Service-Side BGP and Route Redistribution Loops
Two edges at one site can loop prefixes between BGP and OMP. Cisco documents SoO plus a shared site-id as the brake. Our edges are different sites and report BGP not active.
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Service VPN with OSPF on the LAN
VPN 10 already advertises each C8000v LAN into OMP as a connected route. OSPF would face a campus IGP; I did not add a process because this lab has no LAN OSPF speaker.
Template Variables and Bulk CSV Attach
Shared SD-WAN templates need variables for system-ip, site-id, and LAN addresses. I mapped our two C8000v edges into a CSV-shaped table and did not attach it.
Configuration Groups and Feature Profiles on 20.18
Configuration groups bundle system, transport, and service profiles. I mapped our running C8000v CLI onto that 20.18 stack and did not deploy a group onto either working edge.
Device and Feature Templates Hands-On
A device template is a table of contents for feature templates. I mapped our C8000v CLI, including VPN 10, onto that catalog and did not attach anything to the live edges.
Feature Templates vs CLI Templates vs Configuration Groups
CLI templates, feature templates, and configuration groups are three ways to store the same SD-WAN config. Our C8000v edges still report vManaged false. I compared the models and left the overlay untouched.
Zero-Touch / PnP Onboarding Explained
PnP Connect is the cloud phone book that gives a factory edge its Validator and organization name. This Catalyst SD-WAN 20.18 lab typed those values instead. I did not use a Smart Account.
vEdge in 2026: Onboarding and Why It's End-of-Life
vEdge Cloud passed its last date of support on 31 May 2026. A C8000v 17.18 still prints a vEdge banner. I did not boot a vEdge; this post steers new work to IOS XE controller mode.
Autonomous vs Controller Mode on IOS XE
One IOS XE image holds Autonomous and Controller modes. I read Controller-Managed on a C8000v 17.18 in a Catalyst SD-WAN 20.18 fabric and left the mode unchanged. Cisco documents that enable wipes startup config.
“tclsh not supported in Controller mode”: installing SD-WAN certificates
C8000v controller mode rejects tclsh. Transfer the public root instead, install it with the SD-WAN root-chain command, and keep device-certificate installation in the Manager so its inventory stays consistent.
Onboard a Catalyst 8000v 17.18 in controller mode
Onboard C8000v 17.18.02 into an SD-WAN 20.18.2.1 fabric using a manual enterprise CA. Tested transport configuration, root installation, activation, certificate staging, and OMP and BFD checks.
Uploading the WAN edge serial list manually: the C8000v caveat
The C8000v CSV upload failed. Local PAYG identity generation and a manual list push worked. This SD-WAN 20.18 casebook explains the bootstrap token, certificate serial, and final-push check.