Cisco does officially release pre-release images like this to the public. If you obtained this file:
: By default, it often boots with basic Layer 2 features. To unlock advanced capabilities like , you must manually set the license level in the CLI:
The QCOW2 format makes this image highly portable across modern hypervisors. Supported Hypervisors
: There is typically no default password for the console; you must configure one during the Day 0 setup. cat9kv-prd-17.12.01prd9.qcow2
: Catalyst 9000v (specifically the UADP or Q200 data plane variants). Release Type : Production (PRD) build. Key Features & Capabilities
(Cat9kv) switch, primarily used for network simulation and lab testing in environments like Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) Core Specifications & Requirements : 17.12.1 (Dublin release). Memory (RAM) : Requires a significant 24 GB (24,576 MB) to boot and operate reliably. : Typically requires 4 vCPUs for stable performance. Platform Support : Optimized for and widely used in (Pro v5.0.1-142+ or Community v5.0.1-24+). Deep Review: Performance & Features Beta Status : This is distributed as a Beta VM image and is not officially supported for production use. Throughput Limits
: This denotes the exact version of Cisco’s Open IOS-XE operating system running under the hood. The 17.12 release train belongs to the Dublin release family. Cisco does officially release pre-release images like this
(Invoking related search suggestions...)
The file cat9kv-prd-17.12.01prd9.qcow2 appears to be a production-ready virtual machine image for the Cisco Cat9K platform, with software version 17.12.01prd9 . Its intended use is likely for deploying virtualized Cat9K switches or testing/validating the software version in a controlled environment. As with any software image, verifying its integrity and authenticity is crucial before deployment.
: The image can be used in different boot modes (e.g., as a standard L2 switch or for advanced L3 features like BGP). Default Credentials : Supported Hypervisors : There is typically no default
Or using virt-manager.
virt-install \ --name c8000v-17.12.01 \ --ram 4096 \ --vcpus 2 \ --disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/cat9kv-prd-17.12.01prd9.qcow2,bus=virtio,format=qcow2 \ --network network=default,model=virtio \ --network network=lan-bridge,model=virtio \ --os-variant rhel8.0 \ --import \ --noautoconsole Use code with caution. System Requirements for Smooth Operation
One "interesting" piece of trivia about the cat9kv images is their ability to use hardware offload adapters. If you run this qcow2 in a server equipped with an Intel Fortville or Columbia 4G adapter, the switch can use SR-IOV to bypass the hypervisor CPU for data plane traffic. This gives the virtual switch near-line-rate performance, which is rare for virtualized network gear.
It supports different boot modes, including UADP (Unified Access Data Plane) and Q200 (Silicon One) emulated data planes .
The 17.12.1 image can be initialized in either traditional Autonomous mode (for standard routing) or Controller mode (for Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN). It supports advanced overlay management, automated provisioning, and deep application visibility via AppQoE. 2. Next-Generation Security