iosxr_bgp_global - unable to add new VRF, when configured VRF names within router BGP are a combination of str and int #560
Description
SUMMARY
Unable to add VRF instance into router BGP configuration, when configured VRF names are combination of number and string. Example here:
#sh run router bgp
Thu Aug 14 19:25:19.743 UTC
router bgp 65530
bgp router-id 10.242.0.193
address-family ipv4 unicast
redistribute connected
!
address-family vpnv4 unicast
!
address-family vpnv6 unicast
!
address-family vpnv4 multicast
!
vrf 11001
address-family ipv4 unicast
!
address-family ipv6 unicast
!
neighbor 10.240.120.2
remote-as 65531
description bgp peer
address-family ipv4 unicast
route-policy rpl-pass-all in
route-policy rpl-prepend-as-path out
!
!
!
vrf test_test_22
address-family ipv4 unicast
!
!
!
Playbook fails with this message:
"msg": "'<' not supported between instances of 'str' and 'int'"
ISSUE TYPE
- Bug Report
COMPONENT NAME
cisco.iosxr.iosxr_bgp_global (version 11.1.0, 10.3.0)
ANSIBLE VERSION
ansible [core 2.17.13]
config file = None
configured module search path = ['/home/horol/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
ansible python module location = /home/horol/VENVS/saut/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ansible
ansible collection location = /home/horol/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
executable location = /home/horol/VENVS/saut/bin/ansible
python version = 3.12.3 (main, Jun 18 2025, 17:59:45) [GCC 13.3.0] (/home/horol/VENVS/saut/bin/python)
jinja version = 3.1.4
libyaml = True
COLLECTION VERSION
# /home/horol/.ansible/collections/ansible_collections
Collection Version
----------- -------
cisco.iosxr 11.1.0
CONFIGURATION
OS / ENVIRONMENT
Linux Ubuntu 24-LTS
STEPS TO REPRODUCE
- name: "Cisco IOSXR: iosxr_bgp_global bug"
hosts: "nkt-rt-xr2"
gather_facts: false
tasks:
# you add vrf in cli or here with ansible task
- name: "Add new VRFs"
cisco.iosxr.iosxr_vrf_global:
config:
- name: "{{ item.vrf }}"
description: "{{ item.descr | default(omit) }}"
rd: "{{ item.rd }}"
state: "{{ item.state | default('merged') }}"
loop:
[
{ vrf: "10", descr: "VRF 10", rd: "10:1" },
{ vrf: "vrf_20", descr: "VRF 20", rd: "20:1" },
]
# this task fails with "'<' not supported between instances of 'str' and 'int'"
- name: "Add VRF to BGP Global"
cisco.iosxr.iosxr_bgp_global:
config:
as_number: "65530"
vrfs:
- vrf: "{{ item.vrf }}"
loop: [{ vrf: "10" }, { vrf: "vrf_20" }]EXPECTED RESULTS
Add new VRFs into router BGP configuartion.
ACTUAL RESULTS
It fails with above message.
SOLUTION
The issue is connected to this short code:
objs["vrfs"] = sorted(
list(objs["vrfs"].values()),
key=lambda k, sk="vrf": k[sk],
)When VRF names configured within router BGP is an combination of str and int, the sort() function failes.
Solution:
objs["vrfs"] = sorted(
list(objs["vrfs"].values()),
key=lambda k, sk="vrf": str(k[sk]),
)The question is why sort() is used at this place.
Our customer(s) are using VRF names with "int" and/or "str" as the name and we hit this issue. Maybe the above solution helps fix the issue shortly.
Thanks,
Martin