Vqfx-20.2r1.10-re-qemu.qcow2

| Feature | This (vQFX 20.2R1) | vJunos-EVO (24.x) | cRPD (Container) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Data Plane | Separate PFE VM | Integrated | None (route server) | | EVPN-VXLAN | Basic | Full, with multi-homing | Routing only | | Resource Usage | 4 GB RAM + 2 vCPU | 8-16 GB RAM + 4 vCPU | 1 GB RAM | | Startup Time | 5-7 min (RE+PFE) | 2 min | 10 sec | | Recommendation | Legacy labs | New labs, production | Route reflectors |

| Image | Purpose | |-------|---------| | vqfx-20.2r1.10-pfe-qemu.qcow2 | Packet Forwarding Engine (required for switching/routing data) | | vqfx-20.2r1.10-veos (community) | Arista vEOS as L2 leaf (mixed-vendor lab) | | vjunos-switch-22.2R1.11.qcow2 | Newer vJunos-switch (unified RE+PFE) – simpler but heavier | | vqfx-10000-21.1R1-re-qemu.qcow2 | Updated version with better EVPN support |

Because vqfx-20.2r1.10-re-qemu.qcow2 includes a full NETCONF server (Port 830), you can use it as a target for CI/CD pipelines.

Ansible Playbook snippet:

- name: Configure VLAN on vQFX
  hosts: vqfx_switches
  connection: netconf
  tasks:
    - name: Add VLAN 100
      junipernetworks.junos.junos_config:
        lines:
          - set vlans vlan100 vlan-id 100
          - set interfaces ge-0/0/0 unit 0 family ethernet-switching vlan members vlan100

This image is robust enough to handle 50+ configuration changes without crashing, making it ideal for learning junos.junos_config module.

The filename VQFX-20.2R1.10-RE-QEMU.qcow2 suggests several pieces of information:

  • RE: This likely stands for "Routing Engine," indicating that this image pertains to the routing or control plane aspect of the appliance. Vqfx-20.2r1.10-re-qemu.qcow2

  • QEMU: Stands for Quick Emulator, which is an open-source emulator that allows one to run a variety of operating systems on top of a host operating system. The presence of "QEMU" in the filename suggests that this image is intended to run on QEMU or possibly on a platform that supports QEMU, such as KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) on Linux.

  • .qcow2: This is the file format. QEMU Copy On Write image file is a virtual disk image format used by QEMU. It supports dynamic and fixed-size images and is compatible with KVM.

    • Before downloading a 2GB QCOW2 file, you must understand what you are getting. The filename follows Juniper’s strict versioning and platform naming conventions. Let’s break it down piece by piece. | Feature | This (vQFX 20

    Once you start the node in your simulator:

  • CLI Start: 
    root@:~ # cli
root@> edit
  • Verify PFE Connection: Check if the RE can see the PFE (Forwarding Plane). Run: 
    root@# run show chassis fpc
    You should see the FPC status as Online. If it is offline or empty, the link between your RE image and PFE image is broken.

    • Upload your .qcow2 files to this directory using WinSCP, FileZilla, or the scp command from your computer.

    | Problem | Likely Fix | |---------|-------------| | RE not booting | Ensure image name matches EVE-NG expectation (hda.qcow2). Check KVM acceleration (egrep -c '(vmx\|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo). | | PFE not showing up | Verify that the PFE node is powered on after the RE node. Ensure they are connected via a vEth link (not a bridged network). | | High CPU on host | Limit RE to 2 vCPUs. Disable set protocols lldp to reduce background tasks. | | Cannot commit config | Run request system storage cleanup. 20.2R1.10 has a known log rotation bug. | | Licensing warning | Apply a free trial license from Juniper’s website – the image will run in limited mode for 60 days without one. | This image is robust enough to handle 50+