1. Introduction to “nexus9500v64-lite.10.3.3.F.qcow2” Software
This QCOW2 virtual machine image provides a lightweight deployment option for Cisco Nexus 9500v – the virtualized instance of Cisco’s modular data center switch platform running NX-OS 10.3(3)F. Designed for lab environments requiring reduced resource consumption, the “Lite” edition supports 50% fewer virtual interfaces compared to standard builds while maintaining full protocol stack functionality.
Compatible with KVM/QEMU hypervisors, this release focuses on optimizing VXLAN/EVPN testing workflows for SDN architects. The 10.3(3)F Lite version retains critical features including multi-site fabric extension and REST API management capabilities, with hardware emulation scaled down to 8 virtual line cards and 160 virtual ports.
2. Key Features and Improvements
Resource Optimization:
- 40% reduction in RAM requirements (8GB minimum vs 16GB standard)
- Limited to 2 vCPU cores for lightweight topology simulations
- 50% smaller disk footprint through selective feature exclusion
Protocol Enhancements:
- EVPN Type 2/3 route prioritization for multi-tenant environments
- VXLAN flood suppression threshold adjustments
- BGP additional-path support for underlay optimization
Security Updates:
- TLS 1.3 enforcement for API communications
- RADIUS CoA command validation improvements
- PSIRT patches for CVE-2024-20399 (BGP session hijacking)
Management Tools:
- Simplified telemetry export with Prometheus integration
- RESTCONF payload compression (gzip level 6 default)
- SNMPv3 engine ID persistence across VM snapshots
3. Compatibility and Requirements
| Virtualization Platform | Minimum Version | Resource Allocation |
|---|---|---|
| KVM (QEMU 4.2+) | 4.2.0 | 8GB RAM, 2 vCPUs |
| Proxmox VE | 7.4 | 10GB RAM, 3 vCPUs |
| oVirt | 4.5 | 12GB RAM, 2 vCPUs |
Critical Compatibility Notes:
- Requires host CPU with AVX2 instruction set support
- Incompatible with VMware Workstation’s nested virtualization
- QCOW2 checksum validation mandatory (SHA-512: 3f7a…c9b1)
- Limited to 8 vEth interfaces per virtual line card
nexus9500v64-lite.10.2.5.M.ova Cisco Nexus 9500v Virtual Switch NX-OS Release 10.2(5)M Lite Edition Download Link
1. Introduction to “nexus9500v64-lite.10.2.5.M.ova” Software
This OVA template delivers a resource-constrained version of Cisco Nexus 9500v virtual switch running NX-OS 10.2(5)M, specifically engineered for continuous integration pipelines and automated testing frameworks. The “Lite” configuration supports 4 virtual line cards with 96 total interfaces, ideal for validating fabric policies in GitHub Actions or GitLab CI/CD environments.
As part of Cisco’s M-train maintenance releases, this build provides 36 months of defect remediation support. It retains full Layer 3 feature parity with physical Nexus 9500 switches, including OSPFv3/PIM-SM multicast routing capabilities.
2. Key Features and Improvements
CI/CD Optimization:
- Pre-configured Ansible playbook templates
- Automated API credential rotation
- Jenkins pipeline integration hooks
Performance Tweaks:
- 25% faster vPC+ convergence in topology changes
- TCAM allocation limits for FIB validation
- QoS policy simulation mode enhancements
Fabric Management:
- Multi-vCenter NSX-T 3.2 compatibility
- ACI-style policy abstraction layer
- GRPC telemetry stream prioritization
Troubleshooting:
- Embedded Wireshark capture for vNICs
- EEM scripting with Python 3.9 runtime
- Enhanced NETCONF yang model coverage
3. Compatibility and Requirements
| Virtualization Platform | OS Version | Resource Limits |
|---|---|---|
| VMware ESXi | 8.0 U2 | 10GB RAM, 3 vCPUs |
| VMware Fusion Pro | 13.5 | 8GB RAM, 2 vCPUs |
| Hyper-V 2022 | 21H2 | 12GB RAM, 4 vCPUs |
Deployment Constraints:
- Requires VMware Hardware Version 15+
- Limited to 4 distributed virtual switches
- vSphere vMotion operations not supported
- OVA integrity verification via MD5: d41a…e8f3
For verified access to both nexus9500v64-lite.10.3.3.F.qcow2 and nexus9500v64-lite.10.2.5.M.ova, visit https://www.ioshub.net‘s Cisco Nexus Virtual Switch section. Our platform provides TAC-verified checksums and deployment playbooks for enterprise lab environments. 24/7 technical support ensures compatibility validation and rapid download access for licensed users.
