In this lecture, I'll provide an overview of the core principles and benefits of ACI Automation by answering the following questions:

1. What is Network Automation?

2. What are the benefits of Network Automation?

3. Why ACI Automation?

4. How does ACI Automation happen?

5. What are the typical ACI Automation tools?

In this lecture, I’ll give you an overview of the Ansible automation tool by answering the following questions:

1. What is Ansible?

2. What are Ansible's characteristics?

In this lecture, I’ll explore how to set up your Ansible environment for hands-on practice. You'll learn several methods for creating a lab to practice ACI Automation with Ansible, and I will demonstrate our lab setup in this course.

In this lecture, I will outline the main components of Ansible.

In this lecture, I will talk about the Ansible configuration file, its usage, priority order, and creation if it doesn’t already exist.

In this lecture, I demonstrate the Ansible configuration file in the lab.

In this lecture, I will talk about the Ansible inventory file.

In this lecture, I demonstrate the Ansible inventory file in the lab.

In this lecture, We will explore the YAML data serialization, which is used in Ansible playbook files.

In this lecture, I will discuss the Ansible Playbook file, focusing on its structure and purpose. Hands-on labs and use-case examples will follow later in the upcoming lectures.

In this lecture, I will discuss the functionality of Ansible modules and collections and how to use the Ansible documentation and community to gather information about them.

Build and execute our very first ACI playbook from scratch.

Learn how to test, validate, and troubleshoot your playbooks before deployment.

Learn how to change or remove Ansible default Annotations that show on ACI automated objects.

Learn how to control playbook execution using --list-tasks, --start-at-task, and --step to run or preview tasks selectively in Ansible.

Learn how to run specific parts of your playbooks using tags.

Introduce the concept of variables in Ansible, explain why they are essential in automation, what their types are, and how they work in Ansible.

In this demo, we’ll define and use host and group variables directly in the Ansible inventory file.

This demo shows how to define variables directly inside the playbook using the vars directive.

In this demo, we’ll demonstrate how to define variables in a separate YAML file and include them in a playbook using the vars_files directive.

In this lecture, we’ll learn how to pass variables at runtime using both the --extra-vars option and vars_prompt to collect input during playbook execution.

In this lecture, you'll learn how to assign default values to Ansible variables, a powerful technique that prevents playbook failures when a variable is not defined.

In this lecture, I’ll explain how Ansible decides which variable value to use when the same variable is defined in multiple places.

Use anchors and aliases syntax in YAML to reduce repetition and simplify playbooks.

In this lecture, we will explore how to use the module_defaults feature in Ansible to simplify our ACI playbooks.

In this lecture, we’ll explore Multi-play playbooks in Ansible. I’ll break down the difference between tasks and plays, when it’s appropriate to use multiple plays, and how to organize our Cisco ACI automation.

In this lecture, we will learn how to break down a large Ansible playbook into modular and manageable task files using the include_tasks directive.

Learn how to use the powerful and general-purpose aci_rest module to automate custom ACI configurations that may not be covered by the Ansible cisco.aci modules.

Learn how loops work in Ansible playbooks and how they help us scale ACI automation by repeating tasks efficiently across multiple ACI objects.

Hands-on demo of Ansible looping techniques used to automate Cisco ACI tasks with different loop structures and dynamic data input.

Explore how to use certificate-based authentication to securely connect to the Cisco ACI fabric using Ansible.

Learn how to use conditionals (when statements) in Ansible playbooks to control task execution and automate with logic-driven precision.

Discover how Ansible roles help us organize, scale, and reuse ACI automation. Learn structure, implementation, and best practices with a hands-on lab.

In this lecture, learn how to use CSV files to store the Cisco ACI variables and Ansible loops to bulk-create ACI objects.

Create APIC snapshots to baseline configs before changes and archive them for audits and rollbacks.

Automate the creation and association of VLAN pools, AEPs, and phys or VMM domains with variable-driven playbooks for consistent fabric onboarding.

Create switch profiles, interface profiles, and selectors to structure leaf connectivity at scale.

Define interface policy groups (Access, PC & VPC) for LACP, CDP, LLDP, speed, and other link settings, then bind them to selectors.

Build tenants with app profiles and VRFs from CSV variables for clean multi-tenant designs.

Create bridge domains, subnets, and EPGs, including static bindings when needed, using parameterized tasks.

Define filters and contracts and attach them to EPGs to enforce policy-driven connectivity.

Implement port allowlists and blocklists with precise playbooks that enable or disable specific leaf ports safely.

Master complex technologies faster with the "10-Day ACI Sprint" live cohort or book a personalized 1:1 coaching session to solve your specific project challenges and career goals.