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Clixon FAQ

What is Clixon?

Clixon is a configuration management tool including a generated CLI , Yang parser, netconf and restconf interface and an embedded databases.

Why should I use Clixon?

If you want an easy-to-use configuration frontend based on yang with an open-source license. Typically for embedded devices requiring a config interface such as routers and switches.

What license is available?

CLIXON is dual license. Either Apache License, Version 2.0 or GNU General Public License Version 2.

Is Clixon extendible?

Yes. All application semantics is defined in plugins with well-defined APIs. There are currently plugins for: CLI, Netconf, Restconf, the datastore and the backend.

Which programming language is used?

Clixon is written in C. The plugins are written in C. The CLI specification uses cligen (http://cligen.se)

How to best understand Clixon?

Run the Clixon example, in the example directory.

How do you build and install Clixon (and the example)?

Clixon:

	./configure; 
	make; 
	sudo make install; 
	sudo make install-include

The example:

	 cd example; 
	 make; 
	 sudo make install

Do I need to setup anything? (IMPORTANT)

The config demon requires a valid group to create a server UNIX socket. Define a valid CLICON_SOCK_GROUP in the config file or via the -g option or create the group and add the user to it. The default group is 'clicon'. Add yourself and www-data, if you intend to use restconf.

On linux:

  sudo groupadd clicon
  sudo usermod -a -G clicon <user>
  sudo usermod -a -G clicon www-data

Verify:

grep clicon /etc/group
clicon:x:1001:<user>,www-data

What about reference documentation?

Clixon uses Doxygen for reference documentation. Build using 'make doc' and aim your browser at doc/html/index.html or use the web resource: http://clicon.org/ref/index.html

How do you run the example?

  • Start a backend server: 'clixon_backend -Ff /usr/local/etc/example.xml'
  • Start a cli session: clixon_cli -f /usr/local/etc/example.xml
  • Start a netconf session: clixon_netconf -f /usr/local/etc/example.xml

How is configuration data stored?

Configuration data is stored in an XML datastore. The default is a text-based datastore. In the example the datastore are regular files found in /usr/local/var/example/.

What is validate and commit?

Clixon follows netconf in its validate and commit semantics. In short, you edit a 'candidate' configuration, which is first 'validated' for consistency and then 'committed' to the 'running' configuration.

A clixon developer writes commit functions to incrementaly upgrade a system state based on configuration changes. Writing commit callbacks is the core functionality of a clixon system.

What is a Clixon configuration file?

Clixon options are stored in an XML configuration file. The default configuration file is /usr/local/etc/clixon.xml. The example configuration file is installed at /usr/local/etc/example.xml. The YANG specification for the configuration file is clixon-config.yang.

You can change where CLixon looks for the configuration FILE as follows:

  • Provide -f FILE option when starting a program (eg clixon_backend -f FILE)
  • Provide --with-configfile=FILE when configuring
  • Provide --with-sysconfig= when configuring, then FILE is /clixon.xml
  • Provide --sysconfig= when configuring then FILE is /etc/clixon.xml
  • FILE is /usr/local/etc/clixon.xml

Can I run Clixon as docker containers?

Yes, the example works as docker containers as well. There should be a prepared container in docker hib for the example where the backend and CLI is bundled.

sudo docker run -ti --rm olofhagsand/clixon_example

Look in the example documentation for more info.

How do I use netconf?

As an alternative to cli configuration, you can use netconf. Easiest is to just pipe netconf commands to the clixon_netconf application. Example: echo "]]>]]>" | clixon_netconf -f /usr/local/etc/example.xml

However, more useful is to run clixon_netconf as an SSH subsystem. Register the subsystem in /etc/sshd_config:

	Subsystem netconf /usr/local/bin/clixon_netconf -f /usr/local/etc/example.xml

and then invoke it from a client using

	ssh -s <host> netconf

How do I use restconf?

You can access clixon via REST API using restconf, such as using curl. GET, PUT, POST are supported.

You need a web-server, such as nginx, and start a restconf fcgi daemon, clixon_restconf.

For example, using nginx, install, and edit config file: /etc/nginx/sites-available/default:

server {
  ...
  location /restconf {
    root /usr/share/nginx/html/restconf;
    fastcgi_pass unix:/www-data/fastcgi_restconf.sock;
    include fastcgi_params;
  }
}

Start nginx daemon

sudo /etc/init.d/nginx start

Read more in the restconf docs.

Example:

   curl -G http://127.0.0.1/restconf/data/interfaces/interface/name=eth9/type
   [
     {
       "type": "eth" 
     }
   ]

How do I use notifications?

The example has a prebuilt notification stream called "ROUTING" that triggers every 10s. You enable the notification either via the cli:

cli> notify 
cli>

or via netconf:

clixon_netconf -qf /usr/local/etc/example.xml 
<rpc><create-subscription><stream>ROUTING</stream></create-subscription></rpc>]]>]]>
<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>]]>]]>
<notification><event>Routing notification</event></notification>]]>]]>
<notification><event>Routing notification</event></notification>]]>]]>
...

How should I start the backend daemon?

There are four different backend startup modes. There is differences in running state treatment, ie what state the machine is when you startthe daemon and how loading the configuration affects it:

  • none - Do not touch running state. Typically after crash when running state and db are synched.
  • init - Initialize running state. Start with a completely clean running state.
  • running - Commit running db configuration into running state. Typically after reboot if a persistent running db exists.
  • startup - Commit startup configuration into running state. After reboot when no persistent running db exists.

You use the -s to select the mode:

clixon_backend ... -s running

You may also add a default method in the configuration file:

<config>
   ...
   <CLICON_STARTUP_MODE>init</CLICON_STARTUP_MODE
</config>

Can I use systemd with Clixon?

Yes. Systemd example files are provide for the backend and the restconf daemon as part of the example.

How can I add extra XML?

There are two ways to add extra XML to running database after start. Note that this XML is not "committed" into running.

The first way is via a file. Assume you want to add this xml (the config tag is a necessary top-level tag):

<config>
   <x>extra</x>
</config>

You add this via the -c option:

clixon_backend ... -c extra.xml

The second way is by programming the plugin_reset() in the backend plugin. The example code contains an example on how to do this (see plugin_reset() in example_backend.c).

I want to program. How do I extend the example?

See [../apps/example]

  • example.xml - Change the configuration file
  • The yang specifications - This is the central part. It changes the XML, database and the config cli.
  • example_cli.cli - Change the fixed part of the CLI commands
  • example_cli.c - Cli C-commands are placed here.
  • example_backend.c - Commit and validate functions.
  • example_netconf.c - Netconf plugin
  • example_restconf.c - Add restconf authentication, etc.

How is a plugin initiated?

Each plugin is initiated with an API struct followed by a plugin init function as follows:

   static clixon_plugin_api api = {
      "example",          /* name */
      clixon_plugin_init, 
      plugin_start,
      ... /* more functions here */
   }
   clixon_plugin_api *
   clixon_plugin_init(clicon_handle h)
   {
      ...
      return &api; /* Return NULL on error */
   }

For more info see [../example/README.md]

How do I write a commit function?

In the example, you write a commit function in example_backend.c. Every time a commit is made, transaction_commit() is called in the backend. It has a 'transaction_data td' argument which is used to fetch information on added, deleted and changed entries. You access this information using access functions as defined in clixon_backend_transaction.h

How do I check what has changed on commit?

You use XPATHs on the XML trees in the transaction commit callback. Suppose you want to print all added interfaces:

	cxobj *target = transaction_target(td); # wanted XML tree
	vec = xpath_vec_flag(target, "//interface", &len, XML_FLAG_ADD); /* Get added i/fs */
	for (i=0; i<len; i++)             /* Loop over added i/fs */
	  clicon_xml2file(stdout, vec[i], 0, 1); /* Print the added interface */

You can look for added, deleted and changed entries in this way.

How do I access the XML tree?

Using XPATH, find and iteration functions defined in the XML library. Example library functions:

      xml_child_each(), 
      xml_find(), 
      xml_body(), 
      xml_print(), 
      xml_apply()

More are found in the doxygen reference.

How do I write a CLI callback function?

  1. You add an entry in example_cli.cli

example("This is a comment") var:int32("This is a variable"), mycallback("myarg");

  1. Then define a function in example_cli.c

mycallback(clicon_handle h, cvec *cvv, cvec *arv) where 'cvv' contains the value of the variable 'var' and 'argv' contains the string "myarg".

The 'cvv' datatype is a 'CLIgen variable vector'. They are documented in CLIgen tutorial

How do I write a validation function?

Similar to a commit function, but instead write the transaction_validate() function. Check for inconsistencies in the XML trees and if they fail, make an clicon_err() call.

    clicon_err(OE_PLUGIN, 0, "Route %s lacks ipv4 addr", name);
    return -1;

The validation or commit will then be aborted.

How do I write a state data callback function?

Netconf and restconf GET also returns state data, in contrast to config data. In YANG state data is specified with "config false;".

To return state data, you need to write a backend state data callback with the name "plugin_statedata()" where you return an XML tree.

Please look at the example for an example on how to write a state data callback.

How do I write an RPC function?

A YANG RPC is an application specific operation. Example:

   rpc fib-route {
      input {
         leaf inarg { type string; }
      }
      output {
         leaf outarg { type string; }
      }
   }

which defines the fib-route operation present in the example (the arguments have been changed).

Clixon automatically relays the RPC to the clixon backend. To implement the RFC, you need to register an RPC callback in the backend plugin: Example:

int
clixon_plugin_init(clicon_handle h)
{
...
   rpc_callback_register(h, fib_route, NULL, "fib-route");
...
}

And then define the callback itself:

static int 
fib_route(clicon_handle h,            /* Clicon handle */
	  cxobj        *xe,           /* Request: <rpc><xn></rpc> */
	  cbuf         *cbret,        /* Reply eg <rpc-reply>... */
	  void         *arg,          /* Client session */
	  void         *regarg)       /* Argument given at register */
{
    cprintf(cbret, "<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>");    
    return 0;
}

Here, the callback is over-simplified.

How do I write an authentication callback?

A restconf call may need to be authenticated. You can specify an authentication callback for restconf as follows:

int
plugin_credentials(clicon_handle h,     
		   void         *arg)
{
    FCGX_Request *r = (FCGX_Request *)arg;
    ...
    clicon_username_set(h, user);

To authenticate, the callback needs to return the value 1 and supply a username.

See [../apps/example/example_restconf.c] example_restconf_credentials() for an example of HTTP basic auth.

How do I write a CLI translator function?

The CLI can perform variable translation. This is useful if you want to prcess the input, such as hashing, encrypting or in other way translate the input.

Yang example:

list translate{
    leaf value{
        type string;
    }
}

CLI specification:

translate value (<value:string translate:incstr()>),cli_set("/translate/value");

If you run this example using the incstr() function which increments the characters in the input, you get this result:

cli> translate value HAL
cli> show configuration
translate {
    value IBM;
}

You can perform translation on any type, not only strings.