EVE-NG Deployment

This section details the deployment of my network emulation environment. To maximize the efficiency of my hardware, I have opted for a nested virtualization approach on my Proxmox cluster.

Why EVE-NG?

EVE-NG (Emulated Virtual Environment - Next Generation) allows for the seamless integration of virtual and physical network components, which is essential for my hybrid lab testing.

1. Host Environment

I am utilizing an enterprise-grade thin client as my primary compute node to balance power efficiency with performance.

Hardware

HP t740 Thin Client
AMD Ryzen Embedded V1756B
16GB DDR4 RAM

Hypervisor

Proxmox VE
Nested Virtualization enabled
Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM)

2. Provisioning & Configuration

To ensure smooth performance when running multiple IOS images, the virtual machine is configured as follows:

1. CPU Allocation: 4 vCPUs using host-passthrough mode to allow EVE-NG to access physical hardware acceleration.
2. Memory Management: 8 GB of dedicated RAM to handle the overhead of Cisco IOL and QEMU nodes.
3. Storage: 50 GB VirtIO-SCSI disk, thin-provisioned for optimal space management.

3. Network Topology Integration

The EVE-NG instance is not isolated; it is fully integrated into my physical network:

• Management Interface: Assigned a static IP within the management VLAN.
• External Cloud: Bridged to the Catalyst 3560-CX physical ports, allowing virtual routers to communicate with physical hardware.