If you run a topology with eight Nexus 9kv switches (leaf+spine), apply these optimizations to your hypervisor:
Obtain nxosv9k-7.0.3.i7.4.qcow2 from Cisco’s Software Download portal (requires valid SmartNet or CCO login). Path: nxosv9k-7.0.3.i7.4.qcow2
Setting up a leaf-spine VXLAN fabric with four virtual Nexus 9ks requires about 24 GB of RAM. Newer 10.x images would demand 40+ GB, making this image the only viable option for laptop users. If you run a topology with eight Nexus
. It is primarily used in network emulation environments like While the exam has evolved, many lab workbooks
Minimum 4 GB , but 8 GB is strongly recommended for stability and to enable complex features like VXLAN or VPC.
The CCIE DC v3.0 blueprint heavily featured this exact release. While the exam has evolved, many lab workbooks and topology examples still reference commands like feature vn-segment-vlan-based and nve interface 1 , which are native to 7.0(3)I7.