VyOS (automation-first virtual router)¶
VyOS works especially well for teams using automation, GitOps and reproducible network infrastructure.
When to choose VyOS¶
- You need BGP/OSPF with declarative automation
- You want network config versioned as code
- Your operations rely on DevOps/NetOps pipelines
Recommended deployment¶
- 2+ vNICs depending on design
- CPU: 2+ vCPU, RAM: 2-4 GB
- Disk: 8 GB+
Baseline setup¶
- Define interfaces and addressing.
- Harden SSH and admin accounts.
- Configure zone-based firewall policies.
- Implement static or dynamic routing (FRR).
- Automate backups and configuration validation.
Good practices¶
- Store config templates in Git.
- Introduce changes via pull requests and reviews.
- Separate lab/preprod/prod when feasible.
- Run periodic failover and convergence testing.
Operational checklist¶
- Is all critical config version-controlled?
- Is there a syntax/functional validation pipeline?
- Have link/peer failure scenarios been tested?
- Are snapshots or backups ready for rollback?