Create Cisco SD-WAN Validator VM instance on KVM

Updated: July 7, 2026

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Configure a virtual machine instance for Cisco SD-WAN Validator on a server running the KVM hypervisor. This task enables you to deploy the validator VM for Cisco SD-WAN environments.

Create a virtual machine instance for Cisco SD-WAN Validator on a KVM hypervisor to enable Cisco SD-WAN validation functionality.

This task allows you to start the validator and prepare it for further configuration.

Use this task when you need to deploy a Cisco SD-WAN Validator VM instance on a server running the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) hypervisor.

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

This task is relevant for Cisco SD-WAN deployments requiring a validator VM.

Before you begin

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

Verify server hardware meets requirements as described in Server Hardware Recommendations.

Follow these steps to create a Cisco SD-WAN Validator VM instance on the KVM hypervisor:

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 for the Cisco SD-WAN Validator instance. Choose Import existing disk image option to install the operating system. Click Forward.
	4.	For Provide the existing storage path, click Browse to find the Cisco SD-WAN Validator software image. For OS Type, choose Linux. For Version, choose the Linux version that you are running. Click Forward.
	5.	Specify Memory and CPU based on your network topology and the number of sites, then click Forward.
	6.	Check Customize configuration before install and click Finish.
	7.	Choose Disk 1 in the left navigation bar. Click Advanced Options. For Disk Bus, choose IDE. For Storage Format, choose qcow2. Click Apply to create the VM instance with the parameters you had defined. By default, this includes one vNIC for the management interface. Note The software supports only VMXNET3 vNICs.
	8.	In the vEdge Cloud Virtual Machine page, click Add Hardware to add a second vNIC for the tunnel interface.
	9.	In the Add New Virtual Hardware page, click Network. In the Host Device, choose an appropriate Host device. Click Finish. The newly created vNIC is listed in the left pane. This vNIC is used for the tunnel interface.
	10.	In the Cisco SD-WAN Validator Virtual Machine page, click Begin Installation.
	11.	The system creates the virtual machine instance and displays the Cisco SD-WAN Validator console.
	12.	In the login page, log in with the default username admin and default password admin .

After completing these steps, a Cisco SD-WAN Validator 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 Validator for next steps.

Proceed to configure the validator VM as required for your deployment.

Need help?

Open a support case

(Requires a Cisco Service Contract)

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