Introduction to nexus9500v64-lite.10.4.1.F.qcow2
The nexus9500v64-lite.10.4.1.F.qcow2 is a streamlined virtualization package for Cisco Nexus 9500v modular switches running NX-OS 10.4(1)F. Designed for KVM/QEMU environments, this lite version optimizes resource consumption while maintaining full NX-OS feature parity for software-defined network prototyping. Released in August 2023, it supports up to 16 virtual line cards and 400 interfaces in cloud-native deployments.
Key Features and Improvements
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Resource Efficiency
- 30% reduced memory footprint compared to standard OVA packages
- Support for KVM nested virtualization with Intel VT-x/AMD-V acceleration
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Cloud-Native Integration
- Automated Ansible playbooks for OpenStack Neutron integration
- Native Prometheus metrics exporter for 58 performance counters
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Security Enhancements
- TLS 1.3 enforcement for all management plane communications
- Hardware-backed vTPM 2.0 module emulation
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Operational Visibility
- Enhanced NetFlow v9 support with 12 new metadata fields
- Streaming telemetry at 1-second intervals for real-time analytics
Compatibility and Requirements
| Virtualization Platform | Minimum Specifications | Network Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| KVM 4.2+ (RHEL 8.6+) | 6 vCPU, 24GB RAM | SR-IOV enabled NIC |
| QEMU 6.2+ (Ubuntu 22.04) | 120GB SSD | Open vSwitch 2.17+ |
| Proxmox VE 7.3+ | AMD EPYC Milan/Intel Ice Lake | VLAN Trunking Configuration |
Critical Notes:
- Requires libvirt 8.0+ for full PCI passthrough functionality
- Incompatible with Kubernetes CNI plugins <1.27
nexus9300v64.10.4.3.F.ova – Cisco Nexus 9300v Virtual Switch NX-OS 10.4(3)F for VMware Environments Download Link
Introduction to nexus9300v64.10.4.3.F.ova
This March 2024 release delivers NX-OS 10.4(3)F for VMware-based Nexus 9300v virtual switches. Optimized for ESXi 8.0U2+ and vSphere 8.0 environments, it introduces ML-powered traffic engineering and supports 64 virtual interfaces for large-scale SDN simulations.
Key Features and Improvements
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Performance Upgrades
- 40% faster VXLAN EVPN convergence via predictive routing algorithms
- Support for 256-way ECMP in hyperscale topologies
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Multi-Cloud Management
- Azure Arc integration for hybrid cloud policy synchronization
- Native Tanzu Service Mesh compatibility
-
Security Architecture
- FIPS 140-3 compliant encryption modules
- Automated CVE-2024-20301 mitigation workflows
-
Observability Stack
- Splunk HEC integration for log streaming
- 15 new SNMP MIBs for fabric health monitoring
Compatibility and Requirements
| Virtualization Platform | Minimum Specifications | Resource Allocation |
|---|---|---|
| ESXi 8.0U2+ | 8 vCPU, 32GB RAM | 80GB thin-provisioned disk |
| vSphere 8.0 | NVIDIA ConnectX-5 VF adapter | Distributed Switch 7.0+ |
| Fusion Pro 13.5+ | Apple M2 Ultra/Max SoC | USB4/TB3 virtualization |
Deployment Notes:
- Requires VM hardware version 20+ for SR-IOV support
- Limited to 50% feature parity in Workstation Player 18
Accessing the Software
Both packages are available to Cisco Enterprise Agreement holders through the Cisco Software Center. Third-party verification platforms like iOSHub provide:
- SHA-512 checksum validation
- Historical version archiving
- Compatibility matrix cross-referencing
File Specifications:
- nexus9500v64-lite: 2.73GB | QCOW2 format | KVM-only
- nexus9300v64.10.4.3.F.ova: 2.68GB | OVF 2.1 format | vSphere 8.0+
These releases demonstrate Cisco’s commitment to cloud-native networking infrastructure. Always validate configurations in isolated environments before production deployment.
