containerlab in the Cloud: Skip the Setup

containerlab is the open source tool network engineers use to build container-based labs. Running it yourself means a Linux host, Docker, images and YAML topology files before you configure a single router.

What if you could skip all of that and just describe what you need?

Bottom line: containerlab is excellent, and running it yourself means owning the host (Docker + Linux + image sourcing + YAML). NetPilot runs containerlab on isolated cloud infrastructure and adds an AI agent that generates the topology and configs from plain-English prompts. Same real CLIs, zero infrastructure overhead, 2-minute deployment.

What Running containerlab Yourself Takes

To run containerlab locally, you need:

1. A Linux host (or WSL on Windows, or a VM)
2. Docker installed and configured
3. Device images sourced and built — Nokia SR Linux and FRR are free; everything else requires downloading from vendors and building Docker images via vrnetlab
4. A YAML topology file written by hand
5. Device configurations written manually for every router, switch, and firewall

For a 6-device OSPF lab, that's:

• 1-2 hours for first-time setup (Docker, Linux, images)
• 20-40 minutes per lab (YAML + manual configs)

Over 50 labs, that's 20-30 hours spent on setup and infrastructure — not networking.

The Cloud Alternative

NetPilot runs containerlab in the cloud with an AI agent on top, and the NetPilot team contributes upstream. The difference:

containerlab locally:

• Install Docker + Linux
• Source and build device images (vrnetlab Makefiles, Docker import/load)
• Write YAML topology file
• Write device configs by hand
• Deploy with clab deploy
• 20-40 minutes per lab

NetPilot (cloud containerlab):

• Open browser
• Describe topology in plain English
• AI generates topology + configs
• Deploy to cloud containerlab
• 2 minutes per lab

Same Devices, No Setup

NetPilot runs the same device images you use with containerlab locally:

• Nokia SR Linux — built-in, no upload needed
• FRRouting (FRR) — built-in, no upload needed
• Linux clients — built-in, no upload needed
• Cisco IOL — one-click upload, NetPilot builds the Docker image automatically
• Cisco XRd (IOS XR) — one-click upload, auto-built
• Cisco NX-OS (Nexus 9300v) — one-click upload, auto-built
• Arista cEOS — one-click upload, auto-built
• Juniper cRPD — one-click upload, auto-built
• Juniper vJunos-router: one-click upload, auto-built
• Juniper vJunos-switch: one-click upload, auto-built
• Palo Alto PAN-OS — one-click upload, auto-built
• Fortinet FortiGate — one-click upload, auto-built
• Aruba AOS-CX: one-click upload, auto-built
• Dell SmartFabric OS10 — one-click upload, auto-built
• MikroTik RouterOS (CHR): preloaded on every lab VM, replaceable with your own version
• SONiC (community VS): preloaded on every lab VM, replaceable with your own version

The key difference: with local containerlab, you manually run vrnetlab Makefiles, handle Docker import/load commands, and troubleshoot build failures. With NetPilot, you upload the vendor file and the platform handles the entire build and verification process.

When to Use Each

Stick with local containerlab if:

• You need offline access (no internet required)
• You're integrating with CI/CD pipelines that require local Docker
• You want maximum control over the container runtime
• You're building custom tooling on top of containerlab APIs

Use NetPilot (cloud containerlab) if:

• You want labs without managing infrastructure
• You need AI to generate topologies and configs
• You work across multiple machines or locations
• You don't want to deal with Docker, Linux, or server setup
• You want to share labs with teammates via browser

Getting Started

With local containerlab:

# Install containerlab
curl -sL https://containerlab.dev/setup | sudo -E bash -s "all"
 
# Create topology YAML
cat > lab.yml << EOF
name: ospf-lab
topology:
  nodes:
    r1:
      kind: nokia_srlinux
      image: ghcr.io/nokia/srlinux
    r2:
      kind: nokia_srlinux
      image: ghcr.io/nokia/srlinux
  links:
    - endpoints: ["r1:e1-1", "r2:e1-1"]
EOF
 
# Deploy
sudo containerlab deploy -t lab.yml

With NetPilot: open your browser, type "Build a 2-router OSPF lab with Nokia SR Linux", and the AI does the rest.

Copy-paste ready: Browse the example-prompts library, 40+ containerlab-compatible scenarios you can deploy in 2 minutes (BGP, EVPN-VXLAN, multi-vendor, security).

Want to try cloud-hosted containerlab? Get started with NetPilot, same devices, zero setup, AI-powered configuration.