Use Sonic VPP image

[l0wl3vel]

Description

Use Sonic VPP image to emulate switch behaviour more accurately

What works

• SONiC image building (locally)
• Static breakout configuration (Dynamic breakouts are not supported)
• SONiC config_db.json generation and loading

Outstanding issues

• SONiC Image building in the CI (Requires some undocumented manual steps, not only for this change)
• Depends on unmerged feat: add gatewayapi support metal-roles#594 and feat: add gateway-api support #299
• isc/pixiecore do not work on switches because of upstream issues with VLANs/Bridged Interfaces/L2 broadcasts Create vlan-bvi HLD sonic-net/sonic-platform-vpp#228 BVI support sonic-net/sonic-platform-vpp#199
  • Can be fixed by moving pixiecore and isc off the switches and letting sonic dhcp relay route the DHCP traffic. Great opportunity to get mini-lab closer to the reference architecture
• sonic-vpp VMs blast at 100% virtual cpu utilization, which is uncomfortable when I have my laptop on my lap.

closes: #300

Used AI-Tools ✨

• Claude Opus used as research buddy/stand-in in for missing SONiC documentation