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Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)

    N/AN/AVIRL is a complete network simulation platform for testing, training, and learning.N/A
    Pricing
    Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)
    Editions & Modules
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    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)
    Free Trial
    No
    Free/Freemium Version
    No
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    No
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsContact vendor for pricing information.
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    Community Pulse
    Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)
    Considered Both Products
    Cisco
    Chose Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)
    Cisco VIRL/CML provides a similar emulation environment to GNS3 and EVE-NG but I would argue that it's the best when it specifically comes to Cisco network appliances. This is because you will have access to latest Cisco virtual images with the best support in regards to …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
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    Delivers good value for the price
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    Happy with the feature set
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    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
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    Implementation went as expected
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    User Testimonials
    Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Cisco
    Cisco VIRL/CML is obviously very well suited if you want to lab practically any Cisco based network platform. It does a fantastic job of supporting almost all feature sets in a production appliance. It may not be the best option if you require a very multi-vendor intensive solution for labbing purposes.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Cisco
    • It allows for labbing complex environment topologies
    • Interconnecting virtual nodes, which emulate network appliances, is extremely easy and intuitive
    • Assuming you meet the minimum hardware requirements to run the virtual images, the nodes run relatively fast
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Cisco
    • Better support for multi-vendor labs. Since Cisco VIRLs uses KVM as its hypervisor, not all vendor images will be fully supported in the Cisco VIRL/CML environment. For these particular use cases, it's sometimes better to use GNS3 or EVE-NG.
    • Since there are several free offerings out there that allow you to emulate network appliances (especially Cisco IOS based devices), I would love to see Cisco offer more cost-effective alternatives to engineers over their current pricing model.
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    Usability
    Cisco
    Cisco VIRL is a great network environment emulation tool when it comes to Cisco devices. However, I have run into some issues when trying to integrate other vendors virtual images into the Cisco VIRL/CML environment. For those specific use cases, I have had better luck with other emulation platforms like EVE-NG.
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    Alternatives Considered
    Cisco
    Cisco VIRL/CML provides a similar emulation environment to GNS3 and EVE-NG but I would argue that it's the best when it specifically comes to Cisco network appliances. This is because you will have access to latest Cisco virtual images with the best support in regards to current feature sets. If you run into any issues, you can also get support from Cisco. The same can't be said about free emulation programs like GNS3 or EVE-NG. However, when it comes to multi-vendor labbing, I have found better success with EVE-NG.
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    Return on Investment
    Cisco
    • It has allowed me to avoid mistakes when implementing changes on Cisco devices
    • It has allowed me to better plan new network change implementations
    • It has allowed me to be more confident in my network designs by providing me with a predictive model where I can gauge the effect that certain changes and new technology features will have on my network
    Incentivized
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