Cisco ACI Basics: Endpoints and Forwarding Tables Explained
Cisco ACI Basics: Endpoints and Forwarding Tables Explained
A revolutionary approach to network design, Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is redefining how data centers are run and maintained. The idea of endpoint learning, a key component that improves the agility, security, and effectiveness of contemporary networks, is at the core of ACI.
It is a Next generation SDN solution and is designed for data centers spine-leaf architecture for the policy-driven solution. Cisco ACI provides application agility and data center automation with simplified operations.
⚡⚡ What is Cisco ACI ? 📜
Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is a Next generation SDN solution and is designed for data centers spine-leaf architecture for the policy-driven solution. Cisco ACI provides application agility and data center automation with simplified operations.
Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) uses Spine-Leaf architecture as you know and is typically deployed as two layers: spines (like an aggregation layer), and leaves (like an get right of entry to layer). spine-leaf topologies provide excessive-bandwidth, low-latency, non-blocking server-to-server connectivity.
⭐Related : Importance of Remote Endpoint Learning in Cisco ACI: A Deep Dive
⭐Related : Understanding the Physical Requirements of a Cisco ACI Solution
⚡⚡ What are Endpoints in Cisco ACI ?📜
The hosts and devices that are linked to the fabric are called endpoints. Cisco ACI endpoints can be MAC or IP-based with /32 masks.
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| Fig 1.1- Cisco ACI Basics: Endpoints |
Endpoints may be classified into two categories: local endpoints and remote endpoints.
- Local Endpoints: Endpoints that are directly linked to the leaf switch. These are kept in the endpoint table. If the leaf switch receives a packet on the front panel port that requires communication inside the same subnet, it will save just the mac address. If the communication is routed via an ARP packet, both IP and mac will be kept in the endpoint database.
- Remote Endpoints: Endpoints discovered via the tunnel interface and linked to some other leaf switches are regarded as distant endpoints. These are likewise stored in the endpoint table.
⚡⚡ What Are ACI's Different Forwarding Tables?📜
- Endpoint Table: This table stores host information such as MAC or IP + MAC with /32 masks.
- Routing Table: It primarily consists of non-/32 routes, with the exception of /32 for SVI under Bridge Domain and L3Out route. Cisco ACI fabric will inject subnets under BD into the routing table as /32 routes, while routes outside the network and those that are /32 are injected into the routing table as /32 routes.
- ARP Table: It solely contains information for L3Out.
- Cisco ACI Fabric APIC Discovery - The Network DNA
- Leveraging Cisco ACI APIC and MSO for Data Center Transformation
- Understanding the Physical Requirements of a Cisco ACI Solution
- Cisco ACI: DHCP Relay Support - The Network DNA
- Cisco ACI: Multi-Site Stretched Layer 2 (No-Flooding)
- Cisco ACI: Multi-Site Stretched Layer 2 (Flooding)
- Cisco ACI: Multi-Site Stretched Layer 3
- Cisco ACI: Control Plane components
- Cisco ACI : VMM (Virtual Machine Manager)
- Cisco ACI Infra: ASAv (Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance)
