Re: Nexus emulation? Anyone?

[David Sinn <dsinn () dsinn com>]

Titanium is a release vehicle for LISP 
(http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/datacenter/sw/5_x/nx-os/release/LISP/50_lisp_nx-os_release_note.html), so it 
is public knowledge of it's existence.  Given that Titanium is just a PC with a few NIC's there shouldn't be much 
effort to get it to run under QEMU/KVM/[VM of your choice].  It would probably take someone some time to try and hack 
it together or quicker if Cisco was willing to publish some "use at your own risk" pointers.  It is, as Tim points out, 
a support question.  Hopefully the pressure of their large customers will get them to see that the support is worth it 
for the continued adoption of the platform.

As I said, other vendors have clued in to this and thus their friction to adoption is reduced as a result.

David

On Dec 20, 2011, at 10:18 AM, -Hammer- wrote:

> Doesn't "Titanium" achieve this for you? I know. It's Internal. But it simulates the 7k. Or am I getting it backwards?
>
> My point is that if Cisco already simulates it Internally it's only a matter of time before someone ports 
> something....
>
> -Hammer-
>
> "I was a normal American nerd"
> -Jack Herer
>
>
>
> On 12/20/2011 12:19 PM, David Sinn wrote:
> > I don't think anyone is asking for a full simulation of the platform in software, that is how the actual ASIC's 
> > operate.  That is probably best for an entirely different conversation.
> >
> > But there is huge need to simulate the control-plane functionally with a basic forwarding ability (not performant, 
> > but pass packets correctly such that you can verify the topology).  This is something Dyanmips does great in 
> > emulating a cluster of 7200's and allows operators to validate topologies and planned changes in mainstream IOS 
> > platforms.  Having that for NX-OS would increase the adoption and confidence in the platform.  VM's on multiple 
> > boxes make simulating a whole network of a given platform simple and easy.
> >
> > From the outside Cisco continues to miss the need for this.  At least some of the other vendors are picking up how 
> > helpful this and are reacting positively to it.
> >
> > David
> >
> > <I've been ranting about this to my account team and Nexus management for a while now, so sorry if this is a 
> > duplicate you've already seen.>
> >
> > On Dec 20, 2011, at 10:03 AM, Tim Stevenson wrote:
> >
> >   
> > > You couldn't use Titanium to judge/discuss the nexus family as a whole either. Aside from 1KV, all the nexus 
> > > products use ASIC hardware specific to that platform/linecard and no NXOS software emulator exists that mimics 
> > > those behaviors.
> > >
> > > 2 cents,
> > > Tim
> > >
> > > At 09:34 AM 12/20/2011, Luan Nguyen gushed:
> > >
> > >     
> > > > You can't use the software switch Nexus 1000V to judge/discuss the Nexus
> > > > family products N7K, N5K...etc as a whole?
> > > >
> > > > Check out this discussion
> > > > <https://supportforums.cisco.com/thread/2054884>https://supportforums.cisco.com/thread/2054884
> > > >
> > > > Titanium as they call the NX-OS simulator is not available to the public
> > > > though...
> > > >
> > > > -Luan
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 12:08 PM, -Hammer-<bhmccie () gmail com>  wrote:
> > > >
> > > >       
> > > > > Bah. Look like I need more of an education on Nexus in general. Thanks for
> > > > > the easy pointer.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > -Hammer-
> > > > >
> > > > > "I was a normal American nerd"
> > > > > -Jack Herer
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On 12/20/2011 11:02 AM, Nick Hilliard wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >         
> > > > > > On 20/12/2011 13:55, -Hammer- wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >           
> > > > > > > I know we can't throw NX code on Dynamips but I figured I would ask the
> > > > > > > group anyway. We are starting to discuss Nexus platform options and I can
> > > > > > > only get so much from demo depot before our AM gets whiny. Is anyone
> > > > > > > currently emulating Nexus on anything that is open to the public?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >             
> > > > > > nexus1k?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Nick
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >           
> > > > >         
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Tim Stevenson, tstevens () cisco com
> > > Routing&  Switching CCIE #5561
> > > Distinguished Technical Marketing Engineer, Cisco Nexus 7000
> > > Cisco - http://www.cisco.com
> > > IP Phone: 408-526-6759
> > > ********************************************************
> > > The contents of this message may be *Cisco Confidential*
> > > and are intended for the specified recipients only.
> > >
> > >
> > >     
> >
> >