The file vqfx-20.2R1.10-re-qemu.qcow2 is the Routing Engine (RE) disk image for Juniper Networks' virtual QFX (vQFX) switch, version 20.2R1.10. In a lab environment, the vQFX is split into two separate virtual machines: the RE, which handles the control plane, and a Packet Forwarding Engine (PFE), which handles the data plane. Blog Post: Getting Started with vQFX 20.2R1.10
The inclusion of QEMU in the filename highlights the image’s optimization for the Quick Emulator and Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) hypervisor. This virtualization stack allows the Junos control plane to interact with virtualized hardware—such as vCPUs and virtio-based network interfaces—with high efficiency. In a typical deployment, this RE image works in tandem with a separate PFE (Packet Forwarding Engine) image to simulate a complete hardware switch. The RE manages the "brain" of the device, while the PFE handles the simulated transit traffic. Use Cases in Modern Networking vqfx202r110reqemuqcow2
For version 20.2R1.10, the following resource allocations are standard for lab environments: Juniper QFX10002-72Q-T Switch The file vqfx-20
. In a physical switch, the RE is the "brain" (control plane). In a virtual setup, the vQFX is split into two VMs: the RE (Control Plane) and the PFE (Packet Forwarding Engine/Data Plane). This virtualization stack allows the Junos control plane