It is a running Cisco IOS XE, packaged as an Amazon Machine Image (AMI). It runs on an EC2 instance (typically c5n.xlarge or similar) and provides enterprise-grade routing, VPN, and firewall features inside the AWS cloud.
CSR does not natively integrate with AWS Transit Gateway (TGW). You must run BGP between CSR and TGW (possible but complex). cisco 1000v aws
A critical feature of the Nexus 1000V was its implementation of Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) technology. In a standard AWS environment, network segmentation is limited by the constraints of VLANs and the complexity of managing IP addresses across multiple accounts. VXLAN allowed the Nexus 1000V to create overlay networks that could span across different subnets and availability zones, providing isolation for multi-tenant environments or complex application tiers. It is a running Cisco IOS XE, packaged
If you need advanced Cisco features, stay with CSR. If you just need hybrid connectivity, use AWS VPN + TGW. If you need multi-cloud advanced routing, look at Aviatrix or Versa. You must run BGP between CSR and TGW (possible but complex)
Many people search for "Cisco 1000v AWS" expecting a virtual switch (like the Nexus 1000V for VMware). The Nexus 1000V is effectively dead on AWS. The correct, active product is the Cisco CSR 1000V — a full-featured virtual router.
The is a powerful, mature virtual router for enterprises that must extend their Cisco-centric network policies into AWS without re-architecting. It is not a general-purpose solution.