Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/abelperezr/nokia-bng-lab/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Before deploying the Nokia BNG Lab, ensure your system meets all the requirements below.

​
System Requirements

This lab requires significant system resources due to multiple network nodes running simultaneously.

​
Minimum Hardware Requirements

  • CPU: 8 cores (16 recommended)
  • RAM: 16 GB minimum (32 GB recommended)
  • Disk Space: 50 GB free space
  • Architecture: x86_64 (AMD64)

​
Operating System

  • Linux distribution (Ubuntu 20.04+ or equivalent)
  • Kernel version 4.x or higher
  • Root or sudo access required
Windows and macOS are not directly supported. Use a Linux VM or WSL2 for Windows users.

​
Software Dependencies

​
Containerlab

1

Check Containerlab Version

The lab requires Containerlab v0.50 or higher.
containerlab version
Expected output should show version 0.50.0 or higher.
2

Install Containerlab (if needed)

If Containerlab is not installed or needs updating:
# Download and install latest version
bash -c "$(curl -sL https://get.containerlab.dev)"

# Verify installation
containerlab version

​
Docker

1

Check Docker Version

Docker v24.0 or higher is required.
docker --version
2

Install Docker (if needed)

# Ubuntu/Debian
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh

# Add user to docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker
3

Verify Docker Service

# Check Docker service status
sudo systemctl status docker

# Enable Docker on boot
sudo systemctl enable docker

​
Nokia Requirements

​
SR-SIM License

A valid Nokia SR-SIM license is required to run the BNG nodes. The license is not included in this repository.
You need:
  • Valid Nokia SR-SIM license file (SR_SIM_license.txt)
  • License must support:
    • SR-7 platform
    • IXR-ec platform
    • Required features (BNG, ISA cards)
Contact Nokia or your Nokia representative to obtain evaluation or production licenses.

​
Nokia SR OS Images

The lab requires Nokia SR OS image version 25.10.R2:
1

Obtain Nokia Images

Download the following from Nokia support portal:
  • SR OS image version 25.10.R2
  • SRLinux image version 25.10
2

Import SR OS Image

# Import the SR OS image to Docker
docker import sros-25.10.R2.tar localhost/nokia/srsim:25.10.R2

# Verify the image
docker images | grep nokia/srsim
3

Pull SRLinux Image

# Pull SRLinux image from GitHub Container Registry
docker pull ghcr.io/nokia/srlinux:25.10

​
Network Requirements

​
Port Availability

The following host ports must be available:
  • 56661 - BNG1 SSH
  • 56664 - BNG2 SSH
  • 56667 - Switch SSH
  • 56678 - OLT SSH
  • 56673 - ONT1 SSH
  • 56674 - ONT2 SSH
  • 56675 - iPerf SSH
  • 56676 - TX (SRLinux) SSH
  • 56677 - PC1 SSH
  • 56662 - BNG1 gNMI (57400)
  • 56665 - BNG2 gNMI (57400)
  • 56668 - Switch gNMI (57400)
  • 56671 - OLT gNMI (57400)
  • 56663 - BNG1 NETCONF (830)
  • 56666 - BNG2 NETCONF (830)
  • 56669 - Switch NETCONF (830)
  • 56672 - OLT NETCONF (830)
  • 3030 - Grafana dashboard
  • 9090 - Prometheus metrics
  • 8081 - ONT1 web interface
  • 8082 - ONT2 web interface
Check port availability with: sudo netstat -tulpn | grep -E '(3030|9090|5666[1-9]|5667[0-8]|808[1-2])'

​
Management Network

Containerlab will create a Docker network:
  • Network Name: lab
  • Subnet: 10.77.1.0/24
  • Gateway: 10.77.1.1 (Docker bridge)
Ensure this subnet doesn’t conflict with existing networks on your system.

​
Container Images

The lab uses several public container images that will be pulled automatically:
ImagePurposeSize
ghcr.io/abelperezr/ont-ds:0.2ONT devices~200MB
ghcr.io/srl-labs/network-multitoolTesting tools~50MB
ghcr.io/openconfig/gnmic:latestTelemetry collector~100MB
prom/prometheusMetrics database~200MB
grafana/grafana:10.3.5Visualization~300MB
ghcr.io/nokia/srlinux:25.10SR Linux router~1.5GB
1

Pre-pull Images (Optional)

To speed up deployment, pre-pull the images:
docker pull ghcr.io/abelperezr/ont-ds:0.2
docker pull ghcr.io/srl-labs/network-multitool
docker pull ghcr.io/openconfig/gnmic:latest
docker pull prom/prometheus
docker pull grafana/grafana:10.3.5
docker pull ghcr.io/nokia/srlinux:25.10

​
System Preparation

​
Kernel Modules

1

Load Required Modules

# Enable IP forwarding
sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1
sudo sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding=1

# Make persistent
echo "net.ipv4.ip_forward=1" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf
echo "net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding=1" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf

​
Firewall Configuration

If using a firewall, ensure Docker and Containerlab traffic is allowed.
# UFW users
sudo ufw allow 3030/tcp comment 'Grafana'
sudo ufw allow 9090/tcp comment 'Prometheus'
sudo ufw allow from 10.77.1.0/24 comment 'Containerlab management'

​
Pre-deployment Checklist

1

Verify System Resources

# Check CPU cores
nproc

# Check available RAM
free -h

# Check disk space
df -h
2

Verify Software Versions

containerlab version  # Should be 0.50+
docker --version      # Should be 24.0+
3

Check Docker Images

# Verify Nokia images are available
docker images | grep -E '(nokia/srsim|nokia/srlinux)'
4

Verify License File

# Check license file exists
ls -lh configs/license/SR_SIM_license.txt
5

Check Port Availability

# Verify key ports are free
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep -E '(3030|9090)'
No output means ports are available.

​
Troubleshooting Prerequisites

If you see “permission denied” errors:
# Add user to docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Log out and back in, or run:
newgrp docker
Find which process is using a port:
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep <port_number>
# or
sudo lsof -i :<port_number>
Stop the conflicting service or modify the lab.yml to use different ports.
To reduce resource usage:
  1. Close unnecessary applications
  2. Consider deploying only specific nodes you need
  3. Modify lab.yml to comment out unused nodes
  4. Use a more powerful system or cloud VM
Ensure:
  1. You have the correct SR OS image file
  2. The file is not corrupted (check MD5/SHA)
  3. Sufficient disk space is available
  4. Docker service is running properly
# Check Docker status
sudo systemctl status docker

# Check disk space
df -h /var/lib/docker

​
Next Steps

Once all prerequisites are met, proceed to Installation.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us