Install cloudSwXtch via OCI Marketplace

  • Updated on Oct 21, 2025
  • Published on Sep 13, 2023
  • 4 minute(s) read
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WHAT TO EXPECT

In this article, users will learn how to deploy a cloudSwXtch instance via the Oracle Cloud Marketplace.

Please note: At this time, our only product offering in OCI is a BYOL instance of cloudSwXtch. This requires a user to contact swXtch.io for a license.

Prerequisites

A user should have a Compartment established in their Oracle Cloud console before they start to deploy a cloudSwXtch. For more information about compartments, please see the Managing Compartments page under Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Documentation.

Step One: Navigate to cloudSwXtch in the Oracle Marketplace

  1. Log in to Oracle Cloud.

  2. Navigate to the Oracle Cloud Marketplace using the Navigation menu at the top left corner.

    OCI_Navigation

  3. Select Marketplace and All Applications.

    OCI_BYOL-Marketplace

  4. Search for cloudSwXtch and select the product, cloudSwXtch BYOL.

    OCI_BYOL-MarketplaceSearch

  5. Select the Version and the Compartment. It is best to use the default since it will be the most recent version.

  6. Click Launch Instance.

    OCI_BYOL-MarketplaceProduct

Step Two: Create Compute Instance

  1. Give the Compute Instance a unique name.
  2. Confirm that the Compartment is populated.
  3. Optional: Edit selections for Placement and Security. This is dependent on a user's specific needs. OCI_BYOL-CreateComputeName
  4. Select the Change Shape button for Image and Shape. OCI-mkt- Image and shape - change shape
    1. Choose Intel and VM.Standard3.Flex.
    2. Expand shape options.
    3. Configure the Number of OCPUs and Amount of memory (GB). Please note: It is recommended to have at least eight (8) cores for the cloudSwXtch instance. For more information on recommended sizing, please see cloudSwXtch System Requirements.
    4. Click Select Shape. OCI -mkt- Browse Shapes and select cpu and memory
  5. Select Advanced Options.
  6. Select Next. This will bring the Security settings page. No security settings are required, select Next to get to Networking to enter in data for the Primary VNIC information.
    1. Optional: Add a name to the VNIC. If left blank, Oracle will assign it the name of the instance with a note that it is the Primary VNIC.
    2. Assign a VCN to the Primary VNIC.
    3. Select a subnet. Please note: This ctrl subnet will also be used for the secondary VNIC.
    4. Click on Advanced options. OCI-mkt - Networking
    5. Click on Show advanced options.
    6. Select Hardware-assisted (SR-IOV) networking under Launch options.OCI-mkt - Networking- Advanced Options-Hardware-assisted
  7. Scroll down and add an SSH key. OCI-mkt - Networking- Advanced Options-ssh
  8. For all the other tabs fill out data as appropriate, for example if users need tags or want more storage then add that data.
  9. Hit Create button.

Step Three: Attach a Secondary VNIC

When deploying a cloudSwXtch, users will need two VNICs. Both can share a single subnet for control and data plane communications. In this step, we will walk through how to attach a secondary VNIC and how to manually add its IP to the cloudSwXtch instance.

  1. Make sure that the Instance with cloudSwXtch installed is running. The user cannot attach a secondary VNIC if the machine is off.

  2. Select Create VNIC under Networking.

  3. Click Create VNIC.

    OCI - Create NIC

    1. Pro-Tip: Assign a user-friendly name to the secondary VNIC. Otherwise, Oracle will assign a randomized ID.

    2. Choose the same Virtual cloud network and data Subnet as the Secondary VNIC.

    3. Select Submit Changes.

      OCI - Create NIC2

  4. Click on the freshly created VNIC's name after it finishes attaching.

    OCI - Create NIC3-attached

  5. Select the ellipsis next to the Secondary data VNIC and Record the Private IP  and the MAC address. It will be needed later.

    OCI -Data Private IP

  6. Log in to the Instance with cloudSwXtch installed.

  7. Create the following file in the /etc/netplan folder and name it 02-datanic-static-config.yaml. Please note: Users will need to add the Private IP Address and the correct MAC address of the secondary VNIC into the file below. 

    network:
                version: 2
                ethernets:
                    ens4:
                        match:
                            macaddress: --<ADD macaddress of primary of 2nd VNIC> --
                        dhcp4: false
                        addresses:
                            - <ADD Primary IP ADDRESS OF 2ND VNIC>/<XX>

    Where the <XX> is the net mask (or network mask) of ctrl-plane CIDR (in single-subnet configuration). Example:

network:
                version: 2
                ethernets:
                    ens4:
                        match:
                            macaddress: 02:00:17:31:7E:E8
                        dhcp4: false
                        addresses: 
						- 10.0.138.84/24

  1.  Apply the new config (sudo netplan apply).

  2. To ensure data can flow, edit /etc/iptables/rules.v4 file and add the following before “-A INPUT -j REJECT --reject-with icmp-host-prohibited.

    Note that this is fully open; alternatively, add a line  for every subnet in use, e.g., for the control and data.

-A INPUT -p all -s 0.0.0.0/0 -j ACCEPT

9.  Save the file and reboot the instance.

The secondary VNIC should now be successfully attached.

Upgrading your cloudSwXtch

After deployment, it is recommended to update your cloudSwXtch instance to the latest. Please refer to the Upgrading cloudSwXtch article for more information.

Optional Step for BYOL: Contact swXtch.io for a license

Users deploying a BYOL instance of cloudSwXtch will need to contact swXtch.io for a license file. For more information. See How to License a cloudSwXtch.

NEXT STEPS

The cloudSwXtch is ready to use. The next step is to install the xNIC on each client expected to get traffic from the cloudSwXtch. See Installing xNIC for more information on preparing clients.  Refer to Licensing cloudSwXtch to license your cloudSwXtch.