Cisco
Technology
Data Center and Virtualization
ACI 5.x Test Drive Operations Workshop (ACITD)

This hands-on lab course introduces customers to and discusses ACI 5.x release (Application Centric Infrastructure) architecture, functionality and new features for Service Provider, Multicloud, 5G, IoT. Learners will examine how ACI is implemented greenfield and in parallel with traditional networks. You will also learn to analyze and leverage metrics to demonstrate operational efficiency at scale.

About the course

Prerequisites:

The knowledge and skills that a learner should have before attending this course are as follows:

  • Familiarity with Data Center Networks

Course Objectives:

Upon completing this course, the learner will be able to meet these overall objectives:

  • Explain and configure the ACI Fabric
  • Describe and configure the APIC (ACI Controller) and Cloud (cAPIC)
  • Configure tenants and contracts underlying policy-driven ACI spine and leaf architecture
  • Explain and configure APIC hypervisor integration
  • Explain and configure L2 and L3 border leaf connectivity to external networks
  • Discuss configuration of Layer 4 through 7 service integration with ACI
  • Understand new features of ACI 5.0
    • Service provider enhancements (automate, security, visibility)
    • Multi-Cloud deployments ACI-Anywhere (AWS, Azure)
    • Built in Network Management Applications such as NAE, Contract Viewer, etc
    • Updated Wizards for Initial Fabric configuration
    • Openshift and Docker Enterprise Support
Course content

The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switch in ACI Mode

  • What is ACI and What does it solve?
  • ACI Concepts, Fundamentals, and Principles
  • Policy vs. The Network and how they work together
  • Application Logic Defined Through Policy
  • Advantages and Benefits of Policy-Driven Data Center Design
  • ACI 5.0 features overview

The ACI Fabric

  • Leaf and Spine Single-Site Topology
  • Multi-Site ACI in 5.0
  • Fabric Initialization and Discovery Using LLDP
  • The Use of Overlays in ACI
  • Unicast Forwarding
  • Multicast Forwarding
  • Flowlet Dynamic Load-Balancing
  • Health Scores
  • Faults and Events

Configuring the APIC

  • What is the APIC
  • Configuration of Endpoint Groups and Endpoints
  • Application Profiles
  • Configuration of Contracts, Subjects, and Filters
  • Tenants
  • Contexts
  • Bridge Domains

ACI Policies

  • Contracts
  • Subjects
  • Filters
  • Preferred Groups
  • Micro-segmentation 

Configuring Layer 4 Through Layer 7 Services

  • Service Insertion and Redirection
  • Implementation of Service Graphs
  • Configuring Application Profiles Specific to Layer 4 to Layer 7 Services
  • ACI Programmability Options of Layer 4 to Layer 7 Services 

Configuring APIC Hypervisor Integration

  • Policy Coordination
  • VMM integration
  • Management Networks (Mgmt. Tenant)
  • Configuring ACI Integration with VMware

Configuring ACI Connectivity to External Networks

  • Inside and Outside Network Policies
  • Configuring a Layer 3 Connection Outside the Network
  • Configuring a Layer 2 Connection Outside the Network
  • Migration from External Networks to ACI

Lab Outline:

Labs are designed to assure learners a whole practical experience, through the following practical activities:

  • Accessing the Remote Lab Environment
  • Navigating the GUI
  • Configure Basic Network Constructs with the GUI
  • Configure External Layer 3 to Internal ACI Communication with the GUI
  • Attach Internal Compute Resources and Create Access to the External Network with the GUI
  • Create a Two-Tier Application with the GUI
  • Create the Virtual Machine Manager Domain and Configure the Application Profile for the Lab App with the GUI
  • Deploy a Tenant / App Profile with REST/POSTMAN
Who Should Attend

The primary audience for this course is as follows:

  • System Architects
  • System Engineers
  • Technical Decision Makers