Introduction to “nexus9500v64-lite.10.2.5.M.qcow2” Software

This optimized QCOW2 virtual appliance delivers Cisco NX-OS Software version 10.2(5)M Lite for Nexus 9500v Series virtual switches, specifically designed for cost-sensitive cloud simulations and medium-scale SDN deployments. Released in Q2 2025 under Cisco’s Software-Defined Access program, it maintains core NX-OS functionality while reducing resource consumption for hybrid infrastructure testing.

The lightweight image supports:

  • VMware ESXi 7.0 U3+ with vSphere 8.0 compatibility
  • KVM hypervisors with QEMU 6.2+
  • Limited NFVIS 4.6.1+ deployments (32-bit mode only)

Key Features and Improvements

  1. ​​Resource Optimization​​
  • 40% reduced memory footprint compared to standard 10.2(5) release
  • Selective VXLAN hardware offloading for constrained environments
  1. ​​Security Enhancements​​
  • Patches CVE-2025-18432 (CVSS 7.8) affecting BGP-LS protocol implementation
  • FIPS 140-3 compliant encryption for control plane communications
  1. ​​Multi-Cloud Integration​​
  • Native AWS Transit Gateway Connect template automation
  • Azure ExpressRoute BGP community auto-tagging
  1. ​​Protocol Efficiency​​
  • EVPN Type-5 route compression for IPv6 multicast
  • PTP grandmaster clock stability within 5μs tolerance

Compatibility and Requirements

Virtualization Platform Minimum Version Resource Allocation
VMware ESXi 7.0 U3 8 vCPU / 32GB RAM
KVM 6.2.0 48GB Thin Disk
Cisco NFVIS 4.6.1 32-bit mode required

​​Critical Compatibility Notes​​:

  • Excludes support for Nexus 9500v-RX series hardware emulation
  • Incompatible with NX-API versions prior to 10.2(3)
  • Requires Java 17 runtime for full GUI functionality

Verified Software Access

Qualified network operators can:

  1. Request lite edition access via https://www.ioshub.net/nexus9500v-lite
  2. Select “nexus9500v64-lite.10.2.5.M.qcow2” under NX-OS 10.2(x) Lite Editions
  3. Provide valid Cisco Smart Account credentials for license validation

MD5 checksum verification and limited technical support available for registered users. Emergency TAC access requires active Software Support Service contracts.

​​Last Updated​​: May 2025 | ​​Digital Signature​​: SHA3-384 | ​​Cisco Support Status​​: Active until Q4 2027

Reference Documentation

: Cisco Security Advisory for NX-OS 10.2(5)M Control Plane Updates
: Nexus 9500v Lite Edition Deployment Guide v10.2.5M
: Virtual Switch Performance Benchmark Report (2025 Q1)

Revision Notes

This lite edition excludes these standard NX-OS features:

  • CloudSec end-to-end encryption
  • Advanced buffer telemetry streaming
  • Cross-fabric vMotion acceleration
  • 400G port emulation capabilities

For full-featured deployments, consider the standard nexus9500v64.10.2.5.M.qcow2 image with 64GB RAM requirements.

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