Updated: March 6, 2025
Q: What is Catalyst Center Virtual Appliance (VA) for ESXi?
A: Catalyst Center VA is the same on premises Catalyst Center (formerly Cisco DNA Center) that thousands of customers are already using to manage and operate their Cisco Catalyst enterprise networks. The solution includes a complete network management system (NMS), automation and orchestration engine, cloud-based analytics and AI/ML reasoner, and an advanced software defined network controller. The Catalyst Center VA software has been optimized to operate on the VMware ESXi platform so that the features and controls function just like they do on the Cisco on premises version. Catalyst Center VA can now be deployed on a customer’s VMware ESXi infrastructure utilizing vCenter for platform management.
Q: What is the difference between Cisco DNA Center VA and Catalyst Center VA?
A: The Cisco DNA Center solution has been renamed and now is called Catalyst Center. Same product, new name.
Q:How can I get Catalyst Center VA for ESXi software?
A:Follow the instructions in the Ordering Guide online.
Q: Why would a company deploy Catalyst Center VA on ESXi?
A: Efficiencies through standardization of platforms is the new IT norm, so companies are defining hardware standards on which to run their server applications. Customers deploying Catalyst Center VA on ESXi can utilize their existing hardware virtualization platforms. This allows organizations to consolidate IT hardware for improved utilization which streamlines the administration of IT resources and drives sustainability. The CAPEX to deploy an additional Virtual Machine on an existing hardware platform is lower than it would be to purchase and deploy a new physical appliance, and this can greatly accelerate the time to value and ROI for the project. Additionally, customers are already familiar with the ESXi architecture for high availability and other complex configurations further simplifying deployment and adoption.
Q: What are the other deployment platform options for Catalyst Center?
A: There are currently three platform options for Catalyst Center, as well as a roadmap option.
The Catalyst Center Appliance, which is based on the Cisco UCS server and is available in three sizes to accommodate different network sizes. This option is available today. For ordering information on the Cisco UCS version of Catalyst Center, see the Catalyst Center Gen 3 Ordering Guide.
The Catalyst Center VA for ESXi, which is the subject of this FAQ. This option is available today. For ordering information see the Catalyst Center Virtual Appliance Ordering Guide.
The Catalyst Center VA for AWS Cloud, which is an IaaS option for customers that prefer a software-only solution running in AWS Cloud infrastructure. This option is available today. Visit the Catalyst Center VA on AWS Cloud FAQ for more information.
The Catalyst Center VA for Microsoft Azure Cloud is currently in the planning and development stages. In the coming months, we will be able to provide more information on the planned release dates. This option is not yet available.
Q: What is the difference between the features in Catalyst Center on premises and Catalyst Center VA?
A: The Catalyst Center VA for ESXi is also an on-premises solution which provides an identical IT user experience to the current on premises version. However, there are a few features that are not included in the 2.3.7.7 ESXi version. (Check release notes for an updated list
Automation: Cisco DNA Traffic Telemetry Appliance.
Wireless: Cisco User-Defined Network (UDN), Cisco Umbrella.
System Workflows: Backup and Restore using VMware vSphere Client snapshot function.
Setting Page: Authentication API Encryption.
Telemetry: VM- and host-level telemetry.
Q: Where can I find a complete list of features in Catalyst Center?
A: The Catalyst Center Datasheet has a listing of almost all of the features. This datasheet is updated with each new release.
Q: What type of customer deployment is the best fit for Catalyst Center VA?
A: Cisco Catalyst customers with fewer than 1,000 switches/routers/WLCs and fewer than 4,000 access points (see scale below) should consider Catalyst Center VA. This is especially true if they already have adopted VMware ESXi virtualization within their organization.
Q: What is the difference between the scale and capacity in Catalyst Center on-premises and Catalyst Center VA?
A: We currently only support the scale of the on-premises medium (44 core) appliance. This is 1,000 devices (switch, router, wireless controller), 4,000 access points, and 25,000 endpoints. We are currently evaluating additional scales, but this is not on our committed roadmap. Customers requiring greater scale should deploy Catalyst Center on a Cisco physical appliance. For a more detailed listing of the scale of all options please refer to the Catalyst Center datasheet Appliance scale.
Q: What does Catalyst Center VA cost?
A: The software for Catalyst Center VA on ESXi (DN-SW-APL) is provided at no cost to our customers. Catalyst Center is included with your Catalyst Essentials and Catalyst Advantage software subscription. Cisco offers an annual support package for Catalyst Center, and all customers are advised to purchase this optional support. When the software PID (DN-SW-APL) is entered into CCW, this support option will be recommended (CON-ECMUS-DN5SWQA3).
Q: How do my customers download the software for Catalyst Center VA for ESXi?
A: Customers can download the OVA file in the software download center of CCO. Consult the Catalyst Center VA Ordering Guide for more information.
Q: Can I migrate my current Catalyst Center on-premises installation to VA on ESXi?
A: Yes, follow “Scenario 17” in the Catalyst Center Data Migration Guide online.
Q: Can I migrate my current Catalyst Center VA on AWS to an on-premises VA on ESXi?
A: Yes. This is accomplished via backup and restore. See detailed instructions on the Catalyst Center Data Migration page.
Q: Does Catalyst Center VA replace Cisco Prime® Infrastructure?
A: Yes, Catalyst Center on-premises and Catalyst Center VA are the replacement upgrades for Cisco Prime Infrastructure which has been announced EoL. Also, since this VA for ESXi is a $0 PID with the device licenses, this is a great option for Cisco Prime customers to migrate to the latest and greatest network management tool – Cisco Catalyst Center.
Q: What are the deployment requirements for the Catalyst Center VA?
A: The deployment requirements include server requirements and virtual machine requirements as follows:
| Server Requirements |
|
| Virtualization platform and hypervisor |
VMware vSphere 7.0.x or 8.0.x including all patches, (which includes ESXi and vCenter Server) |
| Processor |
Intel 2.1 GHz and above CPU - or -
AMD Gen2+ 2.0 GHz and above CPU |
| Hyperthreading |
Enabled |
| RAM |
264 GB minimum (ESXi + VA) |
| RAID |
Any (provided that the virtual machine’s IOPS and bandwidth requirements are met).
|
| Virtual Machine Requirements |
|
| Processors |
32 vCPUs, with 64-GHz reservation |
| Memory |
256-GB DRAM, with 256-GB reservation |
| Storage |
3 TB SSD (solid-state drive) - If you plan to create backups of your virtual appliance, also reserve additional datastore space. |
| I/O Bandwidth |
180 MB/sec |
| IOPS (Input/Output operations per second rate) |
2,000 – 2,500
|
See Catalyst Center VA on ESXi deployment guide for more information.
Q: Is Catalyst Center VA for ESXi available worldwide?
A: Almost, it is available in all Cisco sales regions except for China. Embargo regions cannot access the software either.
Q: Does Catalyst Center on ESXi support High Availability (HA)?
A: Yes! The Catalyst Center on ESXi offers high availability solutions as part of the vSphere platform. Customers are encouraged to speak with their VMware account representative to obtain details. For a basic overview see the VMware Docs section on vSphere availability settings.
Q: Will my network devices still operate if the Catalyst Center VA goes down?
A: Yes! Your network devices will keep their configuration and keep running. You won’t be able to change the configuration while the server is down, but your network will still operate without any downtime.
Q: What types of managed services could be offered using Catalyst Center VA?
A: The current version of Catalyst Center VA does not have managed services offering.
Q: Are any Cisco Services available for Catalyst Center VA?
A: As your intent-based networking journey continues, Cisco Services helps you extract relevant network data and insights with customized software and integrations that simplify network operations and lower operating costs. In support of Catalyst Center VA capabilities, Cisco Services provides advisory, implementation, software integration, and optimization services, solution support, and technical training. Our Cisco Services experts will help you achieve extraordinary business outcomes and anticipate change so you can pivot quickly, securely, and confidently. View all services.
Q: How often will the features in Catalyst Center VA be updated?
A: Features will be updated with the same cadence as the on-premises version. You will be notified within the Catalyst Center dashboard when new features are added, with links to training material.
Q: Do customers who have been using Catalyst Center on-premises version need to buy separate licenses to manage the network device using Catalyst Center VA?
A: No, you do not. If you have a Catalyst License (Essentials, or Advantage) for your network devices, you can use this for either the VA or on-premises version. Note that Catalyst Licenses were formally known as Cisco DNA Licenses (Essentials, or Advantage). The name has changed, but the license functionality is the same.
Q: Is Catalyst Center VA supported on ESXi cloud servers, such as Azure VMware Solution (AVS), Google Cloud Services, or AWS Cloud.
A: No, we do not support ESXi hardware hypervisors on cloud platforms. We do currently have a Catalyst Center version for AWS available via AWS Marketplace, but this is not a hypervisor – it is AWS native.
Q: After my Catalyst Center VA on ESXi is installed and running will I receive updates to the Catalyst Center system at the same cadence as the regular on-premises Catalyst Center? Is the upgrade process the same as it is for the on-premises version.
A: Yes, upgrades will come at approximately the same time as the on-premises Catalyst Center. There may be a difference of a week or two because of our internal processing. Upgrading is also the same process; a pop-up message within the Catalyst Center dashboard will announce the new version and the full upgrade can be performed from within the same dashboard.
For more information on this and related documentation, please see the FAQs updated on SalesConnect:
- Cisco Catalyst Center VA for ESXi FAQ
- Catalyst Center on AWS Cloud FAQ
- Catalyst Center DN3 Appliance FAQ
- Duval Yeager
Engineering Product Manager – Cisco Catalyst BU
