecThis is a specialized type used to represent BGP extended community
values. It is essentially a 64bit value, literals of this type are
usually written as (kind, key, value), where
kind is a kind of extended community (e.g. rt / ro for a
route target / route origin communities), the format and possible values
of key and value are usually integers, but it depends on the
used kind. Similarly to pairs, ECs can be constructed using expressions
for key and value parts, (e.g. (ro, myas, 3*10), where
myas is an integer variable).
lcThis is a specialized type used to represent BGP large community
values. It is essentially a triplet of 32bit values, where the first
value is reserved for the AS number of the issuer, while meaning of
remaining parts is defined by the issuer. Literals of this type are
written as (123, 456, 789), with any integer values. Similarly to
pairs, LCs can be constructed using expressions for its parts, (e.g.
(myas, 10+20, 3*10), where myas is an integer variable).
int|pair|quad|ip|prefix|ec|lc|enum setFilters recognize four types of sets. Sets are similar to strings: you
can pass them around but you can't modify them. Literals of type int
set look like [ 1, 2, 5..7 ]. As you can see, both simple
values and ranges are permitted in sets.
For pair sets, expressions like (123,*) can be used to denote
ranges (in that case (123,0)..(123,65535)). You can also use
(123,5..100) for range (123,5)..(123,100). You can also use
* and a..b expressions in the first part of a pair, note that
such expressions are translated to a set of intervals, which may be
memory intensive. E.g. (*,4..20) is translated to (0,4..20),
(1,4..20), (2,4..20), ... (65535, 4..20).
EC sets use similar expressions like pair sets, e.g. (rt, 123,
10..20) or (ro, 123, *). Expressions requiring the translation
(like (rt, *, 3)) are not allowed (as they usually have 4B range
for ASNs).
Also LC sets use similar expressions like pair sets. You can use ranges
and wildcards, but if one field uses that, more specific (later) fields
must be wildcards. E.g., (10, 20..30, *) or (10, 20, 30..40)
is valid, while (10, *, 20..30) or (10, 20..30, 40) is not
valid.
You can also use expressions for int, pair, EC and LC set values. However, it must be possible to evaluate these expressions before daemon boots. So you can use only constants inside them. E.g.
define one=1;
define myas=64500;
int set odds;
pair set ps;
ec set es;
odds = [ one, 2+1, 6-one, 2*2*2-1, 9, 11 ];
ps = [ (1,one+one), (3,4)..(4,8), (5,*), (6,3..6), (7..9,*) ];
es = [ (rt, myas, 3*10), (rt, myas+one, 0..16*16*16-1), (ro, myas+2, *) ];
Sets of prefixes are special: their literals does not allow ranges, but
allows prefix patterns that are written
as ipaddress/pxlen{low,high}.
Prefix ip1/len1 matches prefix
pattern ip2/len2{l,h} if the
first min(len1, len2) bits of ip1 and ip2 are
identical and len1 <= ip1 <= len2. A valid prefix pattern
has to satisfy low <= high, but pxlen is not
constrained by low or high. Obviously, a prefix matches a
prefix set literal if it matches any prefix pattern in the prefix set
literal.
There are also two shorthands for prefix patterns: address/len+
is a shorthand for address/len{len,maxlen}
(where maxlen is 32 for IPv4 and 128 for IPv6), that means
network prefix address/len and all its subnets.
address/len- is a shorthand for
address/len{0,len}, that means network prefix
address/len and all its supernets (network prefixes
that contain it).
For example, [ 1.0.0.0/8, 2.0.0.0/8+, 3.0.0.0/8-, 4.0.0.0/8{16,24}
] matches prefix 1.0.0.0/8, all subprefixes of
2.0.0.0/8, all superprefixes of 3.0.0.0/8 and prefixes
4.X.X.X whose prefix length is 16 to 24. [ 0.0.0.0/0{20,24} ]
matches all prefixes (regardless of IP address) whose prefix length is
20 to 24, [ 1.2.3.4/32- ] matches any prefix that contains IP
address 1.2.3.4. 1.2.0.0/16 ~ [ 1.0.0.0/8{15,17} ]
is true, but 1.0.0.0/16 ~ [ 1.0.0.0/8- ] is false.
Cisco-style patterns like 10.0.0.0/8 ge 16 le 24 can be expressed
in BIRD as 10.0.0.0/8{16,24}, 192.168.0.0/16 le 24 as
192.168.0.0/16{16,24} and 192.168.0.0/16 ge 24 as
192.168.0.0/16{24,32}.
enumEnumeration types are fixed sets of possibilities. You can't define your own variables of such type, but some route attributes are of enumeration type. Enumeration types are incompatible with each other.
bgppathBGP path is a list of autonomous system numbers. You can't write literals of this type. There are several special operators on bgppaths:
P.first returns the first ASN (the neighbor ASN) in path P.
P.last returns the last ASN (the source ASN) in path P.
P.last_nonaggregated returns the last ASN in the non-aggregated part of the path P.
Both first and last return zero if there is no appropriate
ASN, for example if the path contains an AS set element as the first (or
the last) part. If the path ends with an AS set, last_nonaggregated
may be used to get last ASN before any AS set.
P.len returns the length of path P.
P.empty resets path P to empty path.
prepend(P,A) prepends ASN A to path P and
returns the result.
delete(P,A) deletes all instances of ASN A from
from path P and returns the result. A may also be an integer
set, in that case the operator deletes all ASNs from path P that are
also members of set A.
filter(P,A) deletes all ASNs from path P that are
not members of integer set A. I.e., filter do the same as
delete with inverted set A.
Statement P = prepend(P, A); can be shortened to
P.prepend(A); if P is appropriate route attribute
(for example bgp_path). Similarly for delete and filter.
bgpmaskBGP masks are patterns used for BGP path matching (using path
~ [= 2 3 5 * =] syntax). The masks resemble wildcard patterns
as used by UNIX shells. Autonomous system numbers match themselves,
* matches any (even empty) sequence of arbitrary AS numbers and
? matches one arbitrary AS number. For example, if bgp_path
is 4 3 2 1, then: bgp_path ~ [= * 4 3 * =] is true,
but bgp_path ~ [= * 4 5 * =] is false. BGP mask
expressions can also contain integer expressions enclosed in parenthesis
and integer variables, for example [= * 4 (1+2) a =]. You can
also use ranges, for example [= * 3..5 2 100..200 * =].
There is also old (deprecated) syntax that uses / .. / instead of [= .. =]
and ? instead of *.
clistClist is similar to a set, except that unlike other sets, it can be modified. The type is used for community list (a set of pairs) and for cluster list (a set of quads). There exist no literals of this type. There are three special operators on clists:
C.len returns the length of clist C.
C.empty resets clist C to empty clist.
add(C,P) adds pair (or quad) P to clist C and
returns the result. If item P is already in clist C, it does
nothing. P may also be a clist, in that case all its members are
added; i.e., it works as clist union.
delete(C,P) deletes pair (or quad) P from clist
C and returns the result. If clist C does not contain item
P, it does nothing. P may also be a pair (or quad) set, in that
case the operator deletes all items from clist C that are also
members of set P. Moreover, P may also be a clist, which works
analogously; i.e., it works as clist difference.
filter(C,P) deletes all items from clist C that are
not members of pair (or quad) set P. I.e., filter do the same
as delete with inverted set P. P may also be a clist, which
works analogously; i.e., it works as clist intersection.
Statement C = add(C, P); can be shortened to
C.add(P); if C is appropriate route attribute (for
example bgp_community). Similarly for delete and filter.
eclistEclist is a data type used for BGP extended community lists. Eclists
are very similar to clists, but they are sets of ECs instead of pairs.
The same operations (like add, delete or ~ and
!~ membership operators) can be used to modify or test
eclists, with ECs instead of pairs as arguments.
lclistLclist is a data type used for BGP large community lists. Like eclists,
lclists are very similar to clists, but they are sets of LCs instead of
pairs. The same operations (like add, delete or ~
and !~ membership operators) can be used to modify or test
lclists, with LCs instead of pairs as arguments.
The filter language supports common integer operators (+,-,*,/),
parentheses (a*(b+c)), comparison (a=b, a!=b, a<b, a>=b).
Logical operations include unary not (!), and (&&) and or
(||). Special operators include (~,
!~) for "is (not) element of a set" operation - it can be used on
element and set of elements of the same type (returning true if element is
contained in the given set), or on two strings (returning true if first string
matches a shell-like pattern stored in second string) or on IP and prefix
(returning true if IP is within the range defined by that prefix), or on prefix
and prefix (returning true if first prefix is more specific than second one) or
on bgppath and bgpmask (returning true if the path matches the mask) or on
number and bgppath (returning true if the number is in the path) or on bgppath
and int (number) set (returning true if any ASN from the path is in the set) or
on pair/quad and clist (returning true if the pair/quad is element of the
clist) or on clist and pair/quad set (returning true if there is an element of
the clist that is also a member of the pair/quad set).
There is one operator related to ROA infrastructure - roa_check(). It
examines a ROA table and does RFC 6483 route origin validation for a
given network prefix. The basic usage is roa_check(table), which
checks current route (which should be from BGP to have AS_PATH argument) in the
specified ROA table and returns ROA_UNKNOWN if there is no relevant ROA,
ROA_VALID if there is a matching ROA, or ROA_INVALID if there are some relevant
ROAs but none of them match. There is also an extended variant
roa_check(table, prefix, asn), which allows to specify a
prefix and an ASN as arguments.
Filters support two control structures: conditions and case switches.
Syntax of a condition is: if boolean expression then command1;
else command2; and you can use { command_1; command_2;
... } instead of either command. The else clause may be
omitted. If the boolean expression is true, command1 is
executed, otherwise command2 is executed.
The case is similar to case from Pascal. Syntax is case
expr { else: | num_or_prefix [ .. num_or_prefix]: statement ; [
... ] }. The expression after case can be of any type which can be
on the left side of the ~ operator and anything that could be a member of
a set is allowed before :. Multiple commands are allowed without {}
grouping. If expr matches one of the : clauses, statements
between it and next : statement are executed. If expr matches
neither of the : clauses, the statements after else: are executed.
Here is example that uses if and case structures:
case arg1 {
2: print "two"; print "I can do more commands without {}";
3 .. 5: print "three to five";
else: print "something else";
}
if 1234 = i then printn "."; else {
print "not 1234";
print "You need {} around multiple commands";
}
A filter is implicitly passed a route, and it can access its attributes just
like it accesses variables. Attempts to access undefined attribute result in a
runtime error; you can check if an attribute is defined by using the
defined( attribute ) operator. One notable exception to this
rule are attributes of clist type, where undefined value is regarded as empty
clist for most purposes.
prefix netNetwork the route is talking about. Read-only. (See the chapter about routing tables.)
enum scopeThe scope of the route. Possible values: SCOPE_HOST for routes
local to this host, SCOPE_LINK for those specific for a physical
link, SCOPE_SITE and SCOPE_ORGANIZATION for private routes and
SCOPE_UNIVERSE for globally visible routes. This attribute is not
interpreted by BIRD and can be used to mark routes in filters. The
default value for new routes is SCOPE_UNIVERSE.
int preferencePreference of the route. Valid values are 0-65535. (See the chapter about routing tables.)
ip fromThe router which the route has originated from.
ip gwNext hop packets routed using this route should be forwarded to.
string protoThe name of the protocol which the route has been imported from. Read-only.
enum sourcewhat protocol has told me about this route. Possible values:
RTS_DUMMY, RTS_STATIC, RTS_INHERIT, RTS_DEVICE,
RTS_STATIC_DEVICE, RTS_REDIRECT, RTS_RIP, RTS_OSPF,
RTS_OSPF_IA, RTS_OSPF_EXT1, RTS_OSPF_EXT2, RTS_BGP,
RTS_PIPE, RTS_BABEL.
enum castRoute type (Currently RTC_UNICAST for normal routes,
RTC_BROADCAST, RTC_MULTICAST, RTC_ANYCAST will be used in
the future for broadcast, multicast and anycast routes). Read-only.
enum destType of destination the packets should be sent to
(RTD_ROUTER for forwarding to a neighboring router,
RTD_DEVICE for routing to a directly-connected network,
RTD_MULTIPATH for multipath destinations,
RTD_BLACKHOLE for packets to be silently discarded,
RTD_UNREACHABLE, RTD_PROHIBIT for packets that should be
returned with ICMP host unreachable / ICMP administratively prohibited
messages). Can be changed, but only to RTD_BLACKHOLE,
RTD_UNREACHABLE or RTD_PROHIBIT.
string ifnameName of the outgoing interface. Sink routes (like blackhole, unreachable
or prohibit) and multipath routes have no interface associated with
them, so ifname returns an empty string for such routes. Setting it
would also change route to a direct one (remove gateway).
int ifindexIndex of the outgoing interface. System wide index of the interface. May be used for interface matching, however indexes might change on interface creation/removal. Zero is returned for routes with undefined outgoing interfaces. Read-only.
int igp_metricThe optional attribute that can be used to specify a distance to the
network for routes that do not have a native protocol metric attribute
(like ospf_metric1 for OSPF routes). It is used mainly by BGP to
compare internal distances to boundary routers (see below). It is also
used when the route is exported to OSPF as a default value for OSPF type
1 metric.
There also exist some protocol-specific attributes which are described in the corresponding protocol sections.
The following statements are available:
variable = exprSet variable to a given value.
accept|reject [ expr ]Accept or reject the route, possibly printing expr.
return exprReturn expr from the current function, the function ends
at this point.
print|printn expr [, expr...]Prints given expressions; useful mainly while debugging filters. The
printn variant does not terminate the line.
quitbirdTerminates BIRD. Useful when debugging the filter interpreter.