Cisco ACI The Basics

CLOS Architecture ACI Physical components

High perf connectivity for Leafs only The only devices connected to the Spines,
Spines
SPINES except the Leafs are those for: 1G OOB Network
Multi-Pod / MultiSite / Golf
SPINE SPINE

LEAFS
Leafs LEAF LEAF LEAF LEAF LEAF LEAF
Connectivity to Servers/ External Services

Low Latency
VXLAN Routing
Predictability (max 2 hops between endpoints capable at all
Horizontal scale Leafs
APIC APIC APIC
A Leaf is named a « Border
Leaf » when connecting any L3 APIC Controllers
out the Fabric (Hardware, for management & monitoring)

Policy model comparison

Legacy ACI

VIRTUAL DEVICE
CONTEXT TENANT

VIRTUAL ROUTING VIRTUAL ROUTING VIRTUAL ROUTING VIRTUAL ROUTING

FORWARDING (VRF) FORWARDING (VRF) FORWARDING (VRF) FORWARDING (VRF)

VLAN SUBNET VLAN SUBNET VLAN SUBNET VLAN SUBNET BRIDGE BRIDGE BRIDGE BRIDGE
DOMAIN (BD) DOMAIN (BD) DOMAIN (BD) DOMAIN (BD)

ACCESS ACCESS ACCESS ACCESS ENDPOINT ENDPOINT ENDPOINT ENDPOINT

PORTS PORTS PORTS PORTS GROUP (EPG) GROUP (EPG) GROUP (EPG) GROUP (EPG)

Endpoints Endpoints Endpoints Endpoints Endp oints Endpoints Endpoints Endp oints

Definitions ACI Objects relationship

A device connect to the ACI

EP (endpoint)
fabric (MAC + IP).
A group of endpoints,
 1:n = 1 To many Parent/Child Relationship
TENANT
 n:n = Many to many
Relationship

belonging to the same Bridge 1

EPG (Endpoint Group)
domain, and sharing the same
network and security policies.
n n n n n n
Where the IP subnets are
located, it can owns many L2/L3
Application Bridge 1 VRF
subnets. Defines if they are Outside Contracts Filters
BD (Bridge Domain) Profiles domains n (contexts)
announced externally or not. Networks
Defines the BUM traffic
behavior. n 1 1 1 1 1 n
Routing outside the VRF
L3out (Layer 3 Outside)
(static, dynamic).
n n n
VRF Virtual Routing Forwarding Subnets Subjects
n
Tenant An organizaion container.
n
n
White list of protocols/ports EPGs
Contract
to be allowed.
Author: Be noit GONCALVES