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Cisco IOS Service-Containers: Run an x86-VM inside a Router (Part 1: KVM Development Environment)

Network Hosted Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM)

Many Cisco Routers allow you to host your own virtual machine directly inside a router.
DevNet: Cisco IOS KVM Service-Containers

  • CSR 1000v
  • ISR 4000
  • ASR 1000

I went through the documentation, especially Service-Containers-Tutorial.pdf and Ubuntu – Building a Service Container.pdf where very helpful.

But i didn’t want to go the „Ubuntu-Desktop-14.04-LTS“-way which was described.

„My“ Service-Container-VM should be:

  • Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
  • Ubuntu Server
    • save some compute/cpu/dram/harddisk-ressources by not installing an Ubuntu-Desktop-Environment inside the Router. Just network services, please!

The whole deployment process can be accomplished in five steps:

  1. build a KVM virtualization-Environment
  2. prepare an ISR-Router (lab: Create a CSR1000v-Instance for nested Virtualization)
  3. create the Service-VM (Ubuntu-Server)
  4. package it inside an OVA
  5. install this OVA at the router

Build the KVM Virtualization Environment

Here I’ll use Ubuntu LTS, but the „Desktop“-Release to get the „Virtual Machine Manager“-GUI.
ubuntu-16.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso

Common vSphere Process „New VM“

  • Linux Ubuntu 64 Bit, 4GB DRAM, 120GB Disk
  • mount Ubuntu-Desktop-ISO as DVD

Enable nested virtualization (Hardware-Virtualization for Guest-OS)
Don’t forget: this „KVM Virtualization Environment“ will run on top of an VSphere-ESXi-Host.

  • nested virtualization: [Linux-Server-VM] on top of [KVM Virtualization] on top of [ESXi Hypervisor]
Hardware virtualization: [x] Expose hardware assisted virtualization to guest-OS
Hardware virtualization: [x] Expose hardware assisted virtualization to guest-OS

Ubuntu-Desktop VM with KVM-Virtualization
Installation: Defaults are fine

  • never use the „root“-acccout
  • use a common user-account instead, i’ll use the username „user“ in the text

Additional Setup
user@KVM-1:~$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
user@KVM-1:~$ sudo apt-get install -y open-vm-tools open-vm-tools-desktop

Add KVM („libvirt“)
user@KVM-1:~$ sudo apt-get install -y qemu-kvm libvirt-bin bridge-utils virt-manager qemu-system
Finalize it
user@KVM-1:~$ sudo reboot

Check the KVM Environment
Should look like this:

user@KVM-1:~/isr-service-container$ virsh -c qemu:///system list

 Id    Name                           State
----------------------------------------------------

Fine-tuning: „Disable Screensaver“

  • avoid ever and ever re-login to the remote-Desktop
  • acceptable in an isolated lab environment

all settings => brightness & lock

  • „never“ turn screen off when inactive
  • lock „off“
  • [ ] require password when waking from suspend

Preparation: Mount NFS-Share with „ubuntu-server“-ISO
I store my ISO-Images on an central NFS-Datastore.

  • the ISO-image has to be available inside the VM
sudo apt-get install -y nfs-common
mkdir /home/user/<NAS-SHARE>
sudo mount.nfs <NAS-IP>:<NAS-SHARE> /home/user/<NAS-SHARE>

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