How to import Community SONiC to Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?

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Introduction

This article explains how to import a Community SONiC Virtual Switch (SONiC-VS) image into Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) and run it as a custom node. The procedure covers image download, conversion, node definition creation, image upload, and basic post-deployment validation.

Download the SONiC-VS Image

SONiC Virtual Switch images are published as builds. The most important is that we need to download the SONiC .vhdx image.

Please refer to article at our support side how to download pre-built SONiC image - 

Convert the Image to QCOW2

Cisco CML requires disk images in qcow2 format.

Use qemu-img to convert the image:

qemu-img convert -p -f vhdx -O qcow2 sonic-vs.vhdx sonic-vs-202311.441687.qcow2

After conversion, verify the image integrity:

qemu-img check sonic-vs-202311.441687.qcow2

Expected output: 

No errors were found on the image.

Create a SONiC Node Definition in CML

CML requires a node definition YAML file that describes the VM characteristics.

STEP 1: Create a new node definition. To do that, enter the "Node Definition" section and click the "ADD" Button.

There you will have a few fields to fill. Please follow these instructions below:

GENERAL

• ID - Type the ID of the Node Definition, for example of Community SONiC - CM-SONiC-VS
• Nature - choose "switch" 

USER INTERFACE

• Prefix - for example of Community SONiC - CMSVS - You can type whatever you want to.
• Icon - switch
• Label - for example of Community SONiC - CM-SONIC-VS - You can type whatever you want to.

Linux Native Simulation

• Domain Driver - KVM
• Simulation Driver - Server
• Disk driver - VirtIO
• Memory - 4096
• CPUs - 4
• CPU Limit - 100
• Network Driver - E1000

Estimated Resource Usage

• CPUs - 4
• RAM - 4096

Interfaces

• Has a Loopback interface - YES
• Loopback name - lo
• Number of serial ports - 1
• Minimal number of physical interfaces - 9
• Default number of physical interfaces - 9
  • interface 0 - eth0
  • interface 1 - Ethernet0
  • interface 2 - Ethernet4
  • interface 3 - Ethernet8
  • interface 4 - Ethernet12
  • interface 5 - Ethernet16
  • interface 6 - Ethernet20
  • interface 7 - Ethernet24

Boot

• Timeout - 480

Property Inheritance

After all of that configuration, please click the bottom "UPLOAD" at the end of this page.

Upload the SONiC Image to CML

Now you need to upload the SONiC image that you just converted to the Cisco CML. To do that, simply follow these steps. 

STEP 1: Click the "MANAGE" Button in the Image Definitions section

Add SONiC Node to a CML Lab

Once the image is uploaded:

STEP 1: Open an existing lab or create a new one

STEP 2: Drag the SONiC Virtual Switch node into the topology

STEP 3: Connect it to other nodes(Ethernet 4 to Ethernet 8 for this example)

STEP 4: Start the lab

Wait until the node reaches the sonic login prompt.

Create a Minimal SONiC Configuration and Verify Connectivity

To verify connectivity you need to configure the SONiC first to properly test the connectivity.

First switch:

sudo config interface ip add Ethernet4 192.168.10.1/24

Second switch:

sudo config interface ip add Ethernet8 192.168.10.2/24

use ping command to verify Layer 3 connectivity.

Useful links:

Where to download the SONiC Virtual Switch (VS) community pre-built image?