After battling with Linux Network APIs, I decided to create rust project providing a state describing API for querying linux kernel network state.

The new project is named as Nispor, in the short of Network Inspector.

Why Nispor

In short, existing solutions is not simple enough:

  • iproute The iproute provides json output, but command line output cannot be really called as a library considering the risk of changing format or string.

  • NetworkManager NetworkManager are spreading network states among many structs/objects. And it is based on dbus interface, you need to refresh the data using complex async actions.

  • sysfs Regardless the debate on whether sysfs is a API or not, gathering network state among sysfs folders is time consuming work.

What Nispor can provides

  • Pure Rust with promise of memory safe, thread-safe.
  • Rust crate.
  • C binding written in rust
  • Python binding written in Python using the c binding above.
  • Best effort on point-in-time consistence of network state.
  • Command line tool for debugging or scripting.
  • Supporting:
    • IPv4/IPv6 address
    • Bond
    • Linux Bridge
    • Linux Bridge VLAN filtering
    • VLAN
    • VxLAN
    • Route
    • Dummy
    • TUN/TAP
    • Veth
    • VRF(Virtual Routing and Forwarding)
    • SR-IOV
    • MacVlan
    • MacVtap

How it looks like

The output of npc iface bond99 would be:

 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35

---
- name: bond99
  iface_type: Bond
  state: Up
  mtu: 1500
  flags:
    - Broadcast
    - LowerUp
    - Controller
    - Multicast
    - Running
    - Up
  ipv6:
    addresses:
      - address: "fe80::942c:a7ff:fe56:683c"
        prefix_len: 64
        valid_lft: forever
        preferred_lft: forever
  mac_address: "96:2C:A7:56:68:3C"
  bond:
    subordinates:
      - eth1
      - eth2
    mode: balance-rr
    miimon: 0
    updelay: 0
    downdelay: 0
    use_carrier: true
    arp_interval: 0
    arp_all_targets: any
    arp_validate: none
    resend_igmp: 1
    all_subordinates_active: dropped
    packets_per_subordinate: 1
    peer_notif_delay: 0

Future of Nispor

  • Support applying network configure.

How to Contribute