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? Not I.O.U. but Dynamips or something similar? If the software is out there I have the hardware to support it. Based on some cheap googling I'm thinking the answer will be no. Although I did find Greg Ferros public outcry for network emulators from last year....
nexus1k?
Nick
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
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
Titanium as they call the NX-OS simulator is not available to the public
though...
-Luan
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
<Home - Cisco CommunityTitanium as they call the NX-OS simulator is not available to the public
though...-Luan
> 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
>
>>
>>> 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
I am understanding that more as I am researching. I didn't realize there was a separation between 1000v and [5,7]K. I thought Nexus was Nexus. I should have known not to simplify it to that level. 
So I'm understanding more the differences as well as why I won't be expecting to find a good way to emulate the [5,7]K anytime soon. Thank you all for your comments.
-Hammer-
"I was a normal American nerd"
-Jack Herer
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.>
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
At 10:18 AM 12/20/2011, -Hammer- gushed:
Doesn't "Titanium" achieve this for you? I know. It's Internal. But it
simulates the 7k. Or am I getting it backwards?
Titanium is basically the NXOS control plane, sans data plane. It's the "platform independent" part of the OS.
My point is that if Cisco already simulates it Internally it's only a
matter of time before someone ports something....
Not saying whether it's right or wrong, but maintaining, releasing, & supporting it would require resources, which as you can imagine get prioritized onto other things.
Tim
-Hammer-
"I was a normal American nerd"
-Jack Herer> 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.>
>
>> 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
>>> <<Home - Cisco Community
>>>
>>> Titanium as they call the NX-OS simulator is not available to the public
>>> though...
>>>
>>> -Luan
>>>
>>>> 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
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> 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>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.
>>
>
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
OK. Thanks for the clarification.
I understand that resources would be required to support such an effort. I was more or less implying that if it's done Internally it probably won't be long before someone comes up with a way to do it (Dynamips part deux) for the public. Not supported by Cisco.
I don't see how it can hurt Cisco to have people wanting to run their stuff for learning/training/validation purposes in a virtual environment. But that is a whole different thread.
-Hammer-
"I was a normal American nerd"
-Jack Herer
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