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Virtual network OS images have been part of the network engineer toolkit for years. OmniSwitch now has its own: vAOS8, the Alcatel-Lucent Virtual AOS 8, is available for GNS3 and containerlab. You can add OmniSwitch nodes to the labs you already run, next to the other vendors you work with.
vAOS8 is a virtual OmniSwitch. It runs the real AOS 8 software inside GNS3 or containerlab, two popular open-source network lab tools, so it behaves like the switch you would deploy.
A few points make it different from a generic lab image:
In this video, you’ll see how vAOS8 helps you:
✔ Set up labs and proofs of concept in minutes
✔ Test configurations and upgrades with no risk to the live network
✔ Train teams and prepare for certifications on the real AOS 8 CLI
✔ Cut hardware, space and lab costs
vAOS8 runs as a QEMU virtual machine, either inside the GNS3 VM or packaged as a container with vrnetlab for containerlab. You design your topology in the GNS3 client or in a containerlab topology file, and each vAOS8 node boots a full AOS 8 image.
All Layer 2, Layer 3, fabric and system services of the matching AOS 8 release are supported. Highlights include:
Features tied to physical hardware do not apply: transceivers and cabling, PoE, line-rate forwarding performance, ASIC scalability limits, hot-swap and power redundancy. Use vAOS8 to validate logic and configuration, not hardware performance.
Is vAOS8 free?
Yes. vAOS8 requires no license. Partners eligible to download AOS 8 from the ALE Software Download Portal can download it for free. If you are not an existing customer please reach out to get the software apckage.
How do I run an OmniSwitch in GNS3?
Download the vAOS8 appliance package, extract the five files to one folder and import the vAOS8 appliance template into GNS3. The vAOS8 Getting Started and Installation Guide walks through each step.
What are the vAOS8 system requirements?
A 64-bit host with 16 GB RAM (32 GB recommended), 50 GB free disk and VT-x or AMD-V enabled. Each vAOS8 instance needs 2 vCPUs, 2 GB RAM and 1 GB storage.
Which OmniSwitch model does vAOS8 simulate?
None specifically. It is a 12-port switch with a software feature set representative of the OmniSwitch 6870, and supports Virtual Chassis of 1 or 2.
What is not supported compared with a physical switch?
Anything tied to hardware: physical interfaces, transceivers, PoE, line-rate performance, convergence and scalability limits.
Can I use vAOS8 in production?
No. vAOS8 is for lab, training, demo and pre-deployment validation only.
Where do I get help?
In the dedicated Virtual AOS forum on Spacewalkers, the Alcatel-Lucent network community.
Start building your virtual OmniSwitch lab today
vAOS8 brings the full AOS 8 experience to your laptop: real software, real commands, zero hardware. Whether you design networks, automate them or teach others how they work, it shortens the path from idea to a validated configuration.
