A virtual environment for learning, testing, and exploring open networking. Cumulus VX allows you to learn, model, simulate and test network topologies using open networking technology at zero cost and risk-free in your environment

1. v
Cumulus VX™
David Sinn
August 25, 2015

2. What is Cumulus VX?
 Cumulus® VX™ (Virtual Experience) is a virtual appliance which simulates
traditional Cumulus Networks Technology. Available at zero cost, Cumulus VX
enables users to test networking protocols such as PTM, MLAG, VXLAN on their
choice of hypervisor without the need for a bare metal switch or specialized
hardware. Cumulus VX does not, however, have any hardware components and
hence does not have any hardware acceleration found in Cumulus Linux or
Cumulus RMP.
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3. What can be done with it?
Learn
 Introduction to Open Networking with Linux
 Basis for Cumulus Linux and RMP
Prototype
 Design and simulate networks virtually
 Plan migrations, new deployments, protocol changes,
etc.
Develop
 Open environment to develop tools, automation, scripts,
etc. 3

4. 4
Cumulus VX to Cumulus Linux/RMP
Production Environment
LEARN PROTOTYPE DEVELOP
Ready to deploy
Simulate

5. Cumulus VX & Open Networking Community
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Share, Ask, Discuss all things VX, ON,
Cumulus
Open Networking CommunityCumulus VX
Free Virtual Appliance to showcasing Cumulus
Technology
 Open Networking Community Portal
 Primary exchange point for Cumulus VX and Open Networking
 An exchange point for Cumulus Networks Products
• Not meant to supplant existing support channel

6. Cumulus Community Portal
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https://community.cumulusnetworks.com

7. Example
 Cumulus VX running in VirtualBox
 Without automation
 Pre-defined configurations
 Can be the basis for actual deployment
 Room for improvement
 Basic Leaf-Spine Clos setup
 2x leaf
 2x spine
 Management Station
 OOB network
 Multiple Deployment Options
 L3 – OSPF Unnumbered
 L2 – CLAG
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8. Pre-requisites
VirtualBox
 Add-on’s pack installed
Cumulus VX
 Available on our website
 https://cumulusnetworks.com/cumulus-vx
Management Station
 Pointer available via Community Portal
 https://community.cumulusnetworks.com/cumulus/topics/
using-a-management-vm-with-cumulus-vx
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9. Demo
Let’s switch to the demo
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10. VX Testimonials
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DEMO
LEARN
PROTOTYPE
DEVELOP
“Cumulus VX substantially increases our capability to highlight the value of Cumulus Linux. We can quickly create everything from simple
single VM’s to large multi-node spine and leaf topologies that mimic customer production deployments without having to reserve hardware.”
DJ Spry - Principal Engineer, Open Networking, Dell
“Using Cumulus VX with online Cumulus Networks’ resources makes it easy for our team to learn how to automate switches without full
hardware. This simplicity and convenience of building an image+script to demonstrate automation modules to new users would convert even
the most devoted of CLI fans.”
Boris Mimeur – Senior Technical Leader, CENGN
Open Networking simulated in a virtual environment! Cumulus VX brings us great power in building proof of concepts, testing designs,
training up on new features, and easy expansion of puppet development.
Kris Amundson – Technical Operations Engineer, Puppet Labs
“Having the ability to spin up virtual Cumulus-powered switches is a huge boon for automation testing. It's incredibly powerful to be able to
use automation frameworks such as Ansible, Salt, Puppet, or Chef with Cumulus, and adding Cumulus VX to the mix now enables safer
testing of these automation frameworks before you roll them into production. I use Ansible, and I can easily test changes to my Ansible
playbooks using Cumulus VX before I run that playbook against production switches.”
Scott Lowe – Engineering Architect, Networking and Security Business Unit at VMware

11. Questions
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12. © 2015 Cumulus Networks. Cumulus Networks, the Cumulus Networks Logo, and Cumulus Linux are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cumulus Networks, Inc. or its affiliates in
the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. The registered trademark Linux® is used pursuant to a sublicense from LMI, the exclusive
licensee of Linus Torvalds, owner of the mark on a world-wide basis.
ThankYou!
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Unleashing the Power of Open Networking