Configuring Cisco ACI in the Cisco Nexus Data Center (CACND)

This course covers the configuration of the data center with the use of the Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure.

Retail Price: $3,160.00

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Course Days: 4


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About This Course

This course covers the configuration of the data center with the use of the Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure.

Audience Profile

This course is designed for technical professionals who need to know how to deploy, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot the Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) in the Cisco Nexus Data Center.

Targeted roles include data center engineers and technical support personnel

Course Objectives

  • Cisco ACI components and operations
  • Cisco data center and ACI component architecture
  • Cisco ACI configuration and troubleshooting 
  • Cisco ACI advanced feature configuration

Prerequisites

  • Complete knowledge of traditional networking
  • Data center and virtualization knowledge

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Cisco ACI

Lesson 1: Examining Cisco ACI Components

  • Describe the architecture of a switch fabric
  • Explain the basic operation of the Cisco ACI fabric
  • Describe the basic elements of the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series of data center switches
  • Explain the architecture and purpose of the Cisco APIC
  • Describe the purpose and function of application network profiles

Lesson 2: Examining Cisco ACI Operations

  • Define the dynamics of virtualizing the network infrastructure
  • Explain the basics of a policy-based network management model
  • Describe the foundational building blocks of the Cisco ACI Policy Model

Module 2: Cisco ACI Component Architecture

Lesson 1: Examining the Operation of the Cisco ACI Fabric

  • Describe the ACI fabric elements and basic operational characteristics of the Cisco ACI fabric
  • Review the packet makeup for virtual extensible LAN 
  • Describe the forwarding mechanisms used in the Cisco ACI fabric for unicast
  • Describe the forwarding mechanisms used in the Cisco ACI fabric for multicast
  • Introduce layer 2 and layer 3 gateways
  • Describe how the ACI monitors and manages congestion using dynamic load-balancing

Lesson 2: Exploring the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches

  • Describe the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches
  • Describe the Cisco Nexus 9500 Series chassis
  • Describe the Cisco Nexus 9500 Series switch Supervisor Module
  • Describe the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switch System Controllers
  • Describe the Cisco Nexus 9500 Series switch Fabric Modules
  • Describe the Cisco Nexus 9500 Series switch Card Modules
  • Describe the Cisco Nexus 9500 Series switch Power and Cooling
  • Describe the Cisco Nexus 9300 Series switch architecture

Lesson 3: Examining the Cisco APIC

  • Describe the modules used by the Cisco APIC including Logical, Resolved and Concrete Models
  • Describe the architecture of the Cisco APIC Describe the Cisco APIC DME architecture module
  • Configure Cisco APIC nodes in a clustered formation
  • Perform first-time setup and configuration on the Cisco APIC
  • Demonstrate access to the Cisco APIC using the GUI
  • Demonstrate access to the Cisco APIC using the CLI

Lesson 4: Managing Cisco ACI

  • Describe the Management Information Model used in Cisco ACI
  • Configure and use the Cisco ACI management network to monitor and alter the infrastructure as needed
  • Identify faults and perform troubleshooting on the Cisco ACI system

Module 3: Cisco ACI Configuration

Lesson 1: Configuring the Cisco APIC from the GUI

  • Describe a Tenant
  • Configure and verify tenants in Cisco ACI from the APIC GUI
  • Describe a VRF and Bridge Domain
  • Configure and verify VRF and bridge domains in Cisco ACI from the APIC GUI
  • Describe an Application Profile
  • Configure and verify an Application Network Profile in Cisco ACI from the APIC GUI
  • Describe an EPG
  • Configure and verify an EPG in Cisco ACI from the APIC GUI
  • Describe a contract 
  • Configure and verify a contract in Cisco ACI from the APIC GUI

Lesson 2: Configuring the APIC from the CLI

  • Describe the benefits of a CLI, including scripting and user preference
  • Explore the documentation available for the CLI
  • Describe the difference between the older object-model CLI mode and the CLI mode of the Cisco NX-OS
  • Review an example of a configuration in which the CLI is used.

Lesson 3: Configuring the APIC with the API

  • Describe the benefits of an API, including scripting 
  • Explore the documentation available for the API
  • Use the API Inspector 
  • Describe how to save XML or JSON
  • Describe an example of a configuration that uses Chrome Postman

Lesson 4: Configuring Fabric Access

  • Describe the requirements for adding a device to a leaf cluster
  • Configure a VLAN pool on a leaf cluster by using Cisco ACI
  • Configure a physical domain (physical, virtual, external, etc.) on a leaf cluster by using Cisco ACI 
  • Configure AAEP on a leaf cluster by using Cisco ACI
  • Configure an access port policy group on a leaf cluster by using Cisco ACI
  • Configure an interface profile or selector on a leaf cluster by using Cisco ACI
  • Configure a switch profile on a leaf cluster by using Cisco ACI

Lesson 5: Configuring vPCs

  • Describe a traditional vPC deployment
  • Describe vPC in an ACI environment
  • Configure the vPC domain in ACI
  • Configure the vPC policy group

Lesson 6: Configuring ACI Connectivity to External Networks

  • Explain inside and outside network policies in Cisco ACI
  • Describe a Layer 3 external connection
  • Configure a Layer 3 external connection
  • Describe considerations that exist for external Layer 3 routing 
  • Describe a Layer 2 external connection
  • Configure a Layer 2 external connection
  • Describe considerations that exist for external Layer 2 routing 

Lesson 7: Troubleshooting Cisco ACI

  • Describe the approach to troubleshooting in Cisco ACI
  • Use the troubleshooting tools available in Cisco ACI
  • Configure and use the technical support features available in Cisco ACI

Module 4: Cisco ACI Advanced Features Configuration

Lesson 1: Configuring Microsegmentation and Intra-EPG Isolation

  • Describe how ACI enables segmentation
  • Explain how microsegmentation works within the Cisco ACI fabric
  • Provide use-case examples for microsegmentation
  • Describe the attributes of microsegmentation 
  • Configure microsegmentation with Cisco ACI
  • Describe intra-EPG isolation enforcement that uses Cisco ACI
  • Configure intra-EPG isolation enforcement

Lesson 2: Examining Transit Routing

  • Describe the purpose of transit routing
  • Describe the capabilities of transit routing
  • Describe how MP-BGP is used to route traffic through the fabric
  • Describe how the fabric controls transit traffic
  • Describe the security features of transit traffic

Lesson 3: Configuring Policy-Based Redirect

  • Describe the purpose of Policy-Based Redirect
  • Describe physical topology examples for Policy-Based Redirect
  • Describe the function of a service graph
  • Configure a service graph template and a service graph provider endpoint group

Lesson 4: Configuring IP Multicast

  • Describe the use case for Layer 3 multicast functionality across bridge domains
  • Explain how PIM is used in the fabric
  • Describe the traffic flow of multicast traffic within the fabric
  • Configure multicast by using the web interface

Lesson 5: Examining ACI Multi-fabric Options

  • Define the Cisco ACI multifabric design options
  • Describe the Cisco ACI Stretched Fabric
  • Describe the site-to-site connectivity options
  • Describe the Cisco ACI Multi-Pod solutions
  • Describe the Cisco ACI software and hardware and the limitations for running Multi-Pod
  • Describe the relationship between the APIC and  Inter-Pod Network 
  • Describe how data is shared across APICs
  • Describe zones and autopod configuration

Module 5: Cisco ACI vCenter Plug-in

Lesson 1: Examining VMware Fundamentals 

  • Describe how the VMware servers connect to the ACI fabric
  • Describe the key components of VMware
  • Describe the properties of ESX-based virtual machines
  • Describe how networking works within the VMware environment
  • Describe how VMware uses virtual switches and VLANs 

Lesson 2: Configuring VM Connectivity

  • Configure a virtual switch in VMware
  • Describe network redundancy in VMware
  • Configure network redundancy, using NIC teaming in VMware
  • Connect a virtualized server to an access network based on Cisco Nexus switches

Lesson 3: Performing and Verifying vMotion Migrations

  • Describe the migration options that are available in virtual machines
  • Describe how to use the Storage vMotion feature
  • Configure VMware for Server vMotion
  • Describe how to use the Server vMotion feature

Lesson 4: Configuring ACI Integration with VMware 

  • Describe the relationship between ACI components and VMware
  • Configure ACI to integrate with VMware

Lab Outline

  • Lab 1: Exploring the Cisco ACI Fabric
  • Lab 2: Exploring the Cisco APIC
  • Lab 3: Operational Element Configuration from the GUI
  • Lab 4: Operational Element Configuration from the CLI
  • Lab 5: Cisco APIC API Configuration
  • Lab 6: Endpoint Physical Connectivity
  • Lab 7: Virtual Port Channels
  • Lab 8: Cisco ACI External Connectivity
  • Lab 9: Cisco ACI Troubleshooting
  • Lab 10: VM Integration with Cisco ACI


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