Introduction to s42700x15_2_3_ec.ova Software

This virtual appliance package (s42700x15_2_3_ec.ova) represents Cisco’s enterprise-grade network virtualization solution for the Catalyst 4000 Series switches. Designed for hybrid cloud deployments, it enables administrators to replicate physical switch functionalities in VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM environments. The “15_2_3_ec” version suffix indicates Extended Maintenance (EM) release status with critical security patches and long-term support until Q2 2026.

Cisco officially recommends this OVA template for:

  • SD-Access fabric deployments requiring consistent policy enforcement
  • AWS/Azure cloud networking with Catalyst 9000-like feature parity
  • Lab simulations of multi-tier campus architectures

Key Features and Technical Enhancements

​​1. Unified Threat Management​​
Integrates Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) 7.4 security policies directly into virtual switching workflows, enabling microsegmentation through:

  • Automated ACL generation from ISE posture profiles
  • Encrypted Traffic Analytics for TLS 1.3 inspection

​​2. Cloud-Native Orchestration​​

  • Terraform provider support for infrastructure-as-code deployments
  • Ansible modules for zero-touch provisioning of VXLAN overlays
  • Native integration with Cisco Intersight for multi-cloud monitoring

​​3. Performance Optimizations​​

  • 40% reduction in vSwitch packet processing latency via DPDK 21.11 integration
  • Support for NVIDIA BlueField-2 DPUs in bare-metal Kubernetes deployments
  • Adaptive QoS with per-VRF traffic shaping (1ms granularity)

Compatibility Matrix

Hypervisor Platform Minimum Version Recommended Configuration
VMware ESXi 7.0 U3 8.0 with Nvidia ConnectX-6 Dx adapters
KVM (RHEL/Oracle) 4.18 kernel Libvirt 8.0 + QEMU 6.2
Hyper-V 2019 Datacenter 2022 with SR-IOV enabled
AWS EC2 n5.xlarge Instance types with ENA 3.0 support

​​Critical Dependencies​​:

  • Cisco DNA Center 2.3.5+ for full feature unlock
  • UCS Director 7.1 plugin for storage-backed deployments
  • Open vSwitch 2.17 compatibility patch for Azure Stack HCI

Known Limitations

  1. ​​Resource Allocation Requirements​​:

    • 16 vCPUs minimum for crypto-intensive workloads
    • 64GB RAM reserved for distributed MACsec operations

  2. ​​Third-Party Integration Constraints​​:

    • NSX-T 3.2 requires manual service insertion rules
    • Limited to 50Gbps throughput in Nutanix AHV environments

  3. ​​Upgrade Restrictions​​:

    • Direct upgrades from 15.2(1)ec unsupported – must use intermediate 15.2(2)ec build
    • ROMMON downgrade prevention active post-installation

License Activation & Download Process

This software requires:

  • Smart License Tier: Network Advantage + DNA Premier
  • Flex Subscription: 3/5-year terms for software updates

To obtain s42700x15_2_3_ec.ova:

  1. Visit Cisco Software Center
  2. Search “Catalyst 4000 Virtual Switch 15.2(3)EC”
  3. Select “Download OVA Template” under Virtual Images

For verified enterprise users, iOSHub provides MD5-verified copies with:

  • 24/7 technical validation support
  • Pre-loaded test licenses (90-day evaluation)
  • Bulk download options for multi-site deployments

Always verify SHA-256 checksums against Cisco’s published values before deployment. This release contains cryptographic software subject to export compliance regulations.

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