(Using Cisco ACI Release 2.0(x) OS version)
Module 1: Cisco ACI Overview
Lesson 1: What problems are we trying to fix?
- The 3-Tier Application
- Application Flow
- Three Tier Application with Networking
- What are VLAN’s for?
- Applying Logical Model to Physical Model
- Maintenance of Large Infrastructure is Complex
- Problem: Micromanagement of Infrastructure
- Example: Configure Network on a New Server
- Imperative Control Systems
- Goal: Capture & Preserve User Intent
- The ACI Solution
- Unified Ports
- Unified Fabric
- What is ACI?
- Logical Networking Provisioning of Stateless Hardware
- What is the APIC?
- ACI Design & Philosophy
- Solution: Declarative Control
- Summary
Lesson 2: Hardware Overview
- The Cisco Nexus 9000 Solution
- The Cisco Nexus 9300-EX Solution
- The Cisco Cloud Scaled ASIC
- Common Hardware Platform: Two Modes
- Modular Switch Overview
- Modular Switch Chassis
- Modular Switch Components
- Modular Line Cards
- Fixed Switch Platforms (Spine)
- Fixed Switch Platforms (Leaf)
- Fabric Extenders
- 40G QSFP BiDi
- 40G/10G Breakout
- Cisco Nexus 9000 Hardware Differentiators
- Going Beyond SDN
- Describing the Cisco APIC
- Centralized Automation & Fabric Management
- Algorithmically Sharded Cluster
- APIC Controller is Attached In-Band
- Spine & Leaf Topology
- Why Spine/Leaf?
- ISIS Fabric Infrastructure Routing
- Decoupled Identity, Location, & Policy Multi-Hypervisor Normalization
- Summary
Lesson 3: Software Overview
- Networking Concepts
- Tenants
- Contexts
- Bridge Domain
- Application Profiles
- End Point Groups
- EPG’s, Subnets, & Policy
- External Connectivity Options
- L4-L7 Services
- Security Policies
- Contracts
- ACI Contracts
- Subjects
- Filters
- Building Contracts
- Taboos
- The Provider & Consumer Relationship
- Defining Provider & Consumer Relationships
- Supported Deployment Models
- Network Centric (Example VLAN=BD=EPG)
- Application Centric (Example)
- Hybrid (Example)
- Inter-Tenant Communication
- Inter-Tenant Contracts
- Summary
Lesson 4: Fabric Transport
- ACI Fabric Integrated Overlay
- Virtual Extensible LAN
- ACI VXLAN Header
- VNID as a Private Network Identifier
- VNID as a Bridge Domain Identifier
- VNID as an Endpoint Identifier
- Network Services Header Extends the VXLAN Data Plane
- Decoupled Identity, Location, & Policy
- Multi-hypervisor Normalization
- Normalization of Ingress Encapsulation
- Overview of ACI Fabric Unicast Forwarding
- Overview of ACI Fabric Policy Mechanisms
- Summary
Module 2: Cisco ACI - Configuring Basic Constructs
Lesson 1: GUI & CLI Overview
- Graphical User Interface
- Login Screen
- Menu Bar/Submenu Bar
- Navigation/Work Pane
- System
- Tenant
- Fabric
- VM Networking
- L4-L7 Services
- Admin
- Operations
- Search/Info
- Welcome
- Command Line Interface
- Logging into NXOS-CLI
- Modes of Operation
- Configuring Out of Band (OOB) Management-Example
- Summary
Lesson 2: Configuring Tenants & Contracts
- Configuring a Tenant
- Configuring a Tenant
- Configuring a Private Network (VRF)
- Configuring a Bridge Domain
- CLI Option- Tenant, VRF & BD
- Configuring an Application Profile
- Configuring an EPG
- CLI Option- Application Profiles & EPG’s
- Configuring Contracts
- Configuring a Filter
- Configuring a Contract
- Configuring a Contract (Cont...)
- CLI Option- Contracts & Filters
- Providing Contracts
- Consuming Contracts
- CLI Option- Providing a Contract
- CLI Option- Consuming a Contract
- Summary
Module 3: Cisco ACI External Connectivity, Management, & Migration
Lesson 1: Policy Coordination with VM Managers
- VMM Domains
- VMM VLANs (Dynamic)
- Leveraging the Native vSwitch
- Cisco Nexus AVS Integration Overview
- EPG Spanning Across VMM Domains
- Recommended Practices for VLAN Networks
- Concept Map
- Port Groups Extend to Both Physical & Virtual & Across Virtualized Servers
- Summary
Lesson 2: Hypervisors & Bare Metal
- Hypervisor Integration
- Management Networks
- ACI Fabric & VMWare DVC Integration
- Endpoint Identification
- Cisco ACI & Microsoft Integration
- Integration with Microsoft Hyper-V
- Cisco Integration with Redhat Linux
- Bare Metal
- Bare Metal Connectivity
- Port Encapsulation
Lesson 3: Vmm Domains
- Configuring Vmm Domains
- Fabric Access Policies
- Interface Policies –CDP/LLDP Policy
- Interface Policies-Access Port Policy Group
- Interface Policies- Interface Profile / Access Port Selector
- Switch Profile
- Attachable Access Entity Profile (AAEP)
- VLAN Pools
- Creating VMM Domain
- Attaching the EPG to the VMM Domain
- Verifying the DVS Creation
- ESXI Configuration
- Attach the Guest
- CLI Option- VMM Creation-VLANS
- CLI Option- VMM Creation- Interface Profiles & APPG
- CLI Option- VMM Creation – Switch Profile
- CLI Option- VMM Creation - VMM Domain
- CLI Option- VMM Creation- Attaching EPG
- Summary
Lesson 4: Microsegmentation in the New Data Center
- Virtual Distribution Switch
- Integrating Cisco ACI with VMware
- Configuration Integration with VMware
- Endpoint Identification
- Cisco ACI Hypervisor Integration – VMware VDS
- Create a VMM Domain
- Create a vCenter Domain
- Create a VLAN Namespace
- Create a vCenter Controller Association
- ACI VMware Integration – Create a VMM Domain
- Associate EPG to VMM
- Create a VLAN Namespace
- Configuration Integration with Microsoft SCVM
- Integration with Microsoft Hyper-V
- Comparing AVS to Hypervisor-Based Virtual Switches
- Cisco AVS Key Features
Module 4: Cisco ACI - Configuring ACI Connectivity to Outside Networks
Lesson 1: Overview of External Connectivity
- Use Cases
- Options
- What is a Network on APIC?
- Component Relationships
- Policy View
- Important Concepts- Inside Outside
- Internal EPG to External EPG
- External EPG to Internal EPG
- Scaling
- SVI Connection
- ACI Layer 3 Outside Connection IP Multicast Traffic
- Extended Layer 2 Domain Out of ACI
- STP Interaction
- BPDU Flooding
- ACI Layer 2 External Connections STP TCN Snooping
- Local Loop Detection
- Summary
Lesson 2 Layer 3 Outside Connectivity & Configuration
- L3 Outside Connectivity
- Layer 3 Connection Options
- Route Redistribution
- OPSFv3 Peering Considerations
- Route Redistribution with OSFPv2
- ACI as a Layer 3 Stub Network
- EIGRP Peering Considerations
- IBGP Peering Considerations
- EBGP Considerations
- Configuring L3 Outside
- Route-Reflector Configuration
- Route Reflector Configuration-Pod Policy Group
- Route Reflector Configuration –Applying Pod Policy
- Verifying Route Reflector Configuration
- CLI-Option BGP Route-Reflector
- Preparing the Fabric for L3 Out
- Tenant- External Routed Out
- Tenant- External Node
- Tenant- Interface Profile
- Tenant- Example - SVI Interface
- Tenant- External EPG
- Verifying the L3 External Out Configuration- OSPF
- Verifying the L3 External Out Configuration- EIGRP
- Verifying the L3 External Out Configuration- BGP
- Configuring Layer 2 Outside
- L2 Bridged Outside Concept
- Tenant- External Bridged Out
- Tenant-L2 EPG Profile
- Verifying the L2 External Out Configuration
- Summary
Module 5: Cisco ACI - L4-L7 Services
Lesson 1 Service Insertion Concepts
- Device Packages
- Device Cluster
- Programmability
- Programming Options
- Device Packages
- Developing Device Specifications
- Opflex is a Flexible, Extensible Policy Protocol
- Opflex Uses a Declarative Model
- Service Insertion
- Service Insertion
- Redirection to Multiple Services
- Service Graphs
- Where are Service Graphs Helpful
- Service Graph Parameters
- Service Graph Rendering
- Summary
Lesson 2 Configuring L4-L7 Devices
- Configuring the Concrete Device
- Configuring the Functional Profile
- Configuring a Service Graph
- Summary
Module 6: Cisco ACI - Administration & Troubleshooting Tools
Lesson 1 Administration & Troubleshooting Tools
- RBAC
- Security Domains
- Users
- Roles
- Applying Security Domains & Roles
- LDAP/RADIUS/TACACS+
- Firmware
- Prior to Upgrading
- Uploading Code to the APIC
- Firmware Repository
- Upgrading the Controller
- Firmware Groups
- Maintenance Groups
- Upgrading the Nodes
- Backups
- Defining Remote Locations
- Snapshot Feature
- Import
- Configuration Rollbacks
Lesson 2 Troubleshooting, Faults & Monitoring
- Troubleshooting
- Troubleshooting Philosophy
- Troubleshooting Example
- Possible places to begin-Operations Tab
- Possible Fix Points
- Faults
- Fault Overview
- Fault Properties
- Isolating Faults through Health Checks
- Isolating Faults through Health Checks(Cont.)
- Isolating Faults through Health Checks(Cont.)
- Isolating Faults through Health Checks(Cont.)
- Isolating Faults through Health Checks(Cont.)
- Isolating Faults through Health Checks(Cont.)
- Isolating Faults through Health Checks(Cont.)
- Other Troubleshooting Tools
- Monitoring
- Summary
Module 7: Cisco ACI - Demonstrating ACI Network Programmability & Orchestration
Lesson 1 Need for Programming
- The Business Need for Network Programmability
- ACI Programmability
- ACI Open APIs & Ecosystem
- API Protocols
- How is REST Used?
- Summary
Lesson 2 JSON & XML
- What is XML?
- What is JSON?
- Evaluating XML & JSON
- Northbound: REST API, Python, Puppet, Chef, Openstack
- Southbound: Layer 4 to Layer 7 Scripting API
- Cisco DevNet- New Developer Program from Cisco
- Community Code Development
- Summary
Lesson 3 Programmability with REST API
- What is REST?
- REST API’s
- Configuration & the RESTful API
- What is RPC used for?
- The ACI APIC Object-Based Tree
- APIC REST API Operations
- APIC REST API Message Format
- dMIT Queries
- Summary
Lesson 4 Orchestration
- Opflex is a Flexible, Extensible Policy Protocol
- Opening the ACI Policy Engine with OpFlex
- How OpFlex Works-Simplified
- Opflex Protocol
- Opflex Protocol Messages
- Example OpFLex Plus Open vSwitch
- Opflex-Declarative Models
- OpenStack-Enabling the Cloud
- Two Option from OpenStack API’s
- Neutron API
- Group Policy API
- Group Based Policy in OpenStack
- Group Policy Model
- OpenStack ACI Integration
- Group-Based Policy Workflow
- OpenStack APIC Plug-in Details
- OpenStack Group Policy Details
- OpenStack Group Policy Plus OpFlex
- Application Policy in OpenDaylight
- Open Policy Exposed Through OSS Tools
- Summary
Module 8: Cisco ACI - Practical Review
Lesson 1 Attaching Appliances to the Fabric
- How the Network Look Today
- Common Physical Design
- Virtual Design
- Physical Server
- Network Design
- Storage
- Spine & Leaf
- New Hardware Approach
- Attaching the Virtual Appliances
- Physical Server
- L4-L7 Services
- Storage
Lesson 2 Policy & Application Mapping
- Planning the Application EPG Connectivity
- Identify the Endpoints
- Who talks with whom?
- Network Centric Model
- Application Centric Model
- Planning Filters
- Assigning Filters to Contracts
- Assigning Contracts
- Bridged & Routed Outside
- Identify the Connection Type
- Basic Layout- No Security
- Service Insertion
- Service Insertion Considerations
- Service Insertion Internal
- Service Insertion External to Fabric
- Summary
Appendix: Hardware Architecture & Features
- Hardware Architecture
- Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Architecture - Control Plane
- Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Architecture - Control Plane EOBC Channel
- Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Architecture - Control Plane EPC Channel
- Merchant & Custom ASICs
- Cisco Nexus 9508 Fabric Module Architecture
- Cisco Nexus 9508 Fabric Module Data Plane Scaling
- ASIC Architecture of the 9500
- Cisco Nexus 9500 48-Port 1/10G + 4-Port 40G I/O Modules
- Cisco Nexus 9500 48-Port 1/10G I/O Modules Connectivity with 3 Fabric Modules
- 48-Port 1/10G T/F Module Fabric Connectivity with 6 Fabric Modules
- Cisco Nexus 9500 36-Port 40G QSFP+ Unified Fabric I/O Module
- Cisco Nexus 9500 36-Port 40G QSFP+ I/O Module Fabric Connectivity
- Line Cards – 36 Port 40G ACI Ready card Architecture
- Line Cards – 36 Port 40G ACI Spine card Architecture
- Packet Forwarding of Nexus 9000
- Packet Forwarding Pipeline on Cisco Nexus 9500
- Cisco Nexus 9500 Table Scaling - Unicast Scale
- Local Switching with Additional Buffer on 48p 1G/10GE + 4p QSFP Module
- Layer 2 Unicast Packet Walk across Line-Cards
- Layer 3 Unicast Packet Walk across Line-Cards
- Cisco Nexus 9500 Multicast Packet Forwarding
- Hardware Architecture of 9300
- Cisco Nexus 9300 System Architecture
- Cisco Nexus 9300 Unicast Forwarding
- Fabric Features
- ACI Management Networks
- Layer 2 & Layer 3 Handling
- Hardware-Based Directed ARP Forwarding
- Gratuitous ARP & Device Mobility
- ACI Fabric Scale
- Scale of BIDIR & Security of SSM
- Load Balancing with FTags
- Group IP Outer
- Multicast Policies
- vPC Multicast
- Distributed Layer 3 Gateway
- ACI Fabric Gateway
- Application Response Time
- Flowlet Switching
- Congestion Monitoring
- Dynamic Flow Prioritization
- Normalization of Ingress Encapsulation
- Fabric Registration
- Fabric Initialization & Discovery
- ACI Management Network
- Fabric Initialization & Discovery
- Fabric Initialization & Discovery-Cont...
