Installing the Cisco CSR 1000v in VMware ESXi Environments

VMware ESXi Support Information

The Cisco CSR 1000v is compatible with the VMware ESXi hypervisor, which runs on x86-based CPUs. Multiple virtual machines (VMs) can be hosted on a single ESXi hypervisor. VMware vSphere Web Client is used to manage these VMs, including the Cisco CSR 1000v. The CSR 1000v boots from a virtual disk located on the datastore.

Note: Interface renaming may occur after upgrading VMware ESXi. To restore original interface names, execute the following commands from the CSR 1000v console: clear platform software vnic nvtable and reload.

Caution: Oversubscribing host resources can degrade performance and stability. Adhere to hypervisor guidelines and best practices.

Note: FIPS mode is only supported on the ESXi hypervisor. Proper entropy gathering configuration is crucial for FIPS mode; failure to do so can cause device crashes. This applies to CSR 1000v release 16.9.x. Releases 16.10 and later support entropy gathering on any supported hypervisor.

For detailed information on installing VMware vSphere products, refer to the official VMware product documentation.

VMware Requirements

The following table outlines the supported VMware tools for Cisco CSR 1000V with Cisco IOS XE Amsterdam 17.x releases:

These versions have been tested for performance benchmarks.

• VMware vCenter: Installation tool.
• VMware vSwitch: Standard or distributed vSwitches are supported.
• Hard Drive: Only a single hard disk drive is supported per VM.
• Virtual Disk: An 8 GB virtual disk is supported.
• vCPUs: Supported configurations include 1, 2, 4, or 8 vCPUs, each requiring a minimum of 4 GB RAM.
• Virtual CPU Core: One virtual CPU core is required, necessitating a 64-bit processor with Virtualization Technology (VT) enabled.
• Virtual Hard Disk Space: Minimum of 8 GB.
• Virtual Network Interface Cards (vNICs): Three or more vNICs (maximum of 10) are supported, using VMXNET3 or i40evf adapters.
• A default video, SCSI controller set, and an installed virtual CD/DVD drive are required.

Note: For VMware requirements specific to Cisco IOS XE 3.x, refer to the sections "VMware Requirements—Cisco IOS XE 3.x" and "VMware VM Requirements-Cisco IOS XE 3.x".

Supported VMware Features and Operations

VMware offers various features for managing virtual applications, including cloning, migration, shutdown, and resume. Some operations save and restore the VM's runtime state. If the runtime state includes traffic-related information, errors or statistics may appear upon resumption. Operations based solely on configuration changes are generally problem-free.

The table "Supported VMware Features and Operations: Storage Options" lists supported features. For more details, consult VMware Documentation.

The following VMware features are not universally supported across all Cisco CSR 1000v versions and may lead to issues like dropped packets or connections if used on unsupported versions:

• Distributed Resource Scheduling (DRS)
• Fault Tolerance
• Resume
• Snapshot
• Suspend

General Features (vCenter Server)

Operations (for vCenter Server and vSphere Web Client)

Networking Features

High Availability

Note: Cisco IOS-based High Availability is not supported; HA is supported at the VM host level only.

Storage Options

Deploying the Cisco CSR 1000v OVA to the VM

The Cisco CSR 1000v OVA file package simplifies deployment by including an OVF file with a default VM configuration based on a Cisco IOS XE release and the supported hypervisor. Refer to the "Guidelines and Limitations" section within the OVA for specifics.

Deployment can be performed using VMware vSphere or the Common OVF Tool (COT).

• Deploying the Cisco CSR 1000v OVA to the VM using vSphere
• Deploying the Cisco CSR 1000v OVA to the VM using COT

Note: Citrix XenServer, KVM, and Microsoft Hyper-V do not support OVA deployment; manual installation using the .iso file is required for these platforms.

Deploying the Cisco CSR 1000v OVA to the VM using vSphere

This section details the steps for deploying the OVA using the vSphere Client.

Restrictions and Requirements

• CPU Configuration (Releases 3.10S and 3.11S): The OVA creates a VM with 4 vCPUs. Adjust to 1 or 2 vCPUs post-deployment via vSphere. Reboot the CSR 1000v after changing vCPU configuration. RAM allocation changes do not require a reboot. From Cisco IOS XE 3.12S onwards, the OVA includes an option to select the vCPU configuration during deployment.
• CD/DVD Drives: The VM requires two virtual CD/DVD drives: one for the OVF environment file and one for the .iso file.
• HSRP/IPV6 Link Local Issues: In environments with HSRP or IPV6 link local and a vSwitch with redundant uplinks connected to the same L2 segment, loops or connected uplinks can cause flooding. Refer to VMware KB article 59235 for solutions.

Deploying the OVA to the VM (vSphere Summary Steps)

1. Log in to the VMware vSphere Client.
2. Navigate to File > Deploy OVF Template.
3. In the OVA Wizard, specify the path to the Cisco CSR 1000v OVA file and click Next.
4. Provide a name for the VM and click Next.
5. (Cisco IOS XE Release 3.12S and later): Select the desired hardware configuration profile from the Deployment Configuration menu and click Next.
6. Choose the Datastore for the VM and click Next.
7. Select the disk format: Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed or Thick Provision Eager Zeroed. Note: Thin Provision is not supported. Thick Provision Eager Zeroed offers better performance but takes longer to install.
8. Map the virtual network interface card (vNIC) to the destination network. Options vary by release version.
9. Configure VM properties.
10. Select "Power on after deployment" to automatically start the VM.
11. Click Finish to complete the OVA deployment.

Deploying the OVA to the VM (vSphere Detailed Steps)

1. Log in to the VMware vSphere Client.
2. From the vSphere Client Menu Bar, choose File > Deploy OVF Template.
3. In the OVA Wizard, point the source to the Cisco CSR 1000v OVA to be deployed. Click Next. The OVF Template Details screen appears; click Next.
4. Under Name and Inventory Location, specify the VM name and click Next.
5. (Cisco IOS XE Release 3.12S and later): Under Deployment Configuration, select the desired hardware configuration profile and click Next.
6. Under Storage, select the Datastore and click Next.
7. Under Disk Format, select the disk format option (Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed or Thick Provision Eager Zeroed). Click Next.
8. Under Network Mapping, allocate vNICs to the destination network. Options differ by release:
   • Cisco IOS XE Release 3.11S and later, and IOS XE Denali 16.2 and later: Map the 3 default vNICs. The management interface mapping can be set via bootstrap properties. Note: Changes to bootstrap properties reset networking configuration.
   • Cisco IOS XE Release 3.10S and earlier: The vNIC is mapped to the GigabitEthernet0 management interface.
   Select the vNIC to connect at Power On. Click Next. Two additional vNICs are allocated upon completion. The CSR 1000v supports up to ten vNICs; additional ones must be manually created.
9. Configure the VM properties. Note: Bootstrap properties are optional and aid in pre-provisioning. Refer to the tables for specific release properties.
10. Click Next. The Ready to Complete screen shows deployment settings.
11. Select "Power on after deployment".
12. Click Finish to deploy the OVA. The VM powers on, initiating the CSR 1000v installation and boot process. Bootstrap configurations are automatically applied if provided.

Editing the Basic Properties of Cisco CSR 1000v using vSphere

Basic router properties can be set via the vSphere GUI before booting the VM, as described in "Deploying the Cisco CSR 1000v OVA to the VM using vSphere." Custom properties can also be set as detailed in "Editing the Custom Properties of Cisco CSR 1000v using vSphere."

Note: This functionality requires connecting to a vCenter server via the vSphere GUI. Direct connections to a host do not offer these options. If the VM was manually created from an .iso file, vSphere GUI options for basic properties are unavailable. However, custom properties can still be set by adding a second virtual CD/DVD drive to the VM for vCenter to pass properties.

Summary Steps for Editing vApp Options:

1. In the vSphere GUI, select the Options tab.
2. Choose vApp Options > Properties.
3. Click the Properties button.
4. Select a property and click Edit.
5. Click OK to save changes.

Detailed Steps for Editing vApp Options:

1. In the vSphere GUI, select the Options tab.
2. Choose vApp Options > Properties.
3. Click the Properties button. A new window opens for editing properties.
4. Refer to the tables in "Deploying the Cisco CSR 1000v OVA to the VM using vSphere" for editable basic properties.
5. Select the property to edit and click Edit.
6. Click OK to close the window.

Editing the Custom Properties of Cisco CSR 1000v using vSphere

Custom properties, based on Cisco IOS XE CLI commands, can be added to the CSR 1000v via the vSphere GUI, either before or after booting the VM. If set after booting, a router reload or VM power cycle is required for the changes to take effect.

Summary Steps for Adding Custom Properties:

1. In the vSphere GUI, select the Options tab.
2. Choose vApp Options > Advanced.
3. Click the Properties button.
4. Click New to add a property.
5. Enter the information to create the custom property based on a Cisco IOS XE CLI command.
6. Click OK.
7. In the Advanced Property Configuration window, click OK.
8. Reboot the Cisco CSR 1000v.

Detailed Steps for Adding Custom Properties:

1. In the vSphere GUI, select the Options tab.
2. Choose vApp Options > Advanced. The Advanced Property Configuration window appears.
3. Click the Properties button.
4. Click New to add a property. The Edit Property Settings window appears.
5. Enter the property details:
   • (Optional) Label: A descriptive string for the property.
   • Class ID: Enter "com.cisco.csr1000v".
   • ID: Assign "ios-config-xxxx" (where xxxx is a sequence number from 0001 to 9999) to define the application order.
   • (Optional) Description: A description for the property.
   • Property Type: Enter "string" (the only supported type).
   • Default Value: Enter the Cisco IOS XE CLI command the property is based on.
   Note: Ensure the Cisco IOS XE command is supported in your release before adding a custom property.
6. Click OK.
7. In the Advanced Property Configuration window, click OK.
8. Reboot the Cisco CSR 1000v for the new or edited properties to take effect.

Deploying the Cisco CSR 1000v OVA to the VM using COT

The Common OVF Tool (COT) is a Linux-based application included in the CSR 1000v software package. It allows for the creation of VM attributes and rapid deployment of VMs with pre-installed CSR 1000v software. COT can expedite the deployment process across multiple VMs and offers a simple command-line interface for entering VM attributes into the .ova file. COT can be run in a Linux shell or on Mac OS X, provided VMware ovftools are installed.

Danger: The Common OVF Tool (COT) is provided without official Cisco support. Use at your own risk.

• Downloading COT
• Editing the Basic Properties of Cisco CSR 1000v using COT
• Editing the Custom Properties of Cisco CSR 1000v using COT
• Deploying the Cisco CSR 1000v VM using COT

COT Restrictions

• COT supports OVA package deployment directly to an ESXi host. It does not support Citrix XenServer, KVM, or Microsoft Hyper-V environments.

Downloading COT

Download and install COT libraries and scripts following the instructions at: http://cot.readthedocs.io/en/latest/installation.html

Editing the Basic Properties of Cisco CSR 1000v using COT

Before deploying with COT, basic or custom properties within the OVA package can be edited using the cot edit-properties command.

cot edit-properties

• -p key1=value1 or --properties key1=value1: Sets properties using key-value pairs (e.g., -p "login-username=cisco").
• -o output: Specifies the name or path for a new OVA package if creating a new one instead of updating the existing.

For more information on the cot edit-properties command, see: http://cot.readthedocs.io/en/latest/usage_edit_properties.html

Editing the Basic Properties of Cisco CSR 1000v using COT: Example

cot edit-properties csr1000v-universalk9.ova \
-p "login-username=cisco" \
-p "login-password=cisco" \
-o csr1000v-universalk9-customized.ova \
# save modifications to a new OVA
cot info csr1000v-universalk9-customized.ova

The table below details the cot edit-properties command and arguments used in the example:

Editing the Custom Properties of Cisco CSR 1000v using COT

Custom properties, such as Cisco IOS XE CLI commands, can be edited in the OVA package using either the cot edit-properties command or the cot inject-config command.

cot edit-properties

Use the cot edit-properties command to pre-apply a limited number of configuration commands to the OVA. For a larger set of commands, consider using cot inject-config.

For further details, see http://cot.readthedocs.io/en/latest/usage_edit_properties.html.

Synopsis and Description:

cot edit-properties ova-filename

• -o output: Specifies the name or path to a new OVA package.
• -c config-file: Specifies a text file containing IOS XE commands to be added to the OVA.

Example:

$ cat iosxe_config.txt
interface GigabitEthernet1
no shutdown
ip address 192.168.100.10 255.255.255.0
!
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 GigabitEthernet1 192.168.100.1
$ cot edit-properties csr1000v-universalk9.ova \
    -o csr1000v-universalk9-customized.ova \
    -c iosxe_config.txt
$ cot info csr1000v-universalk9-customized.ova
...
Properties:
    <config-version> "1.0"
    Router Name ""
...
    Intercloud Tunnel Interface Gateway IPv4 Address ""
    <ios-config-0001> "interface GigabitEthernet1"
    <ios-config-0002> "no shutdown"
    <ios-config-0003> "ip address 192.168.100.10 255.255.255.0"
<ios-config-0004> "ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 GigabitEthernet1 192.168.100.1"

The table below shows the cot edit-properties command and arguments used in the example:

cot inject-config

Use the cot inject-config command for a large set of configuration commands to pre-apply to the OVA, such as a complete running configuration. This method is efficient in file size and loading time as it uses plain text for commands.

For further details, see http://cot.readthedocs.io/en/latest/usage_inject_config.html.

Synopsis and Description:

cot inject-config ova-filename

• -o output: Specifies the name or path to a new OVA package.
• -c config-file: Specifies a text file (e.g., iosxe_config.txt) to be embedded in the OVA.

Example:

$ cat iosxe_config.txt
interface GigabitEthernet1
no shutdown
ip address 192.168.100.10 255.255.255.0
!
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 GigabitEthernet1 192.168.100.1
$ cot inject-config csr1000v-universalk9.ova \
    -o csr1000v-universalk9-customized.ova \
        -c iosxe_config.txt
$ cot info csr1000v-universalk9-customized.ova

The table below shows the cot inject-config command and arguments used in the example:

Deploying the Cisco CSR 1000v VM using COT

To deploy the Cisco CSR 1000v VM, use the cot deploy ... esxi command. The following steps provide general guidance; exact procedures may vary based on your VMware environment setup.

Summary Steps:

1. Run the cot deploy ... esxi command. Script options are detailed at: http://cot.readthedocs.io/en/latest/usage_deploy_esxi.html

Detailed Steps:

Run the cot deploy ... esxi command. Script options are detailed at: http://cot.readthedocs.io/en/latest/usage_deploy_esxi.html

Example:

Manually Creating the VM and Installing the Cisco CSR 1000v Software Using the .iso File (VMware ESXi)

This section details the process of manually creating a VM and installing the Cisco CSR 1000v software using the .iso file on VMware ESXi.

Overview of Tasks for Manually Creating the Cisco CSR 1000v VM

The following diagram illustrates the typical high-level tasks involved in manually creating the Cisco CSR 1000v VM. Specific procedures, terminology, and step order may vary depending on the hypervisor used.

Note: If using the Cisco CSR 1000v REST API, the HTTPS port must be configured via the Cisco IOS XE CLI.

Diagram: Task Overview for Manually Creating the Cisco CSR 1000v VM (Visual representation of a flowchart with steps like "Install CSR 1000v .iso", "Manually create VM", "Configure VM name", "Configure vCPU and RAM", "Create vNICs", "Power on VM".)

Manually Creating the Cisco CSR 1000v VM Using the .iso File (VMware ESXi)

The following steps are performed using VMware vSphere.

Summary Steps:

1. Download the CSR1000_esxi.iso file from the Cisco CSR 1000v software installation image package and copy it to the VM Datastore.
2. In the vSphere client, select "Create a New Virtual Machine".
3. Under Configuration, select "Custom configuration" and click Next.
4. Under Name and Location, specify the VM name and click Next.
5. Under Storage, select the datastore and click Next.
6. Under Virtual Machine Version, select "Virtual Machine Version 8" and click Next.
7. Under Guest Operating System, select "Linux" and "Other 2.6x Linux (64-bit)" and click Next.
8. Under CPUs, configure the virtual CPU settings.
9. Under Memory, configure the supported memory size for your Cisco CSR 1000v release.
10. Under Network, allocate at least three virtual network interface cards (vNICs).
11. Under SCSI Controller, select "LSI Logic Parallel" and click Next.
12. Under Select a Disk, click "Create a new virtual disk".
13. Under Create a Disk, configure the Disk Size, Disk Provisioning (Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed or Thick Provision Eager Zeroed; Thin Provision is not supported), and Location (Store with the Virtual Machine). Click Next.
14. Under Advanced Options, select "SCSI (0:0)" for the virtual device node.
15. On the Ready to Complete screen, check "Edit the virtual machine settings before completion" and click Continue.
16. In the Hardware tab, click "New CD/DVD Drive". Select "Datastore ISO file", browse to the .iso file, and check "Connect at power on". Select the Virtual Device Node.
17. In the Resources tab, click the CPU setting and set the Resource Allocation to "Unlimited".
18. Click OK.
19. Click Finish.

Detailed Steps:

1. Download the CSR1000_esxi.iso file from the Cisco CSR 1000v software installation image package and copy it onto the VM Datastore.
2. In the vSphere client, select Create a New Virtual Machine option.
3. Under Configuration, select the option to create a Custom configuration, and click Next.
4. Under Name and Location, specify the name for the VM and click Next.
5. Under Storage, select the datastore to use for the VM. Click Next.
6. Under Virtual Machine Version, select Virtual Machine Version 8. Click Next. Note: Cisco CSR 1000v is not compatible with ESXi Server versions prior to 5.0.
7. Under Guest Operating System, select Linux and the "Other 2.6x Linux (64-bit)" setting from the drop-down menu. Click Next.
8. Under CPUs, select the number of virtual sockets (vCPUs) and ensure the number of cores per socket is set to 1. Click Next.
9. Under Memory, configure the supported memory size for your Cisco CSR 1000v release. Click Next.
10. Under Network, allocate at least three virtual network interface cards (vNICs). Select the number of vNICs, choose a different network for each, select the adapter type (e.g., VMXNET3), ensure "Connect all vNICs to connect at power-on" is selected, and click Next. Note: VMware ESXi 5.0 interface allows creation of only 4 vNICs during initial VM creation; more can be added later. For releases 3.10S and earlier, the first vNIC maps to GigabitEthernet0. Subsequent vNICs map to network interfaces upon VM power-on.
11. Under SCSI Controller, select LSI Logic Parallel. Click Next.
12. Under Select a Disk, click Create a new virtual disk.
13. Under Create a Disk, specify the Capacity (Disk Size), select Disk Provisioning (Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed or Thick Provision Eager Zeroed), and set the Location (Store with the Virtual Machine). Click Next. Note: Thin Provision is not supported. Thick Provision Eager Zeroed offers better performance but takes longer to install.
14. Under Advanced Options, select SCSI (0:0) for the virtual device node.
15. On the Ready to Complete screen, check the "Edit the virtual machine settings before completion" box and click Continue.
16. In the Hardware tab, click New CD/DVD Drive. Select "Datastore ISO file", browse to the .iso file on the datastore, and check the "Connect at power on" checkbox. Select the Virtual Device Node.
17. In the Resources tab, click the CPU setting and set the Resource Allocation to Unlimited.
18. Click OK.
19. Click Finish. The VM is now configured and ready to boot the Cisco CSR 1000v when powered on.
20. Note: To access the console via a serial port instead of the virtual VGA console, provision the VM accordingly before powering it on.

Increasing Performance on VMware ESXi Configurations

To improve performance on VMware ESXi configurations:

• Disable VMware ESXi power management. Select the "High Performance" setting for VMware ESXi 5.0, 5.1, 5.5, or 6.0. Refer to VMware Documentation for details.

VMware Requirements-Cisco IOS XE 3.x

The following table details VMware requirements for Cisco CSR 1000v using older Cisco IOS XE versions (3.9 to 3.17):

VMware VM Requirements-Cisco IOS XE 3.x

The following table lists supported VMware tools and requirements for Cisco CSR 1000v with Cisco IOS XE versions 3.9 to 3.17:

Installation Requirements—Cisco IOS XE 3.x

The table below lists installation requirements for VMware ESXi using Cisco IOS XE versions 3.9 to 3.17. For Cisco IOS XE Denali 16.3 and later, consult the respective release sections.

Note: Cisco CSR 1000v does not support Cisco IOS XE Denali 16.2.