What is Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure) | ScienceLogic (2024)

FAQs

What is Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure) | ScienceLogic? ›

Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure) is a software-defined networking solution, designed to help organizations manage complex environments by delivering network automation—increasing operational efficiencies.

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is a software-defined networking (SDN) solution designed for data centers. Cisco ACI allows network infrastructure to be defined based upon network policies – simplifying, optimizing, and accelerating the application deployment lifecycle.

Cisco ACI architecture

ACI consists of three key components: the Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC), the leaf switches, and the spine switches. The APIC is a centralized controller that manages all aspects of the ACI fabric.

While Network Centric mode considers traditional approach of retaining concept of Sub netting and using VLANs and VRFs. In contrast Application Centric approach hides traditional network related terminologies (such as VRFs, VLANs, and subnets).

The main features of the Cisco APIC include the following: Application-centric network policies. Data-model-based declarative provisioning.

Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure) is a software-defined networking solution, designed to help organizations manage complex environments by delivering network automation—increasing operational efficiencies.

The Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) allows application requirements to define the network. This architecture simplifies, optimizes, and accelerates the entire application deployment life cycle.

Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) - ACI Network - Cisco.

The main difference is that VMware NSX focuses on virtualized networks, while Cisco ACI can connect to both physical and virtual networks.

What does application centric mean? ›

Focusing on the application as the foundation or starting point. In an application-centric system, the program is loaded first, which in turn is used to create or edit a particular data structure (text document, spreadsheet, image, etc.). Contrast with document centric.

Network-Centric Approach

This is to ensure during the migration, the applications unknown traffic types are not blocked by ACI. In Network Centric approach the EPG mapping to the server's connectivity will be equivalent to the following: ACI EPG-A is mapped with the VLAN 10. ACI EPG-B is mapped with the VLAN 20.

Net-Centric is a way to manage your data, applications, and infrastructure in the cloud. Net-centric cloud computing can be considered an evolution of Software as a Service (SaaS). It leverages the power of the Internet to provide an environment for data, applications, and infrastructure on demand.

ACI uses Multi-Protocol BGP (MP-BGP) with VPNv4 in the ACI infra VRF (overlay-1 VRF) to distribute external routes from a border leaf to other leaf switches. Similar to other configurations/components in the ACI infra VRF such as ISIS between each switch, this configuration is also automated in the background.

Note: There are three pre-existing Tenants available by default in ACI. They are common, infra and mgmt. Common: This Tenants contains pre-defined polices that are very much used in all other Tenants, such as LB, Firewalls, Layer4-layer 7 Services etc.

Due to an increased demand for the Cisco ACI technology by organizations, there is a huge requirement of skilled professionals who are adept in this technology. The reason behind the requirement for these experts in the Information Technology Industry is because they have the ability to build data center fabric.

Cisco ACI is primarily focused around the data center, while the APIC-EM is for the campus and branch offices. They are both a software controller and have similar features, (access via REST api's, etc) but the main focus is different.

Focusing on the application as the foundation or starting point. In an application-centric system, the program is loaded first, which in turn is used to create or edit a particular data structure (text document, spreadsheet, image, etc.). Contrast with document centric.

The Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (Cisco APIC) is the main architectural component of the Cisco ACI solution. It is the unified point of automation and management for the Cisco ACI fabric, policy enforcement, and health monitoring.

Network-Centric Approach

This is to ensure during the migration, the applications unknown traffic types are not blocked by ACI. In Network Centric approach the EPG mapping to the server's connectivity will be equivalent to the following: ACI EPG-A is mapped with the VLAN 10. ACI EPG-B is mapped with the VLAN 20.