Cisco distributes the CSR 1000v in two primary formats:
The OVA includes:
Important: Cisco now requires a Smart License for production use, but the OVA can run in evaluation mode for 90 days.
Download the correct OVA from Cisco:
cisco-csr1000v-[version]-[platform].ova
Example filename:
cisco-csr1000v-universalk9.16.12.06.ova cisco csr1000v ova
Note: Choose the ova file for vSphere, not the qcow2 (KVM) or vhd (Hyper-V).
The CSR1000v is a virtualized version of Cisco’s enterprise-class IOS XE routing platform. It provides the same features as a physical ISR (Integrated Services Router) or ASR (Aggregation Services Router), but runs as a virtual machine (VM) on commodity x86 hardware.
Use cases include:
The Cisco CSR 1000v is a virtualized router that runs the same Cisco IOS-XE software found on physical hardware like the Cisco ASR 1000 series. It provides critical network services—including routing, VPN, and firewalling—in a virtual form factor. Cisco distributes the CSR 1000v in two primary formats:
By default, the CSR 1000v boots with limited throughput (often capped at 100 Kbps or limited features depending on the honor system). To utilize full throughput, you must install a license:
Router# license boot level network-technology addon security
(Specific commands depend on the license package purchased from Cisco).
In the modern networking landscape, agility is king. Gone are the days when adding a new router meant racking hardware, waiting for shipping, and wrestling with physical cables. Enter the Cisco Cloud Services Router 1000v (CSR1000v) – a full-featured, virtual router that runs as a software instance on hypervisors. At the heart of deploying this powerful device lies the OVA (Open Virtualization Appliance) file.
This article dives deep into the Cisco CSR1000v OVA, exploring what it is, why it matters, how to deploy it, and the critical licensing and performance considerations you need to know. The OVA includes:
Use large receive offload (LRO) and TSO:
Place vNICs on separate NUMA nodes (for >4 vCPUs): Use vSphere NUMA affinity.
Use SR-IOV (if available) for high throughput interfaces (requires compatible NICs).