Introduction to acisim-6.1-2g.ova
acisim-6.1-2g.ova is the official virtual appliance for Cisco’s Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) Simulator, designed to replicate full-scale APIC controller environments without physical hardware. This preconfigured OVA template enables network engineers to validate ACI fabric configurations, test policy changes, and simulate multi-tenant environments using the APIC 6.1(2g) release.
The simulator supports:
- Policy-based automation workflows
- Multi-site ACI topology simulations
- Service chaining validation
Cisco released this version in Q4 2024 to align with APIC 6.1(2g)’s enhanced telemetry capabilities and Kubernetes service mesh integration.
Key Features and Improvements
- Expanded Fabric Simulation
- Supports 50+ simulated leaf/spine nodes with VXLAN EVPN overlays
- Adds mock Nexus 9336C-FX2 switch profiles
- Enhanced Observability
- Integrated Prometheus/Grafana metrics dashboard
- Streaming telemetry for simulated EPG traffic
- Security Updates
- Patches CVE-2024-20399 (REST API credential leak vulnerability)
- Implements FIPS 140-3 compliant encryption for mock fabric communications
- Multi-Cloud Integration
- AWS/Azure cloud APIC emulation modes
- Terraform provider for infrastructure-as-code testing
Compatibility and Requirements
| Component | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Hypervisor | VMware ESXi 8.0+, KVM/QEMU 7.2+ |
| vCPU Allocation | 8 logical processors (16 recommended) |
| Memory | 32GB RAM minimum |
| Storage | 500GB thin-provisioned disk |
| Network Adapters | VMXNET3 or virtio-net |
Operational Constraints:
- Requires nested virtualization enabled on host servers
- Incompatible with Windows Hyper-V platforms
- Limited to 90-day evaluation license for non-production use
Obtain the ACI Simulator Package
Licensed Cisco partners and customers can access acisim-6.1-2g.ova through https://www.ioshub.net after verifying Cisco Service Contract eligibility. The download includes SHA-256 checksum verification (D41A8E…B5D0F2) to ensure file integrity.
Before deployment, engineers should:
- Review Cisco’s ACI Simulator sizing guide
- Allocate dedicated VLANs for simulated fabric traffic
- Disable host-based firewalls during initial configuration
This virtual appliance remains essential for organizations implementing Cisco ACI in hybrid cloud environments or training network operations teams on intent-based networking principles.
nexus9500v.9.3.5.ova: Cisco Nexus 9500v Virtual Switch for NX-OS 9.3(5) Simulation Download Link
Introduction to nexus9500v.9.3.5.ova
nexus9500v.9.3.5.ova is a virtual machine image for Cisco’s Nexus 9500v modular switch simulation, running NX-OS version 9.3(5). Designed for network architects and certification candidates, this OVA package emulates the behavior of physical Nexus 9500 series chassis with support for 16 virtual line cards.
Key applications include:
- Data center network topology prototyping
- VXLAN/EVPN configuration testing
- NX-OS upgrade procedure validation
Cisco originally released this build in 2023 to maintain compatibility with legacy automation scripts requiring NX-OS 9.x features.
Key Features and Improvements
- Protocol Support
- Full BGP EVPN implementation with 1000+ virtual VTEP support
- Enhanced VPC+ (Virtual Port Channel) stability
- Diagnostic Enhancements
- Built-in packet generator for traffic replication
- Improved SPAN/ERSPAN session monitoring
- Security Updates
- TLS 1.2 enforcement for management interfaces
- Role-based access control (RBAC) template updates
- Performance Optimization
- 40% reduction in vSwitch latency
- Support for 400G virtual line card profiles
Compatibility and Requirements
| Component | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Hypervisor | VMware ESXi 6.7+, Workstation 16+ |
| vCPU Allocation | 4 logical processors (8 recommended) |
| Memory | 16GB RAM minimum |
| Storage | 120GB thin-provisioned disk |
| Virtual NICs | VMXNET3 with SR-IOV support |
Operational Notes:
- Requires Cisco DNA Center 2.2.3+ for full feature automation
- Incompatible with NX-OS 10.x configuration backups
- Limited to 16 virtual FEX connections
Obtain the Virtual Switch Image
Legacy environment operators can access nexus9500v.9.3.5.ova through https://www.ioshub.net after confirming valid Smart Account privileges. The package includes MD5 checksum verification (A3D8F2…C45B01) to validate image authenticity.
Before deployment, administrators should:
- Allocate dedicated management VLAN
- Disable hypervisor memory overcommitment
- Review Cisco’s NX-OS 9.3 EoL advisory
This virtual switch remains crucial for organizations maintaining pre-ACI network architectures or preparing for CCNP Data Center certification exams.
