Automation Nodes in EVE-NG

[yonokamayashika]

I am building a new lab for my CCNP studies. I want to use Ansible to manage 10 Cisco routers. To do this, I am using a Docker node inside EVE-NG as my control station.

I have a technical question about resources. My server is getting very slow when I start the automation. I want to know:

• Image Choice: Do you prefer using a light Ubuntu Docker image for Python scripts, or is it better to use a full Linux VM node? Which one is more "stable" for long labs?

• CPU/RAM: What is the smallest amount of RAM I can give to an Ansible node without the scripts failing? I want to save space so I can add more routers later.

• KVM Settings: In 2026, are you still using "uksm" to save memory, or is there a better setting in the new EVE-NG version for handling many small Docker nodes?

I want my lab to be fast and professional. If you have a "pro-tip" for building automation labs, I would love to hear it!

[rusty725]

What's your cpu model and how many ram do you have ?

[yonokamayashika]

What's your cpu model and how many ram do you have ?

Thanks for your reply!

Here are my server specs:

• CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2678 v3 (12 cores / 24 threads)

• RAM: 32GB

• Storage: NVMe SSD

Lab setup:

• 10 Cisco IOSv routers running inside EVE-NG

• 1 Docker node (Ubuntu) acting as the Ansible control node

• Ansible running with default forks (5)

Problem:
When I execute my playbooks, CPU usage spikes close to 100% and the lab becomes slow. Router consoles lag and sometimes tasks take much longer than expected.

Goal:
I would like to optimize resource usage so I can scale to ~15–20 routers while keeping the lab responsive.

Questions:

• Do you think the bottleneck here is CPU rather than RAM?

• Would reducing Ansible forks help stabilize performance?

• Are Docker nodes still the best choice for an Ansible control node or would a small Linux VM be more stable for longer sessions?

Also, if you have any tuning tips for EVE-NG (CPU pinning, UKSM alternatives, etc.), I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

[Uldis (UD)]

First advice is to move away from vIOS, but use IOL roters which are far better and powerful.
Also in performance IOL wins vIOS about x200 times.