Vqfx-20.2r1.10-re-qemu.qcow2 Jun 2026
The RE must connect to a separate PFE image (usually running a Cosim/Lightweight PFE container or VM). Simulates the switching ASIC hardware.
This stands for Routing Engine . The vQFX architecture is unique because it splits the device into two distinct virtual machines (VMs): the Routing Engine (RE) and the Forwarding Engine (PFE). The re in this filename denotes that this image contains the control plane software.
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Like many virtual appliance files, the name Vqfx-20.2r1.10-re-qemu.qcow2 is a human-readable metadata string. It contains precise information about the device type, software version, and format, which is essential for its correct usage in network automation scripts (e.g., SaltStack, Ansible, or other management tools), as seen in various automation projects:
Intel VT-x or AMD-V virtualization extensions enabled in the BIOS/Uefi. Nested virtualization must be turned on if running your lab environment inside an ESXi or Proxmox VM. Step-by-Step Integration into Eve-NG Vqfx-20.2r1.10-re-qemu.qcow2
Eve-NG is one of the most popular platforms for hosting vQFX topologies. Follow these precise steps to format and mount the image. Step 1: Create the Directory Structure
mkdir /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/vqfx-20.2r1.10
: To enable actual traffic flow, the RE must be properly linked to the PFE VM via internal virtual bridges. Juniper Elevate Community Usage Use Cases Lab Testing : Ideal for testing VXLAN/EVPN
mv /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/vqfxre-20.2r1.10/Vqfx-20.2r1.10-re-qemu.qcow2 /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/vqfxre-20.2r1.10/virtioa.qcow2 Use code with caution. Step 3: Fix Permissions The RE must connect to a separate PFE
: Allocate at least 2GB to 4GB (2048MB - 4096MB) of RAM, depending on your simulation needs.
| Attribute | Value | | :--- | :--- | | | QEMU / KVM (Linux KVM, Proxmox, OpenStack) | | Disk Format | QCOW2 (supports snapshots, compression, backfiles) | | Default CPU | 1-2 vCPU (vQFX RE is not CPU heavy) | | Default RAM | 4 GB (Minimum) to 8 GB (Recommended for 20.2) | | Disk Size | Typically ~2 GB compressed, ~8-12 GB uncompressed | | Architecture | x86_64 (AMD64) | | OS Inside | Junos OS (FreeBSD kernel-based) | | Data Plane | Not in this file (Requires separate vqfx-pfe image) |
qemu-system-x86_64 \ -name vqfx-re \ -m 4096 \ -smp 2 \ -drive file=Vqfx-20.2r1.10-re-qemu.qcow2,if=ide,index=0 \ -netdev user,id=mgmt,net=192.168.76.0/24,dhcpstart=192.168.76.10 \ -device e1000,netdev=mgmt \ -nographic \ -serial telnet:127.0.0.1:5001,server,nowait
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With Junos 20.2R1.10, the vQFX provides robust support for modern constructs. You can build 5-stage Clos networks completely in software to evaluate: Type 2 Routing: MAC/IP advertisement for host connectivity.
However, a common issue when running vQFX via Vagrant/VirtualBox is SSH connectivity after the initial boot, which often requires a reboot or manual configuration of the em0 management interface.
: vQFX is efficient, but running many instances requires significant RAM and CPU.
