Adding Routes using Netlink Sockets
 

Hi,
I am trying to add a static routing entry into the routing table using netlink sockets. I use the following program to do so.

I have a network conf as shown


R1 (10.0.4.1)(e0) -----------------(10.0.4.0/24)------------(e0) (10.0.4.2)R2 --------(10.0.3.0/24)-----


I execute this program at R1 and want to add a static route for a host on 10.0.3.0/24 network which is done with the normal route add command as

route add 10.0.3.2/32 gw 10.0.4.2 eth0

But the sendmsg function returns a negative value and the route doesnt get added to the routing table.

I'd really appreciate if someone could help me with this. Am I missing any other options to setup a static route.

Please advise.
Thanks, in advance
Praveen


#include <stdio.h>
#include <sys/errno.h>
#include <sys/time.h>
#include <sys/socket.h>
#include <asm/types.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <linux/rtnetlink.h>
#include <linux/netlink.h>
//#include <linux/mpls.h>
#include</usr/src/linux-2.4/include/linux/mpls.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <sys/uio.h>

typedef __u32 u32;


int addattr_l(struct nlmsghdr *n, int maxlen, int type, void *data, int alen)
{
int len = RTA_LENGTH(alen);
struct rtattr *rta;
if (NLMSG_ALIGN(n->nlmsg_len) + len > maxlen)
return -1;
rta = (struct rtattr*)(((char*)n) + NLMSG_ALIGN(n->nlmsg_len));
rta->rta_type = type;
rta->rta_len = len;
memcpy(RTA_DATA(rta), data, alen);
n->nlmsg_len = NLMSG_ALIGN(n->nlmsg_len) + len;
fprintf(stderr,"\nattr len=%d\n",n->nlmsg_len);
return 0;
}


void route_add(int fd, __u32* destination, __u32* gateway)
{
struct sockaddr_nl nladdr;
int status;

__u32 index=1; /* Output Interface ::: eth0 */
__u32 source=0;

// structure of the netlink packet.
struct
{
struct nlmsghdr n;
struct rtmsg r;
char buf[1024];
} req;

// Forming the iovector with the netlink packet.
struct iovec iov = { (void*)&req.n, req.n.nlmsg_len };

// Forming the message to be sent.
struct msghdr msg = { (void*)&nladdr, sizeof(nladdr), &iov, 1, NULL, 0, 0 };


char mxbuf[256];
struct rtattr * mxrta = (void*)mxbuf;
unsigned mxlock = 0;
memset(&req, 0, sizeof(req));

// Initialisation of a few parameters
memset(&nladdr,0,sizeof(nladdr));
nladdr.nl_family= AF_NETLINK;
nladdr.nl_pid=0;
nladdr.nl_groups=0;

req.n.nlmsg_len = NLMSG_LENGTH(sizeof(struct rtmsg));
req.n.nlmsg_flags = NLM_F_REQUEST|NLM_F_CREATE;
req.n.nlmsg_type = RTM_NEWROUTE;

req.r.rtm_family = AF_INET;
req.r.rtm_table = RT_TABLE_MAIN;
req.r.rtm_protocol = RTPROT_BOOT;
req.r.rtm_scope = RT_SCOPE_UNIVERSE;
req.r.rtm_type = RTN_UNICAST;
req.r.rtm_dst_len=24;
req.r.rtm_src_len=0;
req.r.rtm_tos=0;
req.r.rtm_flags=RT_TABLE_MAIN;


mxrta->rta_type = RTA_METRICS;
mxrta->rta_len = RTA_LENGTH(0);

mxrta = (struct rtattr*)(((char*)&req.n) + NLMSG_ALIGN(req.n.nlmsg_len));
memcpy(RTA_DATA(mxrta),mxbuf,0);
req.n.nlmsg_len = NLMSG_ALIGN(req.n.nlmsg_len) + mxrta->rta_len;

// RTA_DST and RTA_GW are the two esential parameters for adding a route,
// there are other parameters too which are not discussed here. For ipv4,
// the length of the address is 4 bytes.

addattr_l(&req.n, sizeof(req), RTA_OIF,&index, 4);
addattr_l(&req.n, sizeof(req), RTA_SRC,&source, 4);
addattr_l(&req.n, sizeof(req), RTA_DST, destination, 4);
addattr_l(&req.n, sizeof(req), RTA_GATEWAY, gateway, 4);


// sending the packet to the kernel.
status=sendmsg(fd,&msg,0);
fprintf(stderr,"\nstatus=%d",status);

}

int main()
{
int fd;
__u32 dest,gate,source;

if((fd=rtnl_open())<0)
printf("error creating a socket\n");


dest=33751050; /* unsigned int value for dest Ip address 10.0.3.2 */
gate=33816586; /* unsigned int value for gateway address 10.0.4.2 */
source=0; /* no source specified */

route_add(fd,&dest,&gate,&source);

return 0;
}


Output :
--------------------------

attr len=36

attr len=44

attr len=52

attr len=60

status=-1
-----------------------------