(plugin-bgp-originate)=
# BGP Network Origination Plugin

The **bgp.originate** plugin modifies the way _netlab_ implements the origination of BGP prefixes.

The [](module-bgp) configures static routes to the Null interface to originate additional IPv4 prefixes specified in the **[bgp.originate](module-bgp-originate)** attribute. Without this plugin, that attribute cannot contain IPv6 prefixes.

This plugin recognizes IPv4 and IPv6 prefixes in the **bgp.originate** node attribute and creates a loopback interface for every originated prefix, replacing the static routes that would be generated by the BGP module[^RSR]. The loopback interface gets the first IP address in the advertised prefix.

[^RSR]: It removes the **bgp.originate** prefix once it generates the additional [loopback links](links-loopback).

The plugin works with all platforms supporting the [](module-bgp) and [loopback interfaces](platform-initial-interfaces).

| Modified attributes      | Meaning |
|--------------------------|---------|
| **bgp.originate** (node) | A list of IPv4 or IPv6 prefixes to originate |

## Example

In the following topology, R1 originates four prefixes -- its loopback IP address, the stub prefix, and the two prefixes (an IPv4 and an IPv6 prefix) specified in the **bgp.originate** list.

```
defaults.device: eos

module: [ bgp ]
bgp.as: 65000
plugin: [ bgp.originate ]

nodes:
  r1:
    bgp.originate:
    - 172.16.17.0/28
    - 2000:db8:cafe::0/96

links: [ r1 ]
```

The BGP ASN report displays all four advertised prefixes:

| Node/ASN | Router ID | Advertised prefixes |
|----------|----------:|--------------------:|
| **AS65000** ||
| r1 | 10.0.0.1 | 10.0.0.1/32<br>172.16.0.0/24<br>172.16.17.0/28<br>2000:db8:cafe::/96 |

You can see the loopback interfaces **bgp.originate** creates during the **netlab create** process with the addressing report:

| Node/Interface | IPv4 Address | IPv6 Address | Description |
|----------------|-------------:|-------------:|-------------|
| **r1** |  10.0.0.1/32 |  | Loopback |
| Ethernet1 | 172.16.0.1/24 |  | r1 -> stub |
| Loopback1 | 172.16.17.1/28 |  | BGP originate #1 |
| Loopback2 |  | 2000:db8:cafe::1/96 | BGP originate #2 |