Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Interfaces Configuration Guide, Releases 26.x and Later

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Configure dynamic interfaces

Updated: April 24, 2026

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Provides instructions for configuring dynamic interfaces, including step-by-step procedures for setup, parameter selection, and implementation to ensure optimal network operations.

Configuring dynamic interfaces consists of these general steps:

  1. Create a dynamic interface mode feature template. As part of this step, you define modes for the bays in a device.

  2. Configure an Interface for Control Connections.

  3. Associate the dynamic interface mode feature template with a device template.

You can configure dynamic interfaces for supported devices. A dynamic interface allows a device to select optimum paths in real-time.

When you create a dynamic interface mode feature template, you create a template that defines the modes for the bays in a device.

You can configure the mode for bay 1, bay 2, or both.

The mode for bay 0 is configured automatically and cannot be changed. If you configure the mode for bay 1 as 100G, bay 0 is disabled because the 10G interfaces on bay 0 do not apply in this case.

Procedure

1.

Create a dynamic interface mode feature template

  1. From the Cisco SD-WAN Manager menu, choose Configuration > Templates.

  2. Click Device Templates.

    In Cisco vManage Release 20.7.x and earlier releases, Device Templates is titled Device.

  3. Click the Create Template drop-down list and choose Feature Template.

  4. From the Device Model drop-down list, choose the device for which you wish to create the template.

    In Template Name, enter a name for the template. This field may contain uppercase and lowercase letters, digits 0 through 9, hyphens (-), and underscores (_).

    In Description, enter a description of the template. This field can contain any characters and spaces.

  5. From Additional Templates, choose the Dynamic Interface Mode drop-down list and click Create Template.

    In Template Name, enter a name for the template. This field may contain uppercase and lowercase letters, digits 0 through 9, hyphens (-), and underscores (_).

    In Description, enter a description of the template. This field can contain any characters and spaces.

  6. Configure the mode for bay 1, bay 2, or both bays by choosing the desired value in the Bay 1, Bay 2, or both fields.

    You cannot change the default value for bay 0.

  7. Click Save.

    Open a TAC case when there is a mismatch between confd and iosd configurations while changing the bay subslot mode on Cisco C8500-12X4QC router..
2.

Configure a new VPN 0 interface for an existing control connection to operate with the bays that you configured in Step 1.

  1. From the Cisco SD-WAN Manager menu, choose Configuration > Templates.

  2. Click Device Templates.

    In Cisco vManage Release 20.7.x and earlier releases, Device Templates is titled Device.

  3. Click ... of the template for which you want to configure the interface, and then choose Edit.

  4. Click Transport & Management VPN and perform these actions to create interfaces for the bays:

    1. Click VPN Interface in the Additional VPN 0 Template.

    2. Choose the new VPN Interface Ethernet menu that displays, and then click Create Template.

    3. In Template Name, enter a name for the template.

      This field may contain uppercase and lowercase letters, digits 0 through 9, hyphens (-), and underscores (_).

    4. In Description, enter a description of the template.

      This field can contain any characters and spaces.

    5. Add control connections to the bays that you configured as described in Step 1.

  5. Choose Basic Configuration and perform these actions:

    1. In Interface Name, enter a name for the interface.

      Enter a name in the format that this example shows: “FortyGigabitEthernet0/1/0.”

    2. Configure other options on this tab as needed.

  6. From Tunnel, set Tunnel Interface to On.

  7. Click Save.

  8. Choose IPv4 Route and perform these actions to configure an IPv4 route for the VPN0 template:

    1. Click New IPv4 Route.

    2. In Prefix, enter a prefix for the IPv4 route.

    3. In Gateway, choose Next Hop.

    4. Configure items as needed in Next Hop, and then click Add.

    5. Click Save.

  9. Click Update.

What to do next

After you create the dynamic interface mode feature template, associate it with a device template and attach the device template to a device. For instructions, see Create a Device Template from Feature Templates.