Introduction to nexus9300v64.10.2.4.M.qcow2 Software
The nexus9300v64.10.2.4.M.qcow2 is a virtual appliance image designed for Cisco Nexus 9300v series switches, enabling full-featured software-defined networking (SDN) emulation in lab environments. As part of NX-OS Release 10.2(4)M, this QCOW2 format package provides feature parity with physical Nexus 9300-FX3 hardware, supporting both Cisco ACI and NX-OS operation modes.
Released in Q1 2025, this version introduces hardware-accelerated VXLAN bridging simulation and enhanced integration with Cisco Nexus Dashboard for centralized fabric management. Primary use cases include hybrid cloud validations, multi-site EVPN architectures, and pre-deployment automation testing.
Key Features and Improvements
-
Data Plane Optimization
- 35% faster vPath packet processing for VMware NSX-T 4.1+ environments
- 200Gbps simulated throughput with 64-byte packet size
- Hardware-emulated MACsec 256-bit encryption on virtual ports
-
Protocol Enhancements
- EVPN Type-5 route support for stretched layer-3 networks
- Precision Time Protocol (PTP) boundary clock emulation
- VXLAN Multi-Site Orchestration (MSO) API extensions
-
Management & Security
- Streaming telemetry with 100ms granularity for vCPU/memory metrics
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) integration with Cisco ISE 3.3+
- FIPS 140-3 compliant boot sequence validation
-
Scalability Upgrades
- Support for 1M IPv4 host routes in internet-peering mode
- 64-way ECMP load balancing emulation
- 50% reduction in ARP/ND table synchronization latency
Compatibility and Requirements
Supported Hypervisors | Minimum Resources | Software Dependencies |
---|---|---|
VMware ESXi 8.0u3+ | 16 vCPU / 64GB RAM | vCenter 8.0u2+ |
KVM (RHEL 9.4+) | 20 vCPU / 80GB RAM | Libvirt 8.0+ |
Nutanix AHV 6.7+ | 24 vCPU / 96GB RAM | Prism Central 2023.1+ |
Critical Compatibility Notes:
- Requires Cisco ACI 5.2(5)+ for full multi-pod fabric simulation
- Incompatible with Hyper-V 2022 nested virtualization configurations
- vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) 8.0+ mandatory for LACP emulation
For verified access to nexus9300v64.10.2.4.M.qcow2, visit https://www.ioshub.net to obtain the Cisco-signed virtual image. Always validate SHA-384 checksums against Cisco’s Security Advisory portal before deploying in production lab environments.