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Learning the Cisco Application-Centric Infrastructure (ACI)

4.5 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Empty star
Based on 203 ratings
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Packt Publishing

Automation, objects, and policies are replacing traditional networks as we know them. North-to-South or East-to-West traffic flows—do you know the difference between the two? Don't worry if you don't: this course will remedy that. Traditional campus networks are static, and won't change much because they can't scale up. Data centers are not meant to be static.

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Automation, objects, and policies are replacing traditional networks as we know them. North-to-South or East-to-West traffic flows—do you know the difference between the two? Don't worry if you don't: this course will remedy that. Traditional campus networks are static, and won't change much because they can't scale up. Data centers are not meant to be static.

Today's Data Center architecture requirements are: scalability, geo-redundancy, security, multi-tenancy, and speed. Data center traffic flow should be highly available and predictable. As the demand for talented ACI engineers and architects is rapidly increasing, knowing the foundational aspects of SDN-based architectures and being able to implement and support them are crucial for your career development.

This fast-paced course uses a whiteboard-based approach with hand written explanations. We start with an introduction to fabric data center designs, Spine and Leaf architectures, and ACI. We then start to implement them and deploy a fabric from the ground up. Then we build a multi-tenant environment.

After completing this video training course, you will have gained a solid understanding of how to administer an Application Centric Infrastructure.

About the Author

Rene Cardona is a Network Solutions Architect with over 8 years' experience in core data center and security infrastructure designs, architecture, consulting, and implementations. He has performed many security and data center architecture refreshes for major US corporations in the logistics, retail, healthcare, and education fields, and provided expert insights during datacenter migrations (Campus to Areas he is more than proficient in range from hyper-converged data center environments

He has also performed numerous Rene is a CCIEx2 #62050 holding two CCIE's in Data Center and Service Provider track.

Rene is driven by experience. He likes to talk in layman's terms and will make sure you understand the necessary concepts. He does not teach in a bookish way; his training methodology is very straightforward. He authored the following Packt video course: Mastering Palo Alto Networks.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Master end-to-end aci fabric deployment
  • Perform initial apic turn-up and configurations, commission leaves, and spines
  • All aspects of aci policy objects, interfaces, switch profiles, groups, and policies
  • Get to grips with aci tenants, application profiles, endpoint groups (epgs), contracts, and policies
  • Learn how objects and policies relate to each other—multi-tenancy in aci
  • How to extend the aci fabric beyond the datacenter
  • Configure external l2outs and l3outs
  • Vmm integration with vcenter and ucs l4-l7 service insertion (firewalls, load balancers managed by aci)
  • How to migrate your traditional campus network into aci in simple yet effective steps and acquire the right skill set to perform the job right the first time

Syllabus

Introduction to Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI)

This video will give you an overview about the course.

See the advantages of a Spine and Leaf architecture over the three-tier architecture. Also, learn the ACI physical network topology and traffic flow.

  • Understand the difference between the three-tier and the Spine and Leaf one

  • Know the scalability benefits in a Spine and Leaf architecture

  • Review the increase in performance and redundancy with the Spine and Leaf one

Read more

Review the physical and logical components on an ACI Fabric to understand and familiarize with its functions.

  • Discuss the APIC role and its physical aspect

  • Discuss the LEAF role and its physical aspect

  • Discuss the SPINE role and its physical aspect

Review the ACI policy structure with segmentation and compare it to a traditional three-tier architecture with firewall policing.

  • Review a high-level description of EPGs and contracts

  • Discuss how ACI provides micro segmentation

  • Perform a 1-1 comparison between a Core/Firewall environment versus ACI

Understand the steps required when initially deploying an ACI Fabric.

  • Wire all devices in the ACI Fabric, APIC, Spine and Leaf

  • Confirm that the APIC is physically redundant to both leafs

  • Confirm that all leafs are dual-homed to the spines

We need to fully initialize the APIC before enabling the Fabric.

  • Discuss all APIC initial required configurations

  • Boot up the ACI APIC and connect to its console session

  • Configure all required settings based on your environment along with mgmt. interface addresses

After the APIC has booted and we get access to its Web UI, we should discover and commission all Fabric devices.

  • Log to the APIC Web UI, under inventory, Fabric membership, and begin commission

  • Commission the Leafs and add respective naming information

  • Commission the Spines and add respective naming information

Before we begin our Fabric configurations, we need to become familiar with its web UI.

  • Review the APIC Web UI health scores

  • Review the APIC Web UI tabs

  • Review all Web UI tab subsections

Build an ACI contract along with its required options, the subjects and filters.

  • Create a contract

  • Create a contract subject

  • Create a subject filter

Understand how we enable the physical connectivity in an ACI Fabric.

  • Create the interface policies

  • Create the interface policy group and add the policies

  • Create the interface profile and add the interface policy group

We need to assign the interface profile to the switch profile to activate interfaces in the profile.

  • Create the vPC domain between a pair of leafs

  • Create the switch profile for standalone leafs and vPC domain leafs

  • Attach the interface profile to the switch profile to enable the interfaces

Understand the different connectivity options between your end device and the Fabric.

  • Configure the physical domains

  • Discuss external L2 and L3 Domains (L2OUT and L3OUT)

  • Discuss VMM domain integration with VMware vCenter

In this video, we will configure the domains.

  • Configure the physical domains

  • Look at apt configuration examples for fabric domains

Understand the importance of AEPs in ACI.

  • Configure the Attachable Access Entity Profile

  • Attach to the Physical Domain

  • Attach to the Interface Policy Group

Perform a vCenter integration to ACI (VMM).

  • Create a dynamic VLAN pool

  • Create an interface profile for each ESXi host

  • Configure VMM domain and sync to your vCenter environment

Review the ACI tenant section and discuss the benefits of multi-tenancy.

  • Get familiar with the tenant section in the ACI APIC

  • Create a tenant

  • Configure relevant dependencies

Discuss the application profiles and its main sub-objects, the endpoint groups.

  • Create an application profile under the existing tenant

  • Create two endpoint groups part of the application profile

  • Discuss the application profile relation to the end point groups

Build and discuss the relation between VMM, physical, and external domains to tenants in ACI.

  • Attach a VMM domain to a tenant EPG

  • Attach a physical domain to a tenant EPG

  • Discuss the advantages or purposes between different domains type

Discuss the networking options ACI has available on its SDN platform.

  • Discuss VRFs

  • Discuss bridge domains

  • Discuss external routed network (L3OUT)

Discuss the VRF and a bridge domain function in ACI.

  • Explain how end-point groups interact with bridge domains

  • Explain how bridge domains interact with VRFs and explain the VRF purpose

  • Perform configurations for both bridge domains and VRFs

Review the pre-requisites and configurations to allow communication inside a tenant and between tenants.

  • Configure a contract relationship between end-point groups on the same tenant

  • Configure a contract on a provider tenant and export to the consumer tenant

  • Attach the exported contract as a contract interface to allow communication between different tenants

Allow communication from an external network to ACI, using BGP as the route protocol to build adjacency. Configure the L3OUT.

  • Create an external routed domain and external routed network (L3OUT)

  • Configure the ACI Fabric route-reflector policy

  • Configure the L3OUT to perform a vPC peering to an external BGP neighbor

Allow communication from an external network to ACI using OSPF as the route protocol to build adjacency. Configure the L3OUT.

  • Create an external routed domain and external routed network (L3OUT)

  • Configure the OSPF interface profile in the L3OUT

  • Establish adjacency to a remote site using OSPF as the route protocol

Establish communication from an L3OUT to a different tenant.

  • Configure the contract interface and apply to the L3OUT

  • Configure the route import and export to advertise the required networks

  • Validate the connectivity between the L3OUT and the ACI tenant

Do a refresh video to review the tenant to L3OUT connectivity requirements.

  • Review the process to attach the contract interface

  • Review the process to advertise the adjacent networks between the L3OUT and ACI

  • Validate connectivity between the L3OUT and the ACI tenant

Leverage the ACI Fabric and allow it to serve as a transit path between two external L3OUTs.

  • Create a contract to allow L3OUT to L3OUT connectivity

  • Route import and export the required subnets on both L3OUTs

  • Attach the contract between L3OUTs and validate connectivity

Explain how to integrate an external L2 connection into the ACI Fabric.

  • Configure the required Fabric access policies

  • Configure the external bridge domain

  • Attach the required contract between the L2OUT and the EPG

Explain how to leverage the ACI Fabric as a transparent Layer 2 path between two end devices.

  • Configure the required Fabric access policies

  • Designate an endpoint group for this function

  • Attach both source and destination interfaces in the VLAN stitching approach

Discuss and configure DHCP relay requests and offers between multiple tenants.

  • Configure a central DHCP server VRF and EPG in the common tenant

  • Configure the DHCP relay policy in the DHCP client EPG bridge domain

  • Attach the DHCP Server VRF on the DHCP Client bridge domain

Leverage the ACI Fabric to orchestrate L4-L7 device deployments across the environment.

  • Discuss the functionality of a service graph template

  • Discuss the functionality of a service graph after being applied

  • Discuss the tenant and EPG relationship to the service graph

By applying the service graph template, deploy and centrally manage a routed firewall between two EPGs.

  • Add the required L4-L7 device package

  • Add the device and create a service graph template

  • Apply the service graph template on the device and designate consumer and provider

Discuss the REST API feature in ACI by leveraging the ACI Toolkit.

  • Discuss Rest-API

  • Prepare an automation Linux VM for ACI Toolkit

  • Install the ACI Toolkit on the provisioned VM

Using the ACI Toolkit, explore some sample Python scripts to demonstrate the automation possibilities.

  • Review the ACI Toolkit sections

  • Review the ACI Toolkit sample Python scripts

  • Test some available ACI Toolkit Python scripts with Rest API

Unveil the power of automation by configuring many objects in ACI from a single execution.

  • Create an inventory text file to be used with the "for loop" in Python

  • Build a "for loop" with respective variables in Python

  • Append the "for loop" and call the inventory file in an existing Python script

Walk through the three main command line interfaces in the ACI APIC.

  • Review the APIC CLI

  • Review the APIC iShell interface

  • Review the Fabric Leaf and Spines NX-OS mode CLI interface

The APIC provides a percentage-based value that defines the physical and configuration health of an ACI Fabric.

  • Review the faults and impact to the score

  • Review any configuration issues and the score impact

  • Remediate either issue to confirm score improvement

Leverage the visibility and troubleshooting APIC tool that provides insight to a connectivity issue.

  • Identify source and destination endpoint with connectivity issues

  • Under visibility and troubleshooting, trigger a session to diagnose endpoints

  • Confirm any potential issue root cause and remediate based on the output obtained from the session

Discuss how to group devices onto maintenance groups and perform controlled upgrades. Limit user access rights on the APIC.

  • Configure a maintenance group and add odd numbered devices. Configure another one for even numbered devices

  • Configure an upgrade task and attach either maintenance group to be applied to

  • Configure a local user account with read only privileges on the APIC

Perform Fabric configuration backups and restore them in case needed.

  • Perform a tenant configuration snapshot

  • Perform a global Fabric configuration snapshot

  • Revert to the snapshot previously created and confirm object recovery

Understand the purpose of both the out-of-band and in-band management access interfaces.

  • Review the out-of-band management access function

  • Review the in-band management access function

  • Identify relevant interfaces for OOB and INB management on the APIC

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Covers spine and leaf architectures, which are essential for modern, scalable data center designs, enabling learners to build and manage high-performance networks
Explores ACI policy structures and micro-segmentation, offering a modern approach to network security compared to traditional firewall-based environments
Includes VMM integration with vCenter, which is useful for those managing virtualized environments within their ACI fabric
Teaches the configuration of external L2OUTs and L3OUTs, which are critical for extending ACI fabrics beyond the data center and integrating with external networks
Uses a whiteboard-based approach with handwritten explanations, which may be helpful for visual learners who prefer a more interactive and less formal teaching style
Focuses on ACI administration, which may not cover broader SDN concepts or alternative SDN solutions, potentially limiting its applicability in diverse network environments

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Create your own learning path. Save this course to your list so you can find it easily later.
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Reviews summary

Foundational introduction to cisco aci

According to learners, this course provides a solid foundational understanding of Cisco ACI, covering core concepts like the Spine-Leaf architecture, policies, EPGs, and contracts. Many found the instructor's explanations clear and easy to follow, especially for newcomers to ACI. The content helps build a strong base for understanding how ACI functions. Some reviewers noted that while it's good for beginners, those looking for deeper dives or practical lab experience might need supplemental resources. Overall, it's described as a great starting point.
Best suited for those new to Cisco ACI.
"This course is perfect if you're just starting out with ACI and need to grasp the core ideas."
"If you already have some ACI experience, parts of this course might be too basic."
"I was completely new to ACI, and this course served as an excellent gentle introduction."
"Highly recommended for anyone needing to understand the fundamentals before diving into complex deployments."
Instructor's teaching style is clear and effective.
"The instructor explains complex topics in a way that is easy to understand."
"Rene's delivery is very clear and concise. I appreciated the whiteboard approach."
"I could easily follow along with the lectures. The explanations were never confusing."
"The instructor did a great job breaking down ACI concepts for someone new to the technology."
Provides a solid understanding of ACI basics.
"This course gave me a very good foundation on the basic understanding and concepts of Cisco ACI."
"Excellent introduction to ACI! It covers the fundamental concepts clearly and sets a strong base."
"I found the explanations on EPGs and contracts particularly helpful in building my foundational knowledge."
"The course structure is logical and builds up the concepts nicely, making it a good starting point for ACI."
Could benefit from more advanced topics and labs.
"While a good intro, I felt it lacked deeper dives into more advanced configurations or troubleshooting scenarios."
"I wish there were more hands-on lab exercises to practice the concepts taught."
"The course is theory-heavy. To truly master ACI, hands-on practice is essential and not included."
"It provides the 'what' and 'why' but less of the 'how' in a practical sense beyond demos."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Learning the Cisco Application-Centric Infrastructure (ACI) with these activities:
Review Networking Fundamentals
Solidify your understanding of basic networking concepts to better grasp ACI's advanced features and configurations.
Browse courses on Networking Fundamentals
Show steps
  • Review the OSI model and TCP/IP suite.
  • Practice subnetting and CIDR notation.
  • Study common networking protocols like TCP, UDP, and HTTP.
Read 'CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Volume 1'
Reinforce your understanding of core networking concepts with a comprehensive guide.
View CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Volume 2 on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on IP addressing and subnetting.
  • Review the sections on routing protocols.
  • Take the practice quizzes at the end of each chapter.
Simulate an ACI Fabric in a Lab Environment
Gain hands-on experience by building a virtual ACI fabric to test configurations and troubleshoot issues.
Show steps
  • Set up a virtual lab environment using Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) or similar tools.
  • Deploy virtual APICs, spines, and leaves.
  • Configure basic ACI policies, tenants, and EPGs.
  • Simulate network traffic and monitor performance.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Document ACI Deployment Procedures
Solidify your understanding by creating detailed documentation of ACI deployment steps, including configurations and troubleshooting tips.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific ACI deployment scenario.
  • Document each step of the deployment process with screenshots and explanations.
  • Include troubleshooting tips and common errors.
  • Share your documentation with peers for feedback.
Read 'Cisco ACI Cookbook'
Explore practical solutions and configurations for various ACI deployment scenarios.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Review the chapters relevant to your deployment environment.
  • Implement the configurations described in the book in your lab environment.
  • Adapt the configurations to your specific needs.
Contribute to ACI Automation Scripts
Deepen your understanding of ACI automation by contributing to open-source projects that use the ACI Toolkit or REST API.
Show steps
  • Find an open-source project related to ACI automation.
  • Identify areas where you can contribute, such as bug fixes or new features.
  • Submit your contributions and participate in code reviews.
Answer ACI Questions on Forums
Reinforce your knowledge by helping other students with their ACI questions and challenges.
Show steps
  • Monitor ACI-related forums and communities.
  • Answer questions and provide guidance to other students.
  • Share your experiences and insights.

Career center

Learners who complete Learning the Cisco Application-Centric Infrastructure (ACI) will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Network Architect
A Network Architect designs complex network systems, creating blueprints for network infrastructure. They determine how to implement networking strategies to meet business requirements. This course is highly relevant for a Network Architect because it provides a deep dive into Cisco ACI, a cutting-edge technology in data center design. The course's emphasis on implementing ACI fabric, creating multi-tenant environments, and focusing on scalability and geo-redundancy will significantly contribute to a network architect's ability to design modern network infrastructures. It also covers important aspects such as policy creation, automation through the ACI toolkit, and integration of virtualized environments, all of which are core requirements for this career. If one wants to be a network architect, this course will help build a foundation.
See salaries and explore the career path for Network Architect
Solutions Architect
A Solutions Architect is responsible for designing and overseeing the implementation of technology solutions to address business problems. The role requires a deep understanding of business needs and technical capabilities. This course will be extremely valuable for a Solutions Architect needing to design modern data center networks using Cisco ACI. The course's coverage of ACI fabric deployment, policy creation, and multi-tenancy directly aligns with designing scalable, secure, and high-performance networks. The course's focus on automation and L4-L7 service insertion, equips a solutions architect with practical skills for implementing modern networking solutions. The detailed training in the course ensures a solid understanding of the technology.
See salaries and explore the career path for Solutions Architect
Network Engineer
A Network Engineer designs, implements, and manages an organization's computer networks. This role requires a strong understanding of network architectures, protocols, and security. This course is directly relevant because it focuses on Cisco's Application Centric Infrastructure, a key technology used in modern data centers. A network engineer often works with the kind of scalable, secure, and high-availability networks this course covers. The course's focus on multi-tenancy and implementing ACI fabric, including spine and leaf architectures, make it valuable for anyone seeking a career in network engineering related to data centers. Moreover, the course's attention to policy implementation and automation provide core skills for this role.
See salaries and explore the career path for Network Engineer
Data Center Engineer
A Data Center Engineer is responsible for maintaining the hardware and software infrastructure of data centers. This includes network equipment, servers, and storage systems. The course on ACI is directly applicable as it focuses on modern data center architectures and technologies. A data center engineer benefits from learning about ACI fabric deployment, multi-tenancy, and network automation. The training on spine and leaf architectures, policy implementation, and external connectivity will be beneficial for managing data center networks. This course helps one understand the underlying principles of modern data center networks.
See salaries and explore the career path for Data Center Engineer
Infrastructure Engineer
An Infrastructure Engineer is responsible for maintaining and improving the underlying infrastructure of an organization's IT systems. This includes networking, servers, and storage. This course helps infrastructure engineers that work with data centers, or wish to focus on data centers, particularly those using Cisco's ACI technology. This course provides practical skills in ACI fabric deployment, multi-tenancy, and automation, all core needs for an Infrastructure Engineer. The course starts with a basic introduction to data center design and then quickly progresses to advanced implementation, making it relevant for an infrastructure engineer. The detailed training in the course will help one manage infrastructure.
See salaries and explore the career path for Infrastructure Engineer
Network Consultant
A Network Consultant advises organizations on how to implement and improve their network infrastructure. This role requires a good understanding of network technologies as well as business needs. This course will be helpful for a network consultant who will be working with Cisco ACI. The strong focus on ACI architecture, policy implementation, multi-tenancy, and automation aligns with the needs of a network consultant tasked with designing and implementing modern data center and campus networks. The course's coverage of practical implementation techniques, along with its emphasis on problem-solving, will enable a consultant to better advise their clients. The skills taught in this course are important for a network consultant.
See salaries and explore the career path for Network Consultant
Cloud Engineer
A Cloud Engineer designs, builds, and manages cloud computing environments. While cloud infrastructure may be in the public cloud, the principles of network design and infrastructure apply to building and managing private clouds as well. This course provides a strong foundation for a cloud engineer who wants to learn about the underlying aspects of networking, particularly using Cisco ACI. An understanding of deploying ACI fabrics, building multi-tenant environments, and managing virtual networks aligns with cloud infrastructure management. A Cloud engineer will appreciate the course's emphasis on scalability, security, and automation, which are all important aspects of managing cloud networks.
See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Engineer
Network Automation Engineer
A Network Automation Engineer develops and implements automation solutions for network operations. This role requires strong scripting and programming skills, alongside a good understanding of network concepts. This course is directly applicable because a core component of ACI is automation through its API. This course could be particularly valuable given the focus on automation using ACI toolkit and Python scripts towards the end of the course. The ability to automate tasks in the network is increasingly important, and the course's emphasis on policy driven operations and API interactions makes it helpful for those in this position. Network Automation Engineers may want to take this course to learn how to automate ACI.
See salaries and explore the career path for Network Automation Engineer
Security Engineer
A Security Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining an organization's security systems. This includes network security. This course is relevant to a security engineer as it covers micro-segmentation as one of the core capabilities of Cisco's Application Centric Infrastructure. Security Engineers can enhance their understanding of ACI's capabilities as it relates to security through policy definitions and L4-L7 service insertion, which is covered in depth. This course is particularly helpful as it will enable a Security Engineer to implement and manage security policies using ACI. The course also covers how to integrate security devices into the network.
See salaries and explore the career path for Security Engineer
DevOps Engineer
A DevOps Engineer focuses on streamlining the software development lifecycle through automation and collaboration. While this role is not traditionally focused on networking, understanding network infrastructure plays a key role in the DevOps field. A DevOps engineer may find this course valuable as it provides a deep understanding of a modern network architecture, Cisco ACI. The course's emphasis on automation, policy implementation, and infrastructure as code makes it relevant to DevOps practices. Knowledge of ACI helps one understand how networks are programmed and managed, and this course includes sections on the ACI toolkit and Python scripts which are important to DevOps.
See salaries and explore the career path for DevOps Engineer
Telecommunications Engineer
A Telecommunications Engineer designs, implements, and maintains telecommunications systems, which often includes network infrastructure. This course may be useful to a Telecommunications Engineer working with modern data center technologies using Cisco ACI. The course's coverage of ACI fabric deployment, scalability, and policy implementation helps a Telecommunications Engineer understand modern network architecture. The practical, hands-on approach of the course makes it valuable for professionals in those fields looking to expand into data center networking. The focus on building and managing ACI will help the Telecommunications Engineer.
See salaries and explore the career path for Telecommunications Engineer
Technical Support Engineer
A Technical Support Engineer provides assistance to clients experiencing technical issues. They must have an understanding of the inner workings of networking technology. This course may be useful for those wanting to support Cisco ACI technologies. Technical Support Engineers would find value in the course's focus on ACI fabric deployment, multi-tenancy, and troubleshooting techniques. The hands-on approach of the course, which starts from the ground up, offers an opportunity to learn how to handle common issues. The course's sections on ACI management and troubleshooting will help one to diagnose and resolve issues within ACI environments. The course might be considered helpful for those in this role.
See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Support Engineer
Systems Engineer
A Systems Engineer works with a wide range of information technology systems, including networking, servers, and software applications. This course helps a systems engineer better understand network infrastructure, particularly when it comes to Cisco's Application Centric Infrastructure. The course's focus on ACI fabric deployment, policy management, multi-tenancy, and automation are all essential for a systems engineer managing complex IT environments. The practical, hands-on approach of the course, with its detailed implementation of ACI from the ground up, provides a robust foundation for anyone looking to manage and improve systems infrastructure. The course may be helpful to systems engineers working in environments that use Cisco networking.
See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Engineer
Network Operations Analyst
A Network Operations Analyst monitors and maintains the performance of an organization's network infrastructure. This role typically involves responding to network incidents. This course may prove useful for a Network Operations Analyst working in an environment that uses Cisco ACI. The course provides a comprehensive understanding of ACI network architecture, which they will see, and how to manage it. Network Operations Analysts may find that the course's focus on troubleshooting, management, and monitoring techniques within Cisco ACI helps improve their ability to maintain the network. The parts of this course that deal with ACI management and troubleshooting may be useful for this role.
See salaries and explore the career path for Network Operations Analyst
IT Manager
An IT Manager is responsible for overseeing an organization's information technology infrastructure. This role requires a broad understanding of various IT systems, which includes networking. This course may be helpful for an IT Manager working in an environment that uses Cisco ACI. While they may not implement the technology personally, the course provides them with a strong understanding of the technical aspects of ACI, including fabric deployment, policy creation, and multi-tenancy. Understanding the capabilities of ACI helps an IT manager make informed decisions regarding its implementation and maintenance. The course's focus on automation and management will be useful to IT managers.
See salaries and explore the career path for IT Manager

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Learning the Cisco Application-Centric Infrastructure (ACI).
Cover image
Putting Knowledge to Work
Save
Provides practical solutions and configurations for various ACI deployment scenarios. It covers topics such as multi-pod deployments, integration with VMware, and automation using REST API. It useful reference for implementing and troubleshooting ACI in real-world environments. This book adds more depth to the course by providing practical examples and use cases.
Putting Knowledge to Work
Paperback
Check
Putting Knowledge to Work
Kindle Edition
Check
Cover image
CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Volume 2
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of networking fundamentals, which are essential for understanding ACI. It covers topics such as IP addressing, routing, switching, and network security. While not directly focused on ACI, it provides the necessary background knowledge to effectively learn and implement ACI concepts. This book is commonly used as a textbook for Cisco certification programs.
CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Volume 2
Paperback
Check
CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Volume 2
Kindle Edition
Check

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9.5 total hours
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Language
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Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Covers spine and leaf architectures, which are essential for modern, scalable data center designs, enabling learners to build and manage high-performance networks
Explores ACI policy structures and micro-segmentation, offering a modern approach to network security compared to traditional firewall-based environments
Includes VMM integration with vCenter, which is useful for those managing virtualized environments within their ACI fabric
Teaches the configuration of external L2OUTs and L3OUTs, which are critical for extending ACI fabrics beyond the data center and integrating with external networks
Uses a whiteboard-based approach with handwritten explanations, which may be helpful for visual learners who prefer a more interactive and less formal teaching style
Focuses on ACI administration, which may not cover broader SDN concepts or alternative SDN solutions, potentially limiting its applicability in diverse network environments
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