Cisco Aci Anywhere Whitepaper

What Two Features Does Cisco Aci Provide?

Cisco ACI provides two key features:

1. A centralized policy model that enables administrators to define and enforce network policies across the entire infrastructure from a single console.

2. An application-aware network that automatically optimizes network resources to support the performance of mission-critical applications.

What Is Bd In Aci?

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is a policy-based data center architecture that enables network administrators to centrally manage application traffic flows. The ACI approach uses a centralized controller to manage network policies, which are then enforced by the network devices. This architecture provides a number of benefits, including improved scalability, reduced complexity, and increased flexibility.

The ACI approach is based on the concept of a “bridge domain” (BD). A BD is a logical construct that defines a layer 2 domain. BDs are used to segment traffic and provide isolation between different groups of users or applications. ACI uses BDs to logically separate the network into multiple segments, each of which can be managed independently.

ACI supports two types of BDs:

External BDs: External BDs are used to connect the ACI fabric to external networks, such as the Internet or other data center fabrics. External BDs provide a way to extend the ACI policy model to these external networks.

Internal BDs: Internal BDs are used to segment traffic within the ACI fabric. Internal BDs provide isolation between different groups of users or applications.

BDs are created and managed using the ACI policy model. The policy model defines the relationships between BDs, Application Profiles, and EPGs. The policy model is used to determine which traffic is allowed to flow between BDs.

The following diagram shows a simple BD configuration with two external BDs and two internal BDs.

In this example, the ACI fabric is connected to two external networks: the Internet and a data center fabric. The ACI fabric is also segmented into two internal BDs: a development BD and a production BD.

The development BD is used for testing and development purposes. The production BD is used for production traffic.

Traffic between the development BD and the production BD is isolated. Traffic between the development BD and the Internet is allowed. Traffic between the production BD and the Internet is allowed.

ACI provides a number of features that can be used to further segment and isolate traffic within a BD. These features include:

Application Profiles: Application Profiles allow traffic to be isolated at the application layer. Application Profiles can be used to segment traffic between different types of applications, such as web servers, database servers, and email servers.

EPGs: EPGs allow traffic to be isolated at the L4-7 layer. EPGs can be used to segment traffic between different types of devices, such as web servers, database servers, and email servers.

Contracts: Contracts allow traffic to be isolated at the L3 layer. Contracts can be used to segment traffic between different types of networks, such as the Internet, a data center fabric, and a private network.

The ACI policy model provides a flexible way to segment and isolate traffic within a BD. The policy model can be used to create BDs that are as simple or as complex as needed.

What Is Cisco Aci Anywhere?

Cisco ACI Anywhere is an extension of the Cisco ACI architecture that allows you to flexibly deploy your data center infrastructure across multiple sites. It provides a consistent policy-based networking model that helps you simplify and automate your multi-site data center operations.

Cisco ACI Anywhere provides a single point of control and visibility for your entire data center infrastructure, regardless of where it is deployed. It helps you reduce operational costs and increase operational efficiency by automating many of the manual tasks associated with managing a multi-site data center.

Cisco ACI Anywhere is based on the Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) architecture. ACI is a data center networking architecture that enables you to build a highly scalable, programmable, and secure data center network. ACI Anywhere extends the ACI architecture to allow you to flexibly deploy your data center infrastructure across multiple sites.

The Cisco ACI Anywhere solution consists of two main components: the Cisco ACI Multi-Site Orchestrator and the Cisco ACI Inter-Site Transport Node.

The Cisco ACI Multi-Site Orchestrator is a centralized management system that provides a single point of control and visibility for your entire Cisco ACI Anywhere deployment. The Orchestrator helps you simplify and automate the deployment and management of your multi-site data center infrastructure.

The Cisco ACI Inter-Site Transport Node is a high-performance appliance that provides a high-speed, low-latency link between multiple Cisco ACI sites. The Transport Node helps you ensure that your data center applications have the bandwidth and low latency they need to perform at their best.

Cisco ACI Anywhere is a flexible, scalable solution that can be tailored to meet the needs of your specific data center environment. Contact your Cisco representative to learn more about Cisco ACI Anywhere and how it can help you simplify and automate your multi-site data center operations.

Does Aws Use Cisco Aci?

AWS uses Cisco ACI for its networking needs because it is a scalable, reliable, and high-performance solution. Cisco ACI provides AWS with the ability to create virtual networks that are isolated from one another, yet still provide high-bandwidth connectivity and low latency. This allows AWS to offer a variety of networking options to its customers, including the ability to connect to on-premises networks.

What Is Cisco Aci Used For?

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI) is a policy-based data center architecture that enables network operators to segment traffic between workloads and simplify network configuration and management. Cisco ACI uses the industry-standard Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) to route traffic between devices, and it can be used with a variety of switching technologies, including Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and InfiniBand.

Cisco ACI provides a number of benefits for data center operators, including reduced complexity, improved performance, and increased security. Cisco ACI also offers increased flexibility and scalability, as well as the ability to support a variety of workloads and applications.

Cisco ACI is a good choice for data center operators who are looking for a policy-based data center architecture that can simplify network configuration and management. Cisco ACI can be used with a variety of switching technologies, and it offers increased flexibility and scalability.

What Is Route Leaking In Aci?

In computer networking, route leaking is a technique used to allow routes learned by one routing protocol to be used by another protocol. For example, routes learned by OSPF may be “leaked” into BGP.

Route leaking can be used to increase the flexibility of route selection, to simplify the configuration of routing protocols, or to work around problems with routing protocol implementations.

One use of route leaking is to increase the flexibility of route selection. By leaking routes from one protocol into another, the administrator can select the best route for a given destination using any criteria that the protocols support.

Another use of route leaking is to simplify the configuration of routing protocols. In some cases, it may be easier to configure a single protocol than to configure multiple protocols. Route leaking can be used to allow the use of a single protocol while still taking advantage of the features of multiple protocols.

Finally, route leaking can be used to work around problems with routing protocol implementations. In some cases, a particular implementation of a protocol may have bugs or other problems that make it difficult or impossible to use the protocol directly. Route leaking can be used to allow the use of a different protocol that does not have the same problems.

Cisco Aci Anywhere Whitepaper

Cisco introduced the Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) in 2014 as a way to simplify data center networking. The ACI approach uses a single policy model to manage network resources and applications, which reduces complexity and improves agility. Cisco ACI Anywhere extends the benefits of the ACI fabric to multiple sites, whether they are on-premises, in the cloud, or at the edge.

In a traditional data center network, each application has its own set of networking requirements, which the IT staff must configure and manage separately. This manual process is time-consuming and error-prone, and it doesn’t scale well. ACI automates and simplifies network configuration and management, so IT staff can spend less time on routine tasks and more time on strategic projects.

The ACI fabric is a network of Cisco switches that are purpose-built for data center applications. The switches are integrated with the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC), which is the centralized management and policy engine for the ACI fabric. The APIC provides a single point of control for the fabric, and it uses an application-centric policy model to manage network resources.

The ACI policy model is based on logical constructs, such as tenants, application profiles, and endpoints. Tenants are used to logically isolate applications from each other. Application profiles group together the networking and security requirements for an application. Endpoints are the devices that attach to the network, such as servers, storage arrays, and printers.

The ACI fabric provides a scalable, low-latency, and lossless network that is optimized for data center applications. The fabric uses Cisco’s TRILL (Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links) and FabricPath technologies to provide multipath connectivity with layer 2 and layer 3 capabilities. TRILL and FabricPath work together to create a logical loop-free network that is easy to troubleshoot and manage.

Cisco ACI Anywhere extends the benefits of the ACI fabric to multiple sites. ACI Anywhere is a hybrid solution that combines on-premises and cloud-based resources. The on-premises portion of ACI Anywhere is the ACI fabric, and the cloud-based portion is the Cisco Application Services Gateway (ASG).

The Cisco ASG is a cloud-based platform that provides application-aware networking services, such as load balancing, firewall, and VPN. The ASG is integrated with the ACI fabric, so it can provide these services to applications that are running on-premises or in the cloud.

ACI Anywhere provides a consistent policy model and management experience across on-premises and cloud-based resources. It also enables IT staff to take advantage of the flexibility and scalability of the cloud without sacrificing the security and performance of the on-premises data center.

Cisco ACI Anywhere is the next step in the evolution of the ACI fabric. It provides the benefits of ACI to multiple sites, whether they are on-premises, in the cloud, or at the edge.

What Is A Bridge Domain In Aci?

A bridge domain is a logical layer 2 segment that is associated with a particular VLAN. In ACI, each bridge domain corresponds to a unique VLAN on the external physical network. Bridge domains can be either static or dynamic. Static bridge domains are created and maintained manually by the network administrator. Dynamic bridge domains are created and maintained automatically by the ACI fabric.

A static bridge domain is a layer 2 segment that is manually created and maintained by the network administrator. Static bridge domains are typically used for legacy applications that cannot be modified to use dynamic bridge domains.

A dynamic bridge domain is a layer 2 segment that is automatically created and maintained by the ACI fabric. Dynamic bridge domains are used for all new applications that are deployed in the ACI fabric.

The main difference between static and dynamic bridge domains is the way in which they are created and maintained. Static bridge domains are created and maintained manually by the network administrator. Dynamic bridge domains are created and maintained automatically by the ACI fabric.

What Is Consumer And Provider In Aci?

In computer networking, Consumer and Provider is a relationship between two networked devices in which one device provides a service to another device, and the other device consumes that service. The device providing the service is called the provider, and the device consuming the service is called the consumer.

In the context of Cisco ACI, the provider is typically a leaf switch, and the consumer is typically a spine switch. The provider exposes one or more services to the consumer, and the consumer uses those services to forward traffic.

There are two types of Consumer and Provider relationships in Cisco ACI:

Static Consumer and Provider: In a static Consumer and Provider relationship, the provider and consumer are manually configured by the network administrator.

Dynamic Consumer and Provider: In a dynamic Consumer and Provider relationship, the provider and consumer are automatically configured by the Cisco ACI fabric.

In a static Consumer and Provider relationship, the provider and consumer are manually configured by the network administrator. To configure a static Consumer and Provider relationship, the administrator must first create a service profile on the provider. The service profile defines the services that the provider will expose to the consumer.

Next, the administrator must create a consumer profile on the consumer. The consumer profile defines the services that the consumer will use from the provider.

Finally, the administrator must bind the provider and consumer profiles together. This creates the static Consumer and Provider relationship.

In a dynamic Consumer and Provider relationship, the provider and consumer are automatically configured by the Cisco ACI fabric. The Cisco ACI fabric automatically detects which devices are providing which services, and which devices are consuming which services. The Cisco ACI fabric then creates the appropriate Consumer and Provider relationships.

Dynamic Consumer and Provider relationships are typically used in data center environments where the network is constantly changing. Static Consumer and Provider relationships are typically used in small, static networks.

What Is Epg In Aci?

The Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is a data center architecture that allows for a centralized application policy model. The Cisco ACI fabric is the underlying physical infrastructure that the ACI architecture is built on. The Cisco ACI fabric consists of a set of leaf and spine switches that are connected together using standard Ethernet protocols. The leaf and spine switches in the Cisco ACI fabric are connected using a special type of link called an External Physical Link (EPL).

The Cisco ACI fabric is a logical switch that is created by the leaf and spine switches. The Cisco ACI fabric has two types of ports:

1. Application ports: These are the ports that are used to connect the ACI fabric to the application servers. The application ports are located on the leaf switches.

2. Infrastructure ports: These are the ports that are used to connect the ACI fabric to the network infrastructure. The infrastructure ports are located on the spine switches.

The Cisco ACI fabric is divided into two logical segments:

1. The Application Domain: This is the part of the ACI fabric that is dedicated to the applications. The application domain consists of the application ports and the leaf switches.

2. The Infrastructure Domain: This is the part of the ACI fabric that is dedicated to the network infrastructure. The infrastructure domain consists of the infrastructure ports and the spine switches.

What Are The Three Main Components Of Cisco Aci?

Cisco ACI is a software-defined networking (SDN) solution that enables enterprises to build and operate their networks in a more agile way. The three main components of Cisco ACI are the Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) Controller, the ACI Fabric, and the ACI Policies.

The ACI Controller is the brain of the Cisco ACI solution. It is a centralized, programmable, and policy-driven controller that manages the network resources and services in a dynamic and automated way. The ACI Controller is responsible for all the decisions in the network, such as which paths to take, which devices to use, and how to route traffic.

The ACI Fabric is the physical infrastructure that connects all the devices in the network. The ACI Fabric consists of a number of leaf and spine switches that are connected together in a non-blocking, low-latency mesh topology. The ACI Fabric is designed to be scalable, highly available, and easy to deploy.

The ACI Policies are the set of rules that defines how the network should behave. The ACI Policies are written in an easy-to-understand language and can be used to automate many of the common tasks that are required to operate a network. The ACI Policies are stored in the ACI Controller and are used to configure the network devices and services.

What Is Vrf In Cisco Aci?

In computer networking, a virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instance is a technology used to isolate traffic on one router from traffic on another router. VRF allows multiple instances of a virtual router to exist on a single physical router. Each VRF acts like a virtual router, with its own forwarding table, routing table, and other data structures.

A VRF instance is often used to separate the traffic of different customers or different departments in an organization. For example, a service provider might use VRF to separate the traffic of different customers on the same router. An organization might use VRF to separate the traffic of different departments on the same router.

VRF is a key component of Cisco’s Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI). ACI is a software-defined networking (SDN) solution that enables the creation of virtual networks on top of a physical network infrastructure. ACI uses VRF to create virtual network segments, called Tenants. Tenants can be isolated from each other, so that the traffic of one Tenant cannot be seen or accessed by the other Tenants.

VRF is also used in other Cisco SDN solutions, such as Cisco’s Intelligent WAN (IWAN) and Enterprise Cloud Networking (ECN).

What Is Vrf In Cisco Aci?

In computer networking, a virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instance is a technology used to isolate traffic on one router from traffic on another router. VRF allows multiple instances of a virtual router to exist on a single physical router. Each VRF acts like a virtual router, with its own forwarding table, routing table, and other data structures.

A VRF instance is often used to separate the traffic of different customers or different departments in an organization. For example, a service provider might use VRF to separate the traffic of different customers on the same router. An organization might use VRF to separate the traffic of different departments on the same router.

VRF is a key component of Cisco’s Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI). ACI is a software-defined networking (SDN) solution that enables the creation of virtual networks on top of a physical network infrastructure. ACI uses VRF to create virtual network segments, called Tenants. Tenants can be isolated from each other, so that the traffic of one Tenant cannot be seen or accessed by the other Tenants.

VRF is also used in other Cisco SDN solutions, such as Cisco’s Intelligent WAN (IWAN) and Enterprise Cloud Networking (ECN).

What Is Anp In Cisco Aci?

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI) is a complete solution that enables you to build a scalable, secure, and highly available data center. Cisco ACI is a centralized, policy-based solution that automates the provisioning and configuration of networking and security services. It provides a single point of control for all your networking and security needs, making it easy to deploy and manage your data center.

Cisco ACI uses a unique application-centric approach to networking that enables you to segment your data center network into multiple virtual networks, each of which can be tailored to the specific needs of your applications. This approach simplifies the provisioning and management of your data center network, and reduces the risk of human error.

Cisco ACI also includes a rich set of features that provide visibility into the network and allow you to troubleshoot problems quickly and easily. Cisco ACI is a comprehensive solution that provides all the tools you need to build a scalable, secure, and highly available data center.

What Is Epg And Bd In Aci?

The Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is a policy-based automation framework that centrally orchestrates and automates application deployment across a multi-tenant, multi-cloud environment.

The Cisco ACI offers two models for network connectivity and application deployment: the external network gateway (EPG) model and the bridge domain (BD) model.

The EPG model is based on the concept of an external network gateway, which is a logical representation of an external Layer 3 network. External network gateways provide connectivity between the ACI fabric and external Layer 3 networks.

The BD model is based on the concept of a bridge domain, which is a logical representation of a Layer 2 network. Bridge domains provide connectivity between the ACI fabric and external Layer 2 networks.

The Cisco ACI EPG model provides the following benefits:

• Improved security: External network gateways allow you to segment traffic between the ACI fabric and external Layer 3 networks. This traffic segmentation improves security by isolating traffic between different networks.
• Increased flexibility: External network gateways allow you to connect the ACI fabric to multiple external Layer 3 networks. This increased flexibility allows you to deploy applications in a multi-tenant, multi-cloud environment.
• Improved performance: External network gateways allow you to connect the ACI fabric to external Layer 3 networks that are optimized for specific application traffic types. This improved performance provides a better user experience for applications deployed in the ACI fabric.

The Cisco ACI BD model provides the following benefits:

• Improved security: Bridge domains allow you to segment traffic between the ACI fabric and external Layer 2 networks. This traffic segmentation improves security by isolating traffic between different networks.
• Increased flexibility: Bridge domains allow you to connect the ACI fabric to multiple external Layer 2 networks. This increased flexibility allows you to deploy applications in a multi-tenant, multi-cloud environment.
• Improved performance: Bridge domains allow you to connect the ACI fabric to external Layer 2 networks that are optimized for specific application traffic types. This improved performance provides a better user experience for applications deployed in the ACI fabric.

Why Do I Need Aci?

In a world of digital transformation, application delivery has become more complex than ever before. As businesses strive to achieve faster time to market and greater agility, they are turning to Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) to help them meet these challenges.

Cisco ACI is a software-defined networking (SDN) solution that enables businesses to automate and simplify the delivery of applications. By abstracting the underlying infrastructure, ACI provides a single point of control for managing application workloads. This means that businesses can quickly and easily deploy new applications, while ensuring that existing applications continue to work as expected.

In addition, Cisco ACI provides built-in security and policy enforcement, which helps to protect applications from malicious attacks. By consolidating multiple security features into a single platform, ACI simplifies security management and reduces the risk of human error.

Overall, Cisco ACI provides a number of benefits that can help businesses to accelerate application delivery, while reducing costs and risks. If you are looking for a way to simplify your application delivery process, Cisco ACI is definitely worth considering.

What Is The Infra Tenant For In Aci?

The infra tenant is a logical construct within the Cisco ACI fabric that represents all of the hardware and software resources that are required to support the infrastructure services within the ACI fabric. The infra tenant includes the following components:

-Cisco ACI Fabric -Cisco APIC -Cisco ACI Multi-Site Orchestrator

The infra tenant is responsible for providing all of the infrastructure services that are required by the other tenants within the ACI fabric. These services include:

-Layer 2 and Layer 3 connectivity -IP address management -DHCP and DNS services -Security services -Load balancing -QoS

The infra tenant is also responsible for managing the physical resources of the ACI fabric, such as the switches, routers, and other devices that are part of the ACI fabric.