playing with VIRL

[fsck]

I got my hands on a copy of VIRL and I was looking around today.  I connected a few routers and logged into the them and noticed they are already configured.  Or at least it looks like they have things configured like OSPF, BGP and the GigabitEthernet interfaces.  I had no idea they come configured like that, so do you guys just configure around it or how do you guys do it?  It looks like VIRL can be a really good asset to me learning more about Cisco.  I still have my physical lab that I'm trying to finish but just wanted to see what all the fuss was about with VIRL.  I can see it has lots of power.

[wintermute000]

you probably filled in the autonetkit bits.  Thats exactly what its designed to do, to auto fill in the basic L3/routing for quick lab deployments.

If you start with a totally blank topology and don't fill in anything you will get blank routers.

[fsck]

ooooh I see.  It really did help answer some of my questions, and help me better understand.  Thanks for explaining.  Do you use VIRL?

[wintermute000]

occasionally, mostly to get access to vASA and vNXOS, or if I want to fire python scripts at vIOS as its relatively easy to hook VIRL into a 'real' network.

I still use GNS3-IOU for conventional R&S labbing, its much quicker, lighter and easier.

[fsck]

Those two features really brought me over to VIRL.  The vASA and vNXOS options.  They are looking to bring in ASAs in our environment, so I think getting behind the wheel of them would serve me well.  Same with NXOS.  We have a lot of NXOS in our environment, but very expensive to get equipment or even rack time.  I know it's lacking in terms of switching features but I think you can still manipulate things to make it work, such as OTV.  I hope it comes along more in the next version where its a full fledged NXOS.  That be nice.