| Feature | UADP (Unified Access Data Plane) | Q200 (Silicon 1) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Catalyst 9300 / 9500 | Catalyst 9500X | | vCPUs | 4 | 4 | | vRAM | 18432 MB (18 GB) | 12288 MB (12 GB) | | Interfaces | 25 (24 Data + 1 Mgmt) | 25 (24 Data + 1 Mgmt) | | Console | telnet | telnet | | NIC Type | e1000 | e1000 | | QEMU Version | 5.2.0 | 5.2.0 |
You will need to create a folder for the switch in EVE-NG. Use the cat9kv-prd-17.12.01prd9.qcow2 file inside a folder named following the EVE-NG convention (e.g., cat9kv-17.12.01 ). mkdir -p /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/cat9kv-17.12.01 Use code with caution. 2. Move and Rename the File
Despite the "cat9kv" naming convention in the filename—a legacy nod to its development history alongside the Catalyst 9000 cloud platforms—this image deploys the advanced Cisco IOS XE Cupertino 17.12.1 enterprise operating system. This software functions as the virtual evolution of the Cloud Services Router (CSR 1000V) and the Integrated Services Router (ISR) series. 1. Deconstructing the Filename
: High-frequency streaming telemetry for real-time network visibility through tools like Splunk, Cisco Crosswork, or Prometheus.
If you are looking to use this image, here is the practical "gotcha": cat9kv-prd-17.12.01prd9.qcow2
: Specifies that this is an official "Production" release, fully optimized and tested for enterprise environments, rather than an engineering or beta build.
The cat9kv-prd-17.12.01prd9.qcow2 image is built to provide consistent Cisco IOS XE features across private clouds, public clouds, and local network simulation labs. Enterprise Edge & SD-WAN Routing
: The standard QEMU Copy-On-Write disk format used by Linux-based hypervisors (KVM). Key Features of IOS XE 17.12.1
Support for IPv4 Overlay Multicast over an IPv6 Underlay and increased VNI scaling up to 1,000 instances. | Feature | UADP (Unified Access Data Plane)
It supports standard Catalyst features, including spanning-tree, VLANs, and Layer 3 capabilities.
: Using a thin-provisioned QCOW2 on a nearly full hypervisor disk. Fix : Ensure at least 20 GB free before first boot.
The suffix prd9 is a critical detail. In Cisco’s internal build numbering, increments (prd1, prd2, ..., prd9) indicate iterative improvements. A prd9 build means this image has undergone extensive regression testing and bug fixes since the initial prd1 . If you are chasing stability in a virtual lab, a higher prd number often translates to fewer crashes and memory leaks.
: Detailed information on the use and function of this file can be found in the Cisco Modeling Labs Cat 9000v Guide. bus=virtio \ --network network=default
: Upload the file to your virtualization server (e.g., via SFTP to /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/ on EVE-NG).
virt-install \ --name c8kv-router01 \ --vcpus 4 \ --memory 8192 \ --disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/c8kv/router01.qcow2,format=qcow2,bus=virtio \ --network network=default,model=virtio \ --network network=isolated-core,model=virtio \ --os-variant rhel8.0 \ --import \ --graphics none \ --console pty,target_type=serial \ --boot hd Use code with caution. Step 3: Connect to the Initial Boot Console
: Denotes the specific engineering production rebuild or patch spin (Build 9) within the 17.12.1 release cycle, containing targeted stability fixes.
Unlike older IOSv-L2 images, the Cat9kv attempts to simulate the ASIC-based architecture of physical Catalyst switches, allowing for more realistic performance testing.
Modern enterprise network architecture demands extensive testing and validation before configuration changes are pushed to production. Historically, replicating campus or core switching environments required expensive, power-hungry lab hardware. The introduction of the Cisco Catalyst 9000v (Cat9kv)
