Hi Nanog, As you may know, I've been developing a tool called "RoLex" (Routing Lexer) that performs various syntactic and conceptual checks on existing BGP configurations. (To refresh your memory, see: http://www.nanog.org/mtg-0310/feamster.html) The checker now parses Cisco and Juniper IOS and represents BGP configuration in an abstract format (in the form of relational database tables); the checks themselves are expressed as perl modules that run SQL queries against these tables. You can get more information about the tool itself, including the tests that the tool currently performs, at: http://nms.lcs.mit.edu/bgp/rolex/ (the code is in pre-release; if you would like to test it on your configurations, please ask me and I'll give you a version.) Part of our motivation for developing this tool is to get a better understanding of errors and anomalies that turn up in real configuration files. A couple of very kind, generous folks at some larger ISPs have given me some initial assistance by letting me run the tool on some of their configuration files, and, in some cases, our checks have allowed operators (and me) to see some interesting things. (read: you might find some things you didn't expect) Nevertheless, our study (and the tool) will benefit tremendously by exposure to configurations from a much wider variety of ASes. (The more, the better.) If you could help me in any of the following ways, I would be extremely grateful: 1. Run the tool on your configuration and let me know what types of errors you find. This will help me in our analysis as far as figuring out what types of problems are most common, etc. If you're feeling extremely helpful, you could let me run the tool on your configuration files for you. This would probably save you time; of course, I'd discuss with you what I found in your configs. (Yes, I am asking to look at your configs; I'm amenable to nondisclosure arrangements regarding keeping keeping your configuration data private, if you like.) 2. Suggest new tests that you would like to see incorporated into the tool. I am eager to provide the tool for you to try on your configuration files. I'm also more than willing to help you set it up in a way that works well for you. In return, I would hope that you would help me better understand the errors/anomalies that the tool turns up or at least give me some suggestions on how to improve the tool (e.g., what types of checks you would like to see added to the tool, personal experience, etc.). Please let me know if you are interested in helping out. Thanks! Nick