Download the verified image, test in a vNE40E VM using QEMU (which natively runs qcow2 ), and deploy during your next maintenance window. The string is ugly, but the engineering behind it is beautiful.
: A high-level paper explaining the capabilities of the NetEngine 40E series, including its 2T platform and IP hard pipe technology , which are critical for high-reliability enterprise WANs. Virtualization & "Better" Performance Tips ne40ev800r011c00spc607b607qcow2 better