qemu-system-x86_64 \ -machine pc \ -cpu host \ -smp 2 \ -m 4096 \ -drive file=iosxrvk9demo613qcow2,format=qcow2 \ -netdev user,id=net0 \ -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0 \ -serial mon:stdio
To use this image in EVE-NG , you must follow a specific directory structure:
. This image is a primary tool for network engineers to simulate Cisco’s carrier-grade IOS XR operating system in virtual environments like without requiring physical hardware. Technical Profile File Format: (QEMU Copy-On-Write), optimized for KVM-based hypervisors. 6.1.3 (Classic IOS XRv). Image Size: Approximately Verification (MD5): 1693b5d22a398587dd0fed2877d8dfac Core Use Cases Cisco IOS XRv - GNS3 iosxrvk9demo613qcow2
Despite being a "demo" image, it supports most BGP, IGP, and MPLS features required for CCIE Service Provider studies.
Running a physical ASR 9000 or NCS 5500 router in a home lab is impractical. This QEMU image boots in under a minute and consumes roughly 2‑4 GB of RAM—light enough for a laptop. qemu-system-x86_64 \ -machine pc \ -cpu host \
Since the filename includes demo , boot the image and attempt to enter EXEC mode:
: This denotes a demonstration or trial version. In the Cisco world, this usually means the image is free to download for lab purposes but has throughput throttling (typically limited to ~250 Kbps) or requires a license for production-level performance. 6.1.3 : The specific software release version. This QEMU image boots in under a minute
Given the demo tag and the .qcow2 extension, this file would most likely be found in:
| Part | Meaning | |------|---------| | iosxrv | Cisco IOS XRv (virtual version of ASR 9000 series) | | k9 | Indicates cryptographic (encryption) support – typical for export-controlled versions | | demo | Likely indicates a demo, evaluation, or trial image | | 613 | Possibly a build number, date stamp, or arbitrary lab identifier | | qcow2 | QEMU Copy-On-Write version 2 – a disk format used by KVM, Proxmox, and other open-source hypervisors |
You will see a Linux kernel boot sequence (it is based on Linux). Do not interrupt it. You will eventually see a prompt asking you to press Enter.
Verify connectivity with ping 192.168.122.1 (your host’s gateway). You now have a working virtual router.