This release promises to deliver plethora of new features and functionality, including:

1) FusionCLI – A new CLI based around bash that gives simultaneous access to Vyatta configuration and the underlying Linux shell. Woohoo – no more exiting from xorpsh to do basic bash stuff.

2 ) Remote Access VPN – Remote vpn clients are now supported via both PPTP and L2TP/IPSec.

3)  Tunnel Interfaces -  GRE support means that we can now tunnel both non-ip tunnels (Appletalk, etc. – should you really want to), as well as more importantly ip in ip tunnels, which are somewhat more useful, not least for doing resilient routing via backup VPN links.

4) QOS - Although QOS via TC has long been available to the ‘hardcore’ under the hood via tc and the shell, this is the first time that Vyatta have exposed this functionality to masses via the CLI. The initial release notes suggest that it will just be SFQ (Stochastic Fair Queuing), and shaping around packet marking. As is always the case with Vyatta they start simple and grow from there, so you can expect to see HTB, etc. added later on. Personally I am hoping they have ticked the 2.6 kernal option to enable IFB (Intermediate Functional Block), to enable traffic shaping over multiple interfaces… we will see!

5) Redesign of Routing Protocols – Vyatta has in the past been criticised for its routing protocol performance particularly in terms of BGP convergence, I am guessing this is one of the many reasons they have completely revisited the router manager. And they are keen to shout about it, this Tolly report demonstrates $8000 of Vyatta running on an IBM server, giving $30,000+ of Cisco 7204 a complete and utter kicking.

6) VRRP interfaces by VIF - This one is worth special mention because it was my first Vyatta enhancement request that has made it through to release (given I have only ever submitted 2 thats not bad going!). Basically VRRP could only previously be deployed on real ethernet interfaces, great unless like me you subnet networks up and run a ‘router on a stick’ configuration, in which case you need to be able to deploy VRRP across VIFs, you now can! woohoo!

This is but the tip of the iceberg, there are many other great improvements.

I will be deploying a version of Glendale soon, in a test environment, and I will report back!