INE's Lab Topology needs 10 x Virtual Routers (SD-WAN compatible)
Narkik's Topology uses up to 20 x Virtual Routers, but the number of Routers (and Switches) varies for each Lab Exercise.
Narbik's Lab Exercises are available as independent .UNL files that can be loaded on EVE-NG
There is a large set of Lab Exercises available (with Solutions) and you can download the complete list from this URL:
www.mediafire.com/folder/tws2ugxb5k4rn/
All Routers are deployed in Autonomous Mode (AM), which means that they can only be configured and managed via CLI; not through the vManage Controller.
But they can be converted to the SD-WAN-ready version, which is known as Controller-Mode.
To switch to Controller-Mode you can simply enter the command controller-mode enable,
which enables them to be managed by SD-WAN Controllers.
You can use these Routers either for standard Routing functions or for SD-WAN related tasks.
Virtual Switches vs Physical Switches:
INE's Lab Topology also requires 4 x LAN Switches, which can be either Virtual or Physical
Our Lab provides Virtual LAN Switches using the IOSv-L2 Software through the EVE-NG VM
Having Virtual IOSv-L2 Switches ready to go in the EVE-NG VM allows you to use this Lab it right away without having to buy Physical Switches!
However, please notice that Cisco recommends using Physical Switches because the IOSv-L2 Software doesn't provide some of the advanced functions needed for the Lab.
IOSv-L2 Switches are good enough to provide basic connectivity and some basic L2/L3 functions. And this should be enough to do most Lab Exercises.
But if you want to do more complex Lab Exercises that deal with more advanced Switching functions, then you may want consider getting 4 x Physical Switches
Physical Switches can be connected to the Server at any time and they can be easily combined with Virtual Routers. Please check out the Upgrades Section below for more details.
EVE-NG Virtual Machine:
The EVE-NG VM is perhaps the most important component of this Lab!
This VM provides full SD-WAN functionality. That is, it provides all the Network Nodes needed to emulate a Viptela SD-WAN Network
This includes SD-WAN Controllers (known as Control Plane components) and WAN Edge Nodes
- vBond
- vSmart
- vManage
WAN Edge Nodes (known as Data/Forwarding Plane devices) can be implemented in 2 ways:
- vEdge Cloud Routers
- IOS XE Virtual Routers (CSR1000v or CAT8000v)
In our EVE-NG VM you'll find a Fully Configured and ready to use Sample SD-WAN Network
This is done just to demonstrate the full SD-WAN functionality of our EVE-NG VM.
We provide all the Configuration Files that you can use to build your own SD-WAN Network
Combining Virtual Routers with Virtual or Physical Switches:
As mentioned before, the EVE-NG VM is also used to implement 4 x IOSv-L2 Switches
But in addition to these Switches, the EVE-NG VM also includes a set of 10 x IOSv Routers
That is, this Lab has 2 sets of Virtual Routers:
- 10 x IOS XE Routers (built as Independent VM's)
- 10 x IOSv-L3 Routers (built inside the EVE-NG VM)
So you could use either set of Virtual Routers, both of which can be connected to the set of Virtual Switches
And if you add Physical Switches to the Lab, the Routers could be connected to either set of Switches (Virtual or Physical)
So you'll have 4 potential combinations:
- IOS XE Routers (independent VM) connected to Virtual Switches
- IOS XE Routers (independent VM) connected to Physical Switches
- IOSv-L3 Routers (within EVE-NG) connected to Virtual Switches
- IOSv-L3 Routers (within EVE-NG) connected to Physical Switches
Of course you may also add extra Virtual Routers (IOS XE or IOSv) and extra IOSv Switches
Thus, this item provides a very flexible Lab environment with many configuration options!
CML-2 VM:
This Lab also includes a CML-2 VM because INE uses CML for many of their Lab Exercises.
CML-2 is a Licensed product sold directly by Cisco; its price for a 1-Year CML-2 License for $200
The VM included in this Lab doesn't have a License though.
However, you could use the EVE-NG VM instead of CML-2 for almost all Lab Exercises!
In other words, CML-2 could be considered just an optional element of this Lab.
However, you may want to enable this VM because the latest version of CML includes very powerful Virtual Devices like the CAT8000v and CAT9000v.
The new list of requirements of the CCIE EI Lab Exam (ver 1.1) does include CAT8000v Routers.
CAT9000v devices are not explicitly included in the new list of requirements, but since they come with IOS XE ver 17.9, they could be used as a substitute of physical 9300 Switches.
For that reason alone it's worth considering activating a CML-2 License.
Training Materials:
As mentioned before, we include all Lab Exercises for Narkik's Topology
(taken directly from Narkik's Book)
We also include a large set of Lab Exercises for INE's Topology
For INE's Topology we also include all the Videos for the CCIE EI Lab Boopcamp.
In addition, for INE's Topology we also include all the initial configuration files
that can be loaded either on CML-2 or EVE-NG.
Upgrade Options:
As mentioned before, you may add 4 x Physical Switches to this Lab.
This will allow you to work on some advanced features not available in the IOSv-L2 Software.
The new list of requirements include 9300 Switches. But these Switches are very expensive!
However, there are some cheaper alternatives like the Cisco 3650 or 3850
that could be used instead of 9300 Switches.
It is also possible to upgrade some of the Server's main features, such as RAM and SSD Drive.
For instance, our Dell Server comes with 128GB RAM, but this can upgraded to 256GB or 384GB
A RAM upgrade may be needed to simulate large SD-WAN Networks, which are RAM hungry!
The standard Drive capacity is 1TB, but it can be upgraded to 2TB SSD or even 4TB SSD.
And as mentioned before, we also offer the possibility of adding a DNA Center
However, this would require a different Hardware (R630 instead of R620)
configured either as a separate Server or a single Server with all VM's in it.
Please contact us for price and availability of these upgrade options.
Warranty:
Our Servers are fully tested and therefore they are guaranteed to work!
If you experience any problems, we'll replace it!
Therefore, you can buy with confidence from us.
Processing Time and Shipping:
Due to the complex nature of this item, we need 3-4 business days to prepare it (Software installation, configuration & testing)
Ground shipping fee applies to the Continental USA (lower 48 states) only.
Typical Transit time is 2-5 business days via FedEx Ground (it depends on where you live)
Therefore, this item may take up to 8 business days for delivery. Please take this into account.
Please ask for a shipping quote for Orders outside the Continental USA or International ones.
