Close
image is a popular choice for building virtual labs because it provides a functional version of Cisco's IOS XR software in a lightweight, QEMU-compatible format. What is the IOS XRv Demo Image?
iosxrv-k9-demo-6.1.3.qcow2 a virtual disk image for Cisco IOS XRv , a virtualized version of Cisco's high-end IOS-XR software
: This denotes that the image includes strong cryptographic capabilities (such as SSH, HTTPS, and IPsec), which are standard for secure networking environments.
B. Libvirt / virt-install (recommended for repeatable VMs)
: The demo timer is active. Commit license smart register or set the system clock back (not recommended) via clock set . Iosxrv-k9-demo-6.1.3.qcow2
This is the specific IOS XR software version (6.1.3).
The "k9-demo" part of the filename is where things get spicy. In Cisco nomenclature:
Despite being a "demo" image, iosxrv-k9-demo-6.1.3.qcow2 has proven incredibly useful:
The image is designed for using KVM.
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv# configure terminal RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/0/0/0 RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv(config-if)# ipv4 address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0 RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv(config-if)# no shutdown RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv(config-if)# exit RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv(config)# router ospf 1 RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv(config-ospf)# area 0 RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv(config-ospf-ar)# interface GigabitEthernet0/0/0/0 RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv(config-ospf-ar-if)# exit RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv(config-ospf-ar)# exit RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv(config-ospf)# exit RP/0/RP0/CPU0:iosxrv(config)# commit Use code with caution.
The file iosxrv-k9-demo-6.1.3.qcow2 is far more than just a name—it's a to one of the industry's most powerful networking operating systems. From individual learning and lab building to being a core component of larger platforms like GNS3, EVE-NG, and CML, this small image has played a large role in networking education and design for years. By understanding its origins, how to install it across different hypervisors, and its place in the broader Cisco virtual routing ecosystem, you can unlock its full potential as a versatile and invaluable tool for your journey into advanced networking.
Despite being a demo image, version 6.1.3 provides an expansive feature set for routing and service provider architectures:
Future research directions include analyzing the image's contents, verifying its authenticity, and performing a security evaluation. image is a popular choice for building virtual
Unlike the full IOS XRv image ( iosxrv-full-*.qcow2 ), the demo version has :
: Combines Route-Processor (RP) and Line-Card (LC) functionality into a single image.
: Stands for QEMU Copy-On-Write 2 . This is a flexible storage disk format optimized for hypervisors running under Linux KVM architectures. Technical Resource Specifications
qemu-system-x86_64 -machine pc -accel kvm -m 4096 -smp 2 -drive file=iosxrv-k9-demo-6.1.3.qcow2,if=virtio,format=qcow2 -netdev bridge,id=net0,br=virbr0 -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0,mac=52:54:00:12:34:01 -serial mon:stdio -nographic This is the specific IOS XR software version (6
: Download the official .gns3a appliance file from the GNS3 Marketplace .