CAT 9000v
Note: The Catalyst 9000 virtual switch is a beta VM image. The node definitions and VM image are distributed as-is in beta form with no formal or official support.
The Catalyst 9000 Virtual Switch is an IOS-XE-based layer2/layer3 switch that provides software-based dataplane emulation for SiliconOne chipsets. Nodes that are running the chipset can be managed in Cisco DNA Center.
Using Catalyst 9000v Nodes in CML
Starting with CML 2.5, the ISO with reference platforms for CML includes the CAT 9000v IOS-XE VM image.
Both dataplane flavors of the Catalyst 9000v require 4 vCPUs and 18 GB of RAM per node. The memory is critical, memory oversubscription may result in nodes crashing on bootup or during operations.
The CAT 9000v requires CML 2.3 or higher.
Limitations
Given that the switch is distributed in a BETA form, you may experience crashes, especially if you try to push too much traffic through the node. The dataplane throughput is limited to ~250 Kbps.
By the default, SiliconOne node type has a fixed serial number for each instance. This is because the vswitch.xml
file cannot be edited on a per-node basis, yet.
The day 0 config does apply, but it takes a long time to load. If you see the autoinstall menu, do not press any key until you see the message about trying DHCP on Gi0/0. Also note that if you do not have an enable secret configured, you will be prompted to configure one after answering, "no", to the initial config dialog.
Tested Features
The CAT 9000v is a beta VM image, but basic feature testing shows the following features to be working:
- Basic L2 switching
- OSPFv2 routing
- SVIs
- Loopback
- L2 VLANs
- External connectivity via the Gi0/0 management interface