plugin-development

Ze Plugin Development Guide

This guide explains how to create plugins for ze. Plugins extend ze's functionality by handling BGP events, providing commands, managing address families, and injecting custom capabilities.

Quick Start (5 minutes)

1. Create a Plugin

package main

import (
	"context"
	"fmt"
	"os"

	"github.com/ze-software/ze/pkg/plugin/sdk"
)

func main() {
	// Connect to the engine via TLS using environment variables.
	// Reads ZE_PLUGIN_HUB_HOST (default 127.0.0.1), ZE_PLUGIN_HUB_PORT
	// (default 12700), and ZE_PLUGIN_HUB_TOKEN (required).
	p, err := sdk.NewFromEnv("my-plugin")
	if err != nil {
		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: %v\n", err)
		os.Exit(1)
	}
	defer p.Close()

	// Register event handler (receives BGP events as JSON strings).
	p.OnEvent(func(event string) error {
		fmt.Println("event:", event)
		return nil
	})

	// Register config handler (receives config sections during startup).
	p.OnConfigure(func(sections []sdk.ConfigSection) error {
		for _, s := range sections {
			fmt.Printf("config root=%s data=%s\n", s.Root, s.Data)
		}
		return nil
	})

	// Subscribe to updates at startup (race-free -- registered atomically
	// with the "ready" signal before routes start flowing).
	p.SetStartupSubscriptions([]string{"update"}, nil, "")

	// Run the 5-stage startup protocol and enter the event loop.
	// Returns nil on clean shutdown (bye received).
	if err := p.Run(context.Background(), sdk.Registration{
		Families: []sdk.FamilyDecl{{Name: "ipv4/unicast", Mode: "both"}},
	}); err != nil {
		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: %v\n", err)
		os.Exit(1)
	}
}

2. Build and Test

go build -o my-plugin

ze plugin test [options] <config-file> inspects plugin YANG loading and config delivery. It does not validate an arbitrary plugin binary. To exercise an external binary, run ze with a config that declares it in plugin { external ... }, or add a functional test that starts the plugin through the normal process manager.

3. Configure Ze

plugin {
    hub {
        server local {
            ip 127.0.0.1;
            port 12700;
            secret "change-this-token-to-at-least-32-chars";
        }
    }

    external my-plugin {
        run "./my-plugin";
        encoder json;
    }
}

peer transit-a {
    attach process my-plugin {
        receive [ update state ];
    }
}

The attach process block is what feeds the plugin. A plugin the config loads and no peer attaches runs, subscribes, and is handed no peer event. Say in your plugin's documentation which receive list it needs, because the operator writes it. See docs/guide/plugins.md, "Binding Plugins to Peers".

The engine sets these environment variables before launching the plugin process:

Variable	Purpose
ZE_PLUGIN_HUB_HOST	TLS host to connect to (default 127.0.0.1)
ZE_PLUGIN_HUB_PORT	TLS port to connect to (default 12700)
ZE_PLUGIN_HUB_TOKEN	Per-plugin auth token (unique per plugin, cleared from env after read)
ZE_PLUGIN_CA_PEM	PEM certificate authority root that issued the engine's TLS certificate
ZE_PLUGIN_NAME	Plugin name as configured in ze

Each plugin receives its own unique auth token. The token is bound to the plugin name: a plugin cannot use its token to authenticate as a different plugin. The token is automatically cleared from the OS environment after the SDK reads it, so it is not visible in /proc/<pid>/environ.

ZE_PLUGIN_CA_PEM is required. The SDK validates the engine's certificate chain against that root and against nothing else, so a man in the middle needs a certificate the engine's own authority issued. An absent or unparsable root is an error before the dial, not a connection with verification turned off.

What Can Plugins Do?

• Handle BGP events -- Receive UPDATE, OPEN, peer state changes as JSON
• Provide commands -- Expose custom commands via the API
• Manage address families -- Encode/decode NLRI for custom address families
• Extend configuration -- Add config sections with YANG schemas
• Validate config changes -- Accept or reject config during reload
• Apply config diffs -- React to config changes at runtime
• Inject capabilities -- Add BGP capabilities to OPEN messages
• Validate OPEN messages -- Accept or reject peer sessions
• Emit events -- Push events for other plugins to consume
• Dispatch commands -- Invoke commands on other plugins through the engine

Architecture

Ze Engine                          Plugin
    |                                |
    |--- Stage 1: declare-registration -->|  Plugin declares families, commands, schema
    |<-- ok -----------------------------|
    |                                |
    |--- Stage 2: configure ------------>|  Engine sends config sections
    |<-- ok -----------------------------|
    |                                |
    |--- Stage 3: declare-capabilities ->|  Plugin declares BGP capabilities
    |<-- ok -----------------------------|
    |                                |
    |--- Stage 4: share-registry ------->|  Engine shares command registry
    |<-- ok -----------------------------|
    |                                |
    |--- Stage 5: ready ---------------->|  Plugin enters event loop
    |<-- ok -----------------------------|
    |                                |
    |--- deliver-batch --------------->|  Runtime: BGP events
    |<-- ok ----------------------------|
    |                                |
    |--- execute-command ------------->|  Runtime: command execution
    |<-- head, records, terminator ----|
    |                                |
    |<-- update-route ------------------|  Runtime: plugin sends routes
    |--- ok {"peers-affected":2} ----->|
    |                                |
    |--- bye -------------------------->|  Shutdown
    |<-- ok ----------------------------|

External plugins communicate via a single bidirectional TLS connection using the #<id> <verb> [<json>] wire format. MuxConn multiplexes concurrent RPCs by distinguishing responses (ok/error) from requests (method name as verb).

For internal plugins (running as goroutines inside the engine), startup uses a net.Pipe, and after Stage 5 DirectBridge bypasses the pipe for supported hot paths.

Documentation

Guide	Description
protocol.md	5-stage protocol details
schema.md	YANG schema authoring
handlers.md	Config verify/apply handlers
commands.md	Adding commands
testing.md	Testing your plugin

Example Plugins

• Go Example -- Complete Go plugin

SDK Reference

The Go SDK (pkg/plugin/sdk) provides:

Core Types

Type	Purpose
sdk.Plugin	Main plugin struct, created via NewFromEnv or NewWithConn
sdk.Registration	Stage 1 declaration (= rpc.DeclareRegistrationInput)
sdk.FamilyDecl	Address family declaration (Name + Mode)
sdk.CommandDecl	Command declaration (Name + Description + LongHelp + Args). Description is the one-line summary every listing prints. LongHelp is the explanation only the command's own help page prints
sdk.SchemaDecl	YANG schema declaration (Module + YANGText + Handlers)
sdk.ConfigSection	Config section (Root + Data)
sdk.ConfigDiffSection	Config diff (Root + Added + Removed + Changed)
sdk.CapabilityDecl	BGP capability for OPEN injection
sdk.RegistryCommand	Command in the shared registry

Constructors

Function	Purpose
sdk.NewFromEnv(name)	Connect via TLS using the ZE_PLUGIN_* env vars above. Returns (*Plugin, error)
sdk.NewWithConn(name, conn)	Create from existing net.Conn (internal plugins, testing)

Callback Registration (call before Run)

Method	Handler Type	When Called
OnConfigure	ConfigureHandler	Stage 2: engine delivers config
OnShareRegistry	ShareRegistryHandler	Stage 4: engine shares command registry
OnEvent	EventHandler	Runtime: BGP event delivery
OnExecuteCommand	ExecuteCommandHandler	Runtime: command execution
OnEncodeNLRI	EncodeNLRIHandler	Runtime: NLRI encoding request
OnDecodeNLRI	DecodeNLRIHandler	Runtime: NLRI decoding request
OnDecodeCapability	DecodeCapabilityHandler	Runtime: capability decoding request
OnConfigVerify	ConfigVerifyHandler	Reload: validate candidate config
OnConfigApply	ConfigApplyHandler	Reload: apply config diff
OnValidateOpen	ValidateOpenHandler	Runtime: validate OPEN messages
OnBye	ByeHandler	Shutdown: reason string
OnStarted	StartedHandler	Post-startup: safe to make engine calls

Configuration Methods (call before Run)

Method	Purpose
SetStartupSubscriptions(events, peers []string, format string)	Race-free event subscription (included in Stage 5 ready RPC)
SetEncoding(enc string)	Set event encoding preference ("json" or "text")
SetCapabilities(caps []CapabilityDecl)	Set BGP capabilities to declare in Stage 3

Engine Calls (call after startup, typically in OnStarted or OnEvent)

Method	Purpose
UpdateRoute(ctx, peerSelector, command)	Inject route updates to matching peers
DispatchCommand(ctx, command)	Route a command through the engine's dispatcher
EmitEvent(ctx, namespace, eventType, direction, peerAddress, event)	Push events to subscribers
SubscribeEvents(ctx, events, peers, format)	Subscribe to event delivery
UnsubscribeEvents(ctx)	Stop event delivery
DecodeNLRI(ctx, family, hex)	Decode NLRI via engine registry
EncodeNLRI(ctx, family, args)	Encode NLRI via engine registry
DecodeMPReach(ctx, hex, addPath)	Decode MP_REACH_NLRI attribute
DecodeMPUnreach(ctx, hex, addPath)	Decode MP_UNREACH_NLRI attribute
DecodeUpdate(ctx, hex, addPath)	Decode full UPDATE message body

Lifecycle

Method	Purpose
Run(ctx, Registration)	Execute 5-stage startup + event loop. Returns nil on clean shutdown
Close()	Close connections. Safe to call multiple times

Complete Example

p, err := sdk.NewFromEnv("my-plugin")
if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}
defer p.Close()

// Register callbacks.
p.OnConfigure(func(sections []sdk.ConfigSection) error {
    // Process config during startup.
    return nil
})

p.OnEvent(func(event string) error {
    // Handle BGP events (UPDATE, peer state, etc.).
    return nil
})

p.OnExecuteCommand(func(serial, command string, args []string, peer string) (string, any, error) {
    // Handle command execution. Return (status, data, error).
    return "done", `{"status":"running"}`, nil
})

// Subscribe to updates at startup.
p.SetStartupSubscriptions([]string{"update"}, nil, "")

// Run the plugin.
err = p.Run(context.Background(), sdk.Registration{
    Families: []sdk.FamilyDecl{{Name: "ipv4/unicast", Mode: "both"}},
    Commands: []sdk.CommandDecl{{Name: "my-plugin status", Description: "Show status"}},
    Schema:   &sdk.SchemaDecl{Module: "my-plugin", YANGText: myYANG, Handlers: []string{"my-prefix"}},
})