The document provides an overview of Cisco's Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) and its approach to software-defined networking (SDN). It discusses the limitations of traditional networking, the management options offered by ACI, and the benefits of adopting this technology, including enhanced automation and traffic visibility. Additionally, the document outlines GTRI's SDN solutions and offers a free technology review for companies interested in assessing their infrastructure for SDN implementations.

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Cisco ACI: A New Approach
to Software Defined
Networking
Michael Edwards – Principal Architect GTRI
Gabriel Guillen – TME INSBU Cisco
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Agenda
• Cisco ACI Policy Model Review
• ACI Design Models
• ACI Demonstration

3. Management options
• CLI
• Cut/paste
• Limited automation
• Disparate management platforms
Traditional Networking
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Limitations:
• Box by box approach
• Lack of consistent configuration (no
network wide policies)
• Leftover/unknown configuration
• Open “any to any” connectivity
• Lack of traffic visibility
• Separate virtual and physical networks
• Separate L4-7 device management

4. ACI Networking
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Management Options:
• GUI (basic/advanced)
• CLI
• XML/JSON
• Scripting
• Open API
• Automation
Benefits:
• Distributed centralized management
• Full traffic visibility
• Self documenting
• Integrated virtual and physical network
• Integrated L4-7 device management
• Policy defined network

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ACI Policy Model
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Tenants

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VRFs

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Bridge Domains

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EndPoint Communications
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All rights reserved.

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End Point Groups
HTTPS
Service
HTTPS
Service
HTTPS
Service
HTTPS
Service
EPG - Web
EPGs are a grouping of end-points representing application or
application components independent of other network constructs.
POLICY MODEL
HTTPS
Service
HTTPS
Service
HTTPS
Service
HTTPS
Service

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Contracts
Application Network Profile
C ContractContracts define what
an EPG exposes to other
app tiers and how
Contracts are reusable for
multiple EPGs and EPGs
can inherit multiple
contracts
The use of contracts separates ‘what’ a policy is from ‘where’ it exists, extending its use.
C
C
EPG NFS
EPG MGMT
EPG DBEPG AppEPG WebC CC

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Application Network Profiles
Inbound/
Outbound Policies
Application Network Profile
Application Network profiles are a group of EPGs and the
policies that define the communication between them.
POLICY MODEL
=
Inbound/
Outbound Policies

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ACI Design Examples
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14. How?
• 1 BD and 1 EPG per Current Infrastructure VLAN
• Few customers deploy BD in legacy mode (VLAN)
• Tight integration with Orchestration platforms
Who is deploying?
• Customers needing to slowly introduce ACI
• Underlay management for NFV use cases – service
provider
Benefits:
• Network automation and operations
• Workload mobility – any app, anywhere
• Network capacity and bandwidth
• Increased scalability and availability
Network Centric Layer 2 ACI Fabric
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15. How?
• 1 BD and 1 EPG mapping of Current Infrastructure VLAN
• Fabric as default gateway with or without policy
enforcement
Who is deploying?
• Customers requiring secure multi-tenancy
• No re-IP of application workloads
• Network infrastructure refresh, and adopt ACI Fabric
as a single DC switching system
Benefits:
• Network automation and operations
• Workload mobility – any app, anywhere
• Network capacity and bandwidth
• Pervasive gateway, directed ARP and other ACI
innovations
• Increased scalability and availability
Network Centric Layer 3 ACI Fabric
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ACI Hybrid Approach

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GTRI SDN Solutions
• Virtualization and Advanced Networking Professional Services (PS) practice has
expertise with SDN vendor solutions.
• GTRI has top-tier partner status with the most relevant long-term vendors in the IT
virtualization market.
• SDN readiness assessment service to assess your infrastructure, your applications,
and the benefits to your business gained from using SDN.
• SDN test bed where we can learn and teach SDN solutions and help validate
solutions prior to deployment.
• GTRI is performing SDN deployments and we will freely share the latest vendor and
industry information with you.

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FREE SDN Technology Review
• We are offering a FREE 3-hour (~1/2 day) SDN technology
review for your company
• Bring your networking, security, DevOps and other technology
teams together
• Review SDN capabilities within your existing networked
infrastructure
• Discuss SDN architecture and design options
• Review network automation and network programmability potential

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877.603.1984
To schedule a SDN Technology
review, contact us at: