Network Topology Builder Plugin

This repository is the standalone home for the SCL Network Topology Creator plugin.

It provides a local control plane for designing and running generated StratoCyberLab network topologies. Each topology can define routed networks, router hierarchies, Ubuntu hosts, host roles, local users, optional generated data, internet access per network, router firewall rules, and SSH access on selected hosts. It also lets you place the hackerlab container onto one selected network so you can start the lab from that segment. Routers can be chained in a parent-child tree, and each network can be attached to several routers while choosing one of them as the default gateway. Firewall rules are edited in a clickable graph instead of a long checkbox list.

Files

• metadata.json describes the plugin for SCL plugin discovery.
• docker-compose.yml starts the plugin control plane.
• Dockerfile builds the control-plane container.
• app.py serves the UI and implements topology storage/start/stop.

Runtime Model

Generated topologies use one or more router containers. Root routers connect to playground-net, child routers connect to their parent through transit networks, and assigned networks hang off the router you choose. Network segments are configured as Docker bridge networks with deterministic 10.77.<n>.0/24 subnets. Hosts are Ubuntu containers with role labels and startup scripts.

The first version intentionally starts with Ubuntu-only hosts. Service roles prepare directories, users, and role-specific files; lightweight package-backed services are attempted when a segment has internet access. If SSH is enabled for a host, the generated container creates the specified SSH user and starts sshd. If you select a hackerlab network, the plugin adds the scl-hackerlab container to that network with a deterministic .2 address.

Installation

Clone this repository into the plugins directory of an existing StratoCyberLab checkout:

cd /path/to/stratocyberlab
git clone https://github.com/<github-owner>/SCL-Network-Topology-Creator.git plugins/network-topology
docker compose up -d --build control-plane

Open the plugin UI from the SCL Plugins section, select Network Topology Builder, and press Start.

Replace <github-owner> with the GitHub account or organization where this repository is published.

If you add or remove plugins under ./plugins, restart the SCL dashboard so it rescans plugin metadata. For ordinary changes inside this repository, restart only the plugin container and refresh the plugin page.

Legacy saved topologies named SSH Lab are removed automatically the next time the plugin UI loads, because they belonged to the old standalone lab example.

LLM Data Generation

The UI can request AI-generated sample data for selected hosts. The plugin calls the SCL dashboard LLM endpoint through http://dashboard/api/llm/chat, so it uses the model configured in the main SCL assistant.