If you manage Cisco routers or switches, you’ve probably used Cisco IOS at some point, right? It’s been their go-to network operating system for decades. Cisco IOS XE is quickly becoming the operating system of choice for many Cisco networking devices.You might be wondering…what is Cisco IOS XE and how does it differ from the traditional IOS software? Well, you’ve come to the right place!In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Cisco IOS XE, let’s get started!
What is Cisco IOS XE?
IOS XE is a train of Cisco’s widely used Internetworking Operating System (IOS) software. It represents a major evolutionary step for Cisco IOS.At its core, IOS XE introduces a modular architecture built on the Linux kernel. This allows for improved stability, security, and programmability compared to the monolithic IOS.
- Way more reliable – critical processes can restart without taking down the network.
- More secure – vulnerabilities are contained within individual software processes.
- Easier to upgrade – just update specific processes rather than the whole OS.
- Utilizes multi-core CPUs more efficiently by spreading work across cores.
- New APIs make it programmable and automatable.
What Cisco Devices Run IOS XE?
Cisco designed IOS XE to provide consistency across their routing, switching and wireless product lines.Some key platforms that leverage IOS XE include:
- ASR 1000 Series Routers: Cisco’s flagship WAN router platform.
- Catalyst Switches: Like the 3650, 3850 used for enterprise LANs.
- ISR 4000 Series Routers: Advanced routers for branch offices.
- Wireless LAN Controllers: For managing wireless networks.
By using IOS XE across devices, it makes the network a lot easier to manage.
What Can Cisco IOS XE Do?
There are a bunch of really handy benefits that IOS XE brings to the table:
- It makes networks way more programmable through modern APIs and SDKs. You can automate tasks using Python rather than boring old CLI commands!
- Enhanced security features like image signing, encrypted traffic analytics, etc.
- Simplified licensing – no more painful feature-based licenses to manage. IOS XE provides full functionality out of the box!
- Management is consistent across different products, so you can leverage the same IOS skills you already have.
For organizations running Cisco routing, switching and wireless infrastructure, IOS XE should be the default choice moving forward. It reduces complexity while adding modern management interfaces like REST and Python.
Until next time, with another topic. Till then, Toodles.