The Timos-sr-13.0.r4-vm.qcow2 image is more than just a disk file—it is a portable, carrier-grade routing plane that can live on a developer’s laptop or integrate into a production OpenStack cloud. By understanding its naming schema, resource needs, and deployment nuances (especially on KVM), you gain the ability to prototype complex MPLS/SR networks without a $50,000 physical chassis.
Remember: treat the image with the same operational respect as a physical 7750 SR. Back up the configuration, license it correctly, and monitor its resource usage. Whether you are preparing for a Nokia certification or automating a global network, mastering this virtual router image is a foundational skill for the modern network engineer.
Next steps: Download the image from the Nokia Support Portal (requires valid service contract), spin it up on your favorite Linux server, and run show system information to see the 13.0.r4 engine come to life.
The file "Timos-sr-13.0.r4-vm.qcow2" is a virtual disk image for the Nokia (formerly Alcatel-Lucent) 7750 Service Router (SR) virtualized operating system, known as TiMOS. Technical Specifications Operating System: TiMOS (Nokia SR OS) version 13.0.R4.
Format: .qcow2 (QEMU Copy-On-Write), typically used with QEMU/KVM hypervisors.
Virtual Appliance: Commonly used as part of the Virtualized Simulator (vSim) or Virtualized Service Router (vSR) for lab testing and network simulation. File Size: Approximately 368.5 MB (351.4 MiB). MD5 Checksum: d7a3609e506acdcb55f6db5328dba8ed. Deployment Requirements
To run this image in a simulation environment like GNS3, the following resources are generally required: RAM: At least 2048 MB.
CPU: x86-64 architecture; KVM acceleration is highly recommended for performance.
Default Login: Typically admin for both username and password.
Network Interface: Often configured with e1000 adapter types. Common Usage & Limitations Timos-sr-13.0.r4-vm.qcow2
Simulation Only: The vSim is designed for control and management plane simulation in lab environments and is not intended for production use.
Throughput: The forwarding plane in these simulator versions is often rate-limited (e.g., to 250 pps per interface).
Licensing: Without a valid lic.txt file, the system may reboot automatically every 60 minutes. license not matching TiMOS-B-13.0.R4 - Alcatel Unleashed
The Timos-sr-13.0.r4-vm.qcow2 file is
The keyword "Timos-sr-13.0.r4-vm.qcow2" refers to a virtual machine disk image of the Nokia Service Router Operating System (SR OS), specifically version 13.0.R4. This file is used in virtualized environments like GNS3 or EVE-NG to simulate the behavior of high-performance routers such as the 7750 Service Router (SR). Understanding TiMOS and SR OS
TiMOS (Terabit IP Mobile Operating System): The internal name for the software that powers Nokia’s (formerly Alcatel-Lucent) networking hardware.
vSim (Virtualized Simulator): This version of the OS is designed to run on generic Intel x86 servers rather than dedicated hardware. It is functionally equivalent to the physical hardware in terms of control and management but is typically limited in traffic forwarding capacity (e.g., 250 pps per interface).
QCOW2 Format: This is a "QEMU Copy-On-Write" file format, which is the standard disk image format for the QEMU emulator. It is preferred in lab environments because it supports snapshots and occupies less disk space than raw images. Key Technical Specifications for 13.0.R4
To successfully run this specific image in a virtual laboratory, the following parameters are generally required: sros bootstrap - GitHub Gist The Timos-sr-13
The file Timos-sr-13.0.r4-vm.qcow2 is a virtual machine disk image for the Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router (SR) operating system, known as TiMOS or SR-OS. It is commonly used in network simulation environments like GNS3 to virtualize carrier-grade routing hardware for labs and testing. Key Specifications & Requirements Software Version: SR-OS 13.0.R4.
Virtualization Format: qcow2 (QEMU Copy-On-Write), optimized for KVM-based hypervisors. RAM Requirement: Minimum 2048 MB. Architecture: x86-32 or x86-64 (typically run via Qemu). Default Credentials: Login: admin Password: admin Operational Notes
Licensing: Without a valid license, the VM will automatically reboot every 60 minutes. You can check the remaining time by running the command show system license within the CLI.
GNS3 Integration: To use this in GNS3, you can import the .gns3a appliance file which pre-configures settings like the e1000 adapter type and console access via telnet.
Performance: While qcow2 is flexible and supports features like snapshots and compression, it may have slightly lower performance compared to raw disk formats. Alcatel 7750 - GNS3
To prepare the TiMOS-SR-13.0.R4-vm.qcow2 image for use in network emulators like
, you must configure the QEMU environment with specific hardware parameters and resource allocations. 1. Resource Requirements
The following minimum specifications are required for the image to boot correctly: (2 recommended for smoother operation). Console Type: Alcatel Unleashed 2. Network & Disk Settings
Configure these virtual hardware settings to ensure compatibility with the Nokia SROS: NIC Adapter Type: (standard) or virtio-net-pci Network Adapters: 6 adapters (standard for SROS images). HDD Interface: (primary disk should be 3. Preparation for EVE-NG If you are using , follow these specific naming and directory conventions: Create Directory: Create a folder in /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/ starting with the prefix timos-13.0.R4/ Rename Image: Upload your file and rename TiMOS-SR-13.0.R4-vm.qcow2 inside that folder. Fix Permissions: Run the EVE-NG permission fix command: /opt/unetlab/wrappers/unl_wrapper -a fixpermissions 4. Advanced: License & UUID The Timos-sr-13
To prevent the node from rebooting every 60 minutes, you may need a valid license file ( Alcatel Unleashed Alcatel-Lucent vSR-OS in GNS3 - Nbctcp's Weblog 14 Jan 2015 —
"Timos-sr-13.0.r4-vm.qcow2" is a virtual disk image for the Nokia (formerly Alcatel-Lucent) 7750 Service Router (SR) Operating System , commonly known as
. This specific format (QCOW2) is designed for use in virtualized environments like , or standard
hypervisors to simulate network topologies for labbing, testing, and certification preparation. Overview of TiMOS-SR-13.0.R4 Operating System : Nokia SR OS (Service Router Operating System).
: Virtualized Simulator (vSim), which provides the functional equivalent of the control and management planes of a physical 7750 SR router. : 13.0.R4 (Release 13, Maintenance Release 4).
(QEMU Copy-On-Write), a space-efficient virtual disk format that only grows as data is added. Virtual Machine Requirements To run this image effectively in a simulator like , the following resources are typically allocated: license not matching TiMOS-B-13.0.R4 - Alcatel Unleashed
Running Timos-sr-13.0.r4-vm.qcow2 requires proper resource allocation. Below are the typical minimum and recommended specs for this specific version.
| Component | Minimum Requirement | Recommended (Lab) | Recommended (Production) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | vCPU cores | 2 | 4 | 8+ | | RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | 32-64 GB | | Disk (qcow2) | 20 GB (thin provisioned) | 40 GB | 100 GB+ (thick) | | NICs | 4 virtual interfaces | 8 virtual interfaces | 16+ (SR-IOV) | | Hypervisor | KVM/QEMU 4.0+ | KVM + libvirt | VMware ESXi (converted) |
Important Constraints:
Data centers migrating to EVPN-VXLAN often use Nokia’s vSR as a gateway or route reflector. This image supports EVPN Type 2 (MAC/IP advertisement) and Type 5 (IP prefixes) with robust multi-homing (ESI).
Before deploying a complex Segment Routing policy, run it here. The vm.qcow2 image behaves exactly like a 7750 SR-12 line card—because the data plane is the same binary, just virtualized.