Switch hardware and virtual machine requirements
Hardware Compatibility Guidelines
| Light usage (minimum supported) | Typical production usage | High/enterprise usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 4 physical cores (2017 or newer) | 6–8 physical cores (2020 or newer) | 8–16+ physical cores (2022 or newer) |
| CPU features | AVX2 and FMA3 required (x86/x64) | AVX2 and FMA3 required (x86/x64) | AVX2 and FMA3 required (x86/x64) |
| RAM | 8 GB minimum | 16 GB recommended | 32 GB+ recommended |
| Storage type |  SSD required | NVMe SSD recommended | High-performance NVMe SSD |
| Free storage | 50 GB minimum | 250 GB+ recommended | 500 GB+ recommended |
| Network | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps minimum | 10 Gbps recommended |
| Virtualization | Supported | Supported | Supported |
Important notes
Storage requirements
- SSD storage should be considered mandatory for all Switch 25.11 (and higher) deployments.
- NVMe SSD storage is recommended for production and high-volume environments.
MongoDB v8 requirements
- Switch 25.11 (and higher) includes MongoDB v8.
- MongoDB v8 requires processors that support both AVX2 and FMA3 instruction sets on Windows. Windows System lacking AVX2 or FMA3 support cannot run Switch 25.11 (and higher).
Apple Silicon support
- Apple Silicon (ARM64) systems are fully supported.
- AVX2 and FMA3 validation is not required on Apple Silicon hardware.
Deployment sizing guidance
- Light Usage environments are intended for development, testing, proof-of-concept deployments, and low-volume workflows
- Typical Production Usage is recommended for most customer environments.
- High / Enterprise Usage is recommended for large-scale deployments with extensive flows and high job loads.
Virtual machine guidance
Switch supports deployment on supported guest operating systems running in virtualized environments.
The following virtualization platforms are supported:
- VMware ESXi
- VMware vSphere
- Microsoft Hyper-V
Other virtualization platforms and cloud-hosted virtual machines may also function successfully. Customers are responsible for validating compatibility, performance, and supportability within their specific environment.
Licensing considerations
Switch licenses are tied to the machine's hardware identifier. In virtualized environments, Significant changes to the virtual machine hardware configuration (such as CPU allocation, virtual hardware, VM generation, or other hardware-related settings) may change the hardware identifier. Depending on the virtualization platform, changes to memory allocation may also affect the hardware identifier.
If the hardware identifier changes:
- Existing Switch licenses may become invalid and require reactivation.
- App Store identifiers (such as
AppStoreSwitchIDandAppStoreInstallationID) may also change, which can prevent the application from connecting to the App Store.
Recommendation
Before making significant virtual machine configuration changes, customers should:
- Deactivate their Switch licenses.
- Apply the required VM configuration changes.
- Reactivate their licenses after the changes are complete.
Virtual machine best practices
| Recommendation | |
|---|---|
| CPU compatibility | AVX2 and FMA3 instruction sets must be exposed to the guest operating system |
| Memory allocation | Fixed memory allocation recommended |
| Dynamic memory (Hyper-V) | Not recommended for production deployments |
| Memory ballooning (VMware) | Not recommended for production deployments |
| Storage | SSD-backed storage required |
| Production storage | NVMe SSD preferred |
| CPU overcommitment | Minimize excessive CPU overcommitment |
| Time synchronization | NTP synchronization recommended |
MongoDB v8 compatibility
macOS (Apple Silicon / ARM64)
MongoDB v8 provides native ARM64 binaries for Apple Silicon systems.
AVX2 and FMA3 requirements do not apply to Apple Silicon hardware.
Windows on ARM64 and legacy x86 hardware
MongoDB v8 is not considered reliable on Windows ARM64 systems or on legacy x86 hardware that does not support AVX2 and FMA3 instruction sets.
Customers should avoid deploying Switch 25.11 (and higher) in these environments until official support is announced by MongoDB.
Windows and macOS on x86 architecture
Before upgrading to Switch 25.11 (and higher), customers must verify that their processor supports both AVX2 and FMA3 instruction sets.
MongoDB v8 will fail to start if either instruction set is unavailable.
Verifying AVX2 and FMA3 support
macOS (Intel/x86)
Open Terminal and run the following commands:
Verify AVX2 Support
sysctl -n hw.optional.avx2_0
A return value of 1 indicates that AVX2 is supported.
Verify FMA Support
sysctl -n hw.optional.fma
A return value of 1 indicates that FMA is supported.
Windows (x86)
Recommended method
1. Press Win + R.
2. Type msinfo32 and press Enter.
3. Locate the processor model under System Summary.
4. Verify AVX2 and FMA3 support using the processor specifications available from Intel ARK or AMD.
Alternative method
Customers may use CPU-Z.
Open CPU-Z and review the Instructions field. If supported, both AVX2 and FMA3 will be listed.