Filterupdate

A Python tool for automatic BGP prefix filter updates on Juniper devices. This tool queries IRR databases for prefixes associated with AS-SETs and applies them to Juniper devices.

Requirements

• Python 3.6 or higher (Python 3.12 compatible)
• Netmiko library for device connections
• (Optional) bgpq4 command-line tool for more robust IRR queries

Installation

Option 1: Using the setup script

The easiest way to install the required dependencies is to use the provided setup script:

python3 setup.py

For the lightweight version (no device connection):

python3 setup.py --lite

This script will:

• Check your Python version
• Install the required Python packages
• Check if bgpq4 is installed and provide installation instructions if needed

Option 2: Manual installation

1. Install the required Python packages:

pip install -r requirements.txt

2. (Optional) Install bgpq4 if you want to use the --use-bgpq4 option:

   • On macOS:

     brew install bgpq4

     or

     sudo port install bgpq4

   • On Debian/Ubuntu:

     sudo apt-get install bgpq4

   • On CentOS/RHEL:

     sudo yum install epel-release
     sudo yum install bgpq4

   • From source:

     git clone https://github.com/bgp/bgpq4.git
     cd bgpq4
     ./configure
     make
     sudo make install

Usage

Main Version

python3 filterupdate.py -d <device> -u <username> -p <password> -a <as-set> -l <prefix-list-name> [-6] [-s <irr-server>] [--port <port>] [--use-bgpq4] [--test] [--verbose]

Lightweight Version (no device connection)

python3 filterupdate_lite.py -a <as-set> -l <prefix-list-name> [-6] [-s <irr-server>] [--use-bgpq4] [-o <output-file>]

Parameters:

For Main Version:

• -d: Juniper device hostname or IP address
• -u: Username for device login
• -p: Password for device login
• -a: AS-SET to create prefix list from (e.g., AS-EXAMPLE)
• -l: Name of the prefix list to create/update
• -6: (Optional) Use IPv6 instead of IPv4
• -s: (Optional) IRR server to query (default: rr.ntt.net)
• --port: (Optional) SSH port (default: 22)
• --use-bgpq4: (Optional) Use bgpq4 instead of direct IRR query
• --test: (Optional) Test mode: output configuration without applying to device
• --verbose: (Optional) Show detailed debug output during execution

For Lightweight Version:

• -a: AS-SET to create prefix list from (e.g., AS-EXAMPLE)
• -l: Name of the prefix list to create/update
• -6: (Optional) Use IPv6 instead of IPv4
• -s: (Optional) IRR server to query (default: rr.ntt.net)
• --use-bgpq4: (Optional) Use bgpq4 instead of direct IRR query
• -o: (Optional) Output file (default: stdout)

Example:

python3 filterupdate.py -d router.example.com -u admin -p password -a AS-EXAMPLE -l customer-prefixes

For IPv6:

python3 filterupdate.py -d router.example.com -u admin -p password -a AS-EXAMPLE -l customer-prefixes-v6 -6

Using bgpq4:

python3 filterupdate.py -d router.example.com -u admin -p password -a AS-EXAMPLE -l customer-prefixes --use-bgpq4

Test mode (outputs configuration without applying to device):

python3 filterupdate.py -a AS-EXAMPLE -l customer-prefixes --test

Verbose mode (shows detailed debug output):

python3 filterupdate.py -a AS-EXAMPLE -l customer-prefixes --test --verbose

Using the lightweight version:

python3 filterupdate_lite.py -a AS-EXAMPLE -l customer-prefixes -o config.txt

How it works

Main Version

1. The tool can either:
   • Directly query the IRR database using a socket connection (default)
   • Use bgpq4 if the --use-bgpq4 option is specified
2. It parses the response to extract prefixes associated with the specified AS-SET
3. It generates a Juniper-compatible prefix list configuration
4. In test mode (--test), it outputs the configuration and exits
5. In normal mode, it connects to the specified Juniper device using Netmiko
6. It loads and commits the configuration, replacing the existing prefix list
7. In verbose mode (--verbose), it shows detailed debug information during execution

Lightweight Version

1. The tool can either:
   • Directly query the IRR database using a socket connection (default)
   • Use bgpq4 if the --use-bgpq4 option is specified
2. It parses the response to extract prefixes associated with the specified AS-SET
3. It generates a Juniper-compatible prefix list configuration
4. It outputs the configuration to stdout or a specified file
5. It does NOT connect to any device or apply the configuration

Version Comparison

Feature	Main Version	Lightweight Version
External Dependencies	Optional (can use bgpq4 or not)	Optional (can use bgpq4 or not)
Device Library	Netmiko	None
Python 3.12 Compatible	Yes	Yes
Authentication	Username/password	N/A
IRR Query Method	Direct socket connection or bgpq4	Direct socket connection or bgpq4
Query Robustness	Basic or bgpq4	Basic or bgpq4
Test Capability	Yes	Always (generates config only)
Debug Output	Controlled with --verbose	Always minimal

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the license.txt file for details.

Author

(c) 2019 - Sebastiaan Koetsier