Create a Cisco SD-WAN Controller VM instance on KVM

Updated: July 7, 2026

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Configure a Cisco SD-WAN Controller VM instance on a server running the KVM hypervisor. This enables you to deploy the Cisco SD-WAN Controller controller in your virtualized environment.

This task describes how to create a Cisco SD-WAN Controller virtual machine instance on a server running the KVM hypervisor, enabling the deployment of the Cisco SD-WAN Controller controller in a virtualized environment.

Use this task when you need to deploy a Cisco SD-WAN Controller controller as a virtual machine on a server that is running the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) hypervisor. This is typically required as part of the initial setup or scaling of your Cisco SD-WAN environment.

You can also create the VM on a server running the VMware vSphere ESXi Hypervisor software. For server requirements, see Server Hardware Recommendations.

Before you begin

Ensure you have access to a server running the KVM hypervisor and have the Cisco SD-WAN Controller software image available.

Follow these steps to create a Cisco SD-WAN Controller VM instance on KVM:

Procedure

	1.	Launch the Virtual Machine Manager (virt-manager) client application. The system displays the Virtual Machine Manager page.
	2.	Click New to deploy the virtual machine. The system opens the Create a new virtual machine page.
	3.	Enter the name of the virtual machine. The figure below specifies a name for the Cisco SD-WAN Controller instance. Select Import existing disk image. Click Forward.
	4.	In Provide the existing storage path field, click Browse to find the Cisco SD-WAN Controller software image. For OS Type, select Linux. For Version, select the Linux version you are running. Click Forward.
	5.	Specify Memory and CPU based on your network topology and the number of sites, and click Forward.
	6.	Select Customize configuration before install. Then click Finish.
	7.	Select Disk 1 in the left navigation bar. Then perform the following: Click Advanced Options. In the Disk Bus field, select IDE. In the Storage Format field, select qcow2. Click Apply to create the VM instance with the parameters you just defined. By default, this includes one vNIC. This vNIC is used for the tunnel interface. Note The software supports only VMXNET3 vNICs.
	8.	In the Cisco SD-WAN Controller Virtual Machine page, click Add Hardware to add a second vNIC for the management interface.
	9.	In the Add New Virtual Hardware page, click Network. In the Host Device field, select an appropriate host device. Click Finish. The newly created vNIC is listed in the left pane. This vNIC is used for the management interface.
	10.	In the Cisco SD-WAN Controller Virtual Machine page, click Begin Installation in the upper-left corner of the screen.
	11.	Wait for the system to create the virtual machine instance and display the Cisco SD-WAN Controller console.
	12.	At the login prompt, log in with the default username admin and the default password admin.

After completing these steps, a Cisco SD-WAN Controller VM instance is created and ready for further configuration in your Cisco SD-WAN environment.

What to do next

See Configure Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller for next steps.

Need help?

Open a support case

(Requires a Cisco Service Contract)

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