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BIRD (recursive acronym for ''BIRD Internet Routing Daemon'') is an
BIRD implements an internal routing table to which the supported protocols connect. Most of these protocols import network routes to this internal routing table and also export network routes from this internal routing table to the given protocol. This way information about network routes is exchanged among different routing protocols.
Using the kernel protocol this internal routing table may be connected to the actual kernel routing table. This allows BIRD to export network routes from its internal routing table to the kernel routing table and optionally also learn about network routes from the kernel routing table (created externally by the administrator or by other means) and import these routes into its internal routing table.
Filters may be used to control what network routes are imported into the internal routing table or exported to the given protocol. Network routes may be accepted, rejected or modified using filters.
BIRD also supports multiple internal routing tables and multiple instances of supported protocol types. Protocols may be connected to different internal routing tables, these internal routing tables may exchange information about network routes they contain (controlled by filters) and each of these internal routing tables may be connected to a different kernel routing table thus allowing for policy routing.
Configuration is done by editing the configuration file and telling BIRD to reconfigure itself. BIRD changes to the new configuration without the need to restart the daemon itself and restarts reconfigured protocols only if necessary. There is also an option to do a soft reconfiguration, which doesn't restart protocols but may leave some stale information such as changed filters not filtering out already exported network routes.
Bird Documentation
Bloom-Bird: A Scalable Open Source Router Based on Bloom Filter
Free routing software Free software projects
open-source
Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use and view the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open source model is a decentrali ...
implementation for routing
Routing is the process of selecting a path for traffic in a Network theory, network or between or across multiple networks. Broadly, routing is performed in many types of networks, including circuit-switched networks, such as the public switched ...
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol (IP) is the network layer communications protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function enables internetworking, and essentially establishes the Internet.
IP ...
packets on Unix-like
A Unix-like (sometimes referred to as UN*X, *nix or *NIX) operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, although not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification. A Uni ...
operating systems. It was developed as a school project at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University
Charles University (CUNI; , UK; ; ), or historically as the University of Prague (), is the largest university in the Czech Republic. It is one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest universities in the world in conti ...
, Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
, and is distributed under the GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public Licenses (GNU GPL or simply GPL) are a series of widely used free software licenses, or ''copyleft'' licenses, that guarantee end users the freedom to run, study, share, or modify the software. The GPL was the first ...
.
BIRD supports Internet Protocol version 4
Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is the first version of the Internet Protocol (IP) as a standalone specification. It is one of the core protocols of standards-based internetworking methods in the Internet and other packet-switched networks ...
and version 6 by running separate daemons. It establishes multiple routing tables, and uses BGP
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is a standardized exterior gateway protocol designed to exchange routing and reachability information among autonomous system (Internet), autonomous systems (AS) on the Internet. BGP is classified as a path-vect ...
, RIP, and OSPF
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a routing protocol for Internet Protocol (IP) networks. It uses a link state routing (LSR) algorithm and falls into the group of interior gateway protocols (IGPs), operating within a single autonomous sys ...
routing protocols, as well as statically defined routes. Its design differs significantly from GNU Zebra
Zebra is a discontinued routing software package that provides TCP/IP based routing services with routing protocols support such as RIP, OSPF and BGP. Zebra also supports BGP Route Reflector and Route Server behavior. In addition to IPv4 routin ...
, Quagga
The quagga ( or ) (''Equus quagga quagga'') is an extinct subspecies of the plains zebra that was endemic to South Africa until it was hunted to extinction in the late 19th century. It was long thought to be a distinct species, but mtDNA ...
and FRRouting
Free Range Routing or FRRouting or FRR is a network routing software suite running on Unix-like platforms, particularly Linux, Solaris, OpenBSD, FreeBSD and NetBSD. It was created as a fork from Quagga, which itself was a fork of GNU Zebra. FRRo ...
. Currently BIRD is included in many Linux distributions, such as Debian
Debian () is a free and open-source software, free and open source Linux distribution, developed by the Debian Project, which was established by Ian Murdock in August 1993. Debian is one of the oldest operating systems based on the Linux kerne ...
, Ubuntu
Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed primarily of free and open-source software. Developed by the British company Canonical (company), Canonical and a community of contributors under a Meritocracy, meritocratic gover ...
and Fedora
A fedora () is a hat with a soft brim and indented crown.Kilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958). ''A Pageant of Hats Ancient and Modern''. R. M. McBride Company. It is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides ...
.
BIRD is used in several Internet exchanges, such as the London Internet Exchange
The London Internet Exchange (LINX) is an Internet exchange point (IXP) providing peering to over 950 different autonomous systems (ASNs). Established in 1994 in London, LINX operates IXPs in London, Manchester, Scotland, and Wales in the ...
(LINX), LONAP
The London Access Point (LONAP) is a London-based Internet exchange point (IXP) founded in 1997 as a membership organisation and currently has over 200 members, making it the second largest IXP in the UK and around the 15th largest IXP in the wo ...
, DE-CIX
DE-CIX (Deutsche Commercial Internet Exchange) is an operator of carrier- and data-center-neutral Internet exchanges (IXs), with operations in Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. All DE-CIX activities and com ...
and MSK-IX
MSK-IX (Moscow Internet eXchange) is an Internet eXchange Point (IXP) with headquarters in Moscow, Russia. With over 549 connected networks and 7,7 Tbps of peak traffic (February 2025), MSK-IX is one of the world's largest IXPs. According ...
as a route server
A route server is a type of Server that is used in Network engineering. The original role of a route server was to be an easily accessible source of Routing information about a particular network, for other machines as well as for remote netwo ...
, where it replaced Quagga because of its scalability issues. According to the 2012 Euro-IX survey, BIRD is the most used route server amongst European Internet exchanges.
In 2010, CZ.NIC, the current sponsor of BIRD development, received the LINX Conspicuous Contribution Award for contribution of BIRD to the advancement in route server technology.
Design
BIRD implements an internal routing table to which the supported protocols connect. Most of these protocols import network routes to this internal routing table and also export network routes from this internal routing table to the given protocol. This way information about network routes is exchanged among different routing protocols.
Using the kernel protocol this internal routing table may be connected to the actual kernel routing table. This allows BIRD to export network routes from its internal routing table to the kernel routing table and optionally also learn about network routes from the kernel routing table (created externally by the administrator or by other means) and import these routes into its internal routing table.
Filters may be used to control what network routes are imported into the internal routing table or exported to the given protocol. Network routes may be accepted, rejected or modified using filters.
BIRD also supports multiple internal routing tables and multiple instances of supported protocol types. Protocols may be connected to different internal routing tables, these internal routing tables may exchange information about network routes they contain (controlled by filters) and each of these internal routing tables may be connected to a different kernel routing table thus allowing for policy routing.
Configuration is done by editing the configuration file and telling BIRD to reconfigure itself. BIRD changes to the new configuration without the need to restart the daemon itself and restarts reconfigured protocols only if necessary. There is also an option to do a soft reconfiguration, which doesn't restart protocols but may leave some stale information such as changed filters not filtering out already exported network routes.
See also
*List of open source routing platforms
Open-source routing platforms may refer to:
* Conventional routing daemons
** Babel
** B.A.T.M.A.N.
** BIRD
** OpenBGPD
** OpenOSPFD
** Quagga
** XORP
** Zebra
** Optimized Link State Routing Protocol
** FRRouting
** GoBGP
* Software distri ...
References
External links
* {{official website, https://bird.network.cz/Bird Documentation
Bloom-Bird: A Scalable Open Source Router Based on Bloom Filter
Free routing software Free software projects