Cisco ACI Training: Design and Implement Data Center SDN

Name: Cisco ACI Training: Design and Implement Data Center SDN
Rating: 5.0 (17 reviews)

Gain the architectural knowledge and configuration skills required to manage Cisco ACI in production environments.

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Created byNetDefense Academy

Last updated 6/2026

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What you'll learn

Understand the core architecture of Cisco ACI and the shift from traditional networking to policy-based Software-Defined Networking (SDN).
Initialize and configure an ACI Fabric from scratch, including switch discovery and APIC controller setup.
Build a complete ACI logical model including Tenants, VRFs, Bridge Domains, and Endpoint Groups (EPGs).
Implement secure external connectivity and automate policy enforcement using L3Out with routing protocols like OSPF and BGP.

Course content

8 sections • 49 lectures • 13h 51m total length

Introduction (Table of Content)16:11
Master Cisco ACI design and data center SDN through seven modules, covering fabric discovery, access policies, tenant and application provisioning, external domains, L2/L3 out, VMM integration, and multi-pod deployment.
Quick Points About This Learning Journey!0:44
Cisco ACI Introduction2:21
Explore Cisco ACI, an application-centric infrastructure that automates data center networking by provisioning the network automatically based on application connectivity requirements, and understand how ACI differs from traditional network setups.
Why Cisco ACI? Overview of Cisco ACI30:53
Resources Download

How Leaf, Spine And APIC Connect28:06
Physical Connectivity - Fabric Provisioning22:38
APIC Bootstrapping: Powering Up the ACI Controller5:31
Bootstrapping the Epic connects to the leaf, prompts for admin credentials, device name, and an IP pool, assigns a management IP, and begins fabric discovery after login.
Fabric Discovery Process : How Switches Register with the APIC6:37
Trace fabric discovery from the epic controller to LEAP and spine switches using LLDP, register devices, enable ISIS routing, and establish VXLAN-based bridge domains with subnets for end-to-end communication.
Navigating Cisco dCloud for ACI Training7:52
Navigate Cisco dCloud to access and practice ACI labs (version 5.2), schedule sessions, and use guided resources to explore the fabric via RDP to the admin PC.
LAB: Executing the Full Fabric Discovery & Initialization18:03
ACI Traffic Flow: Understanding the Traffic Flow within the ACI fabric21:59
Case Study 16:04
Case Study 211:51
Case Study 34:45
Shows how a host on leaf one reaches a host on leaf two in the subnet by arp learning, lst lookup, and gst-driven mac resolution, with vxlan encapsulation across spines.
EPG Preview: Bridging Architecture and Security Policies5:56

Cisco ACI Access Policies Overview - The Physical-to-Logical Bridge12:46
Interface Policies & Interface Policy Group Overview14:25
Discover how to pre-provision interface policies on Cisco ACI leaf switches and organize them into interface policy groups for clients, servers, routers, and VPCs.
Configure Interface Policies28:32
Config Interface Policy Group13:07
Create interface policy groups for clients, servers, routers, and non-pc switches, then attach IPGs to switch ports with policies (CDP off, LLDP off, port security, storm control, BPDU guard).
Config Interface Profiles24:21
Configure interface profiles to allocate and attach ipg groups to leaf ports, defining per-leaf breakdowns for clients, servers, routers, and switches, including non-aci and port-channel switches.
Config Switch Profile15:40
Configure switch profiles for leave 01 and leave 02. Define interface profiles mapping clients, servers, routers, and a non-ACI switch link to IPGs, then attach to the switches.
Config Port-channel38:10
Configure port-channel in Cisco ACI to support data center SDN design. Implement best practices for port-channel use to optimize network performance and reliability in a data center.
Config Virtual-Port Channel [VPC]25:23
Configure a VPC in an ACI fabric with two leaves; the fabric auto-provisions the peer keepalive and links, simplifying setup compared to NX-OS, with IPG, domain policy, and interface profiles.
Vlan and Port Types Overview21:49
Config VLAN Pools13:40
Configure three VLAN pools in the ACI fabric: ACI VLAN, L2 external, and L3 external pools with a 1 to 500 range mapped to their port types.
Config Domains7:54
Attach VLAN pools to domains by creating physical, L2 external, and L3 domains in fabric access policies, and map each VLAN pool to its respective port type.
Config AAEPs20:26
Configure AAEPs to stitch IPGs to VLAN pools and port types, mapping interface policies to switch profiles, enabling the fabric to become infra-ready through access provisioning.
Access Provisioning Flow Chart7:28
Create and map interface policies, IPGs, and interface profiles to configure access provisioning. Define VLAN pools, physical domains, and AAEP links to connect domains with IPGs via port types.

Single-Pod Single Cluster vs Multi-Pod Single Cluster8:06
Compare single-pod single-cluster and multi-pod single-cluster Cisco ACI designs, detailing spine-leaf with VXLAN data plane, IS-IS and PIM control planes, APIC clustering, and two approaches—stretched fabric and IPN.
Multi-Pod Single Cluster - Stretched Fabric20:55
Single Cluster Using IPN7:29
Multi-Pod Single Cluster - Using IPN17:51
Multi-Pod Multi Cluster14:35

Requirements

A fundamental understanding of networking concepts, including IP addressing, VLANs, and basic routing/switching logic.
Familiarity with Cisco IOS or Nexus CLI is helpful but not strictly required, as this course focuses on the APIC GUI and SDN concepts.
Basic knowledge of Data Center environments and virtualization (VMware/ESXi) will provide helpful context for the ACI fabric.
No physical hardware is required; we will discuss how to leverage virtual lab environments to practice the configurations shown.

Description

Unlock the Power of Software-Defined Networking with Cisco ACI

The data center is evolving, and traditional CLI-based management is giving way to automation and policy-based infrastructure. Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is at the forefront of this revolution. If you are a Network Engineer or a Systems Administrator, mastering ACI is no longer optional—it is a career-defining skill.

This course is designed to take you from the fundamental concepts of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) to the advanced configuration of a fully functional ACI Fabric. We strip away the complexity and focus on the logical flow of how ACI actually works in a real-world environment.

What You Will Learn:

The ACI Architecture: Understand the Leaf-and-Spine topology and the role of the APIC controller.
Fabric Initialization: Step-by-step guidance on discovering switches and setting up the fabric.
The Policy Model: Master Tenants, VRFs, Bridge Domains, and EPGs (Endpoint Groups).
Traffic Control: How to implement Contracts and Filters to secure your East-West and North-South traffic.
External Connectivity: Integrating L2 and L3 external networks (L2Out and L3Out).
Advanced Topics: A brief look into VMM integration, Micro-segmentation, and Multi-Pod/Multi-Site concepts.

Why Enroll in This Course?

Simplified Logic: We use clear analogies and diagrams to explain complex concepts like Anycast Gateways and Hardware Proxy.
Job-Ready Skills: Every lecture is designed to give you knowledge you can apply immediately in a professional production environment.
Lifetime Access: Get updates as the ACI ecosystem evolves with new firmware and features.

Who This Course Is For:

Network Engineers and Architects looking to transition to SDN.
Data Center Administrators managing Cisco Nexus hardware.
Candidates preparing for Cisco CCNP or CCIE Data Center certifications.
IT Professionals interested in infrastructure automation.

Course Goals / Learning Objectives (Bullets)

Understand the difference between traditional networking and ACI policy-driven networking.
Configure a Cisco ACI Fabric from scratch using the APIC GUI and CLI.
Design and implement a multi-tenant environment with strict security isolation.
Connect the ACI fabric to the outside world using L3Out (OSPF/BGP).
Troubleshoot common fabric discovery and policy enforcement issues.

Who this course is for:

Network Engineers and Architects looking to transition from traditional CLI-based management to modern Software-Defined Networking (SDN).
Data Center Administrators who need to manage, secure, and scale Cisco Nexus hardware using the Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) model.
Certification Candidates preparing for the CCNP or CCIE Data Center exams who need a practical, real-world understanding of ACI components.
IT Professionals and Systems Integrators responsible for deploying automated, policy-driven infrastructure for enterprise-level organizations.

Cisco ACI Training: Design and Implement Data Center SDN

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Foundations – The Evolution of SDN and Cisco ACI5 lectures • 50min

The ACI Fabric – Technology Overview11 lectures • 2hr 19min

Fabric Connectivity – Mastering Access Policies & Interface Profiles13 lectures • 4hr 4min

Tenant Provisioning – Configuring Tenants, VRFs, and Bridge Domains3 lectures • 43min

Policy-Driven Security – Deploying EPGs, Contracts, and Apps3 lectures • 31min

Outside Connectivity – Deep Dive into L2-Out and L3-Out Strategies6 lectures • 3hr

Advanced Operations – External Firewall Integration & Firewall Services3 lectures • 1hr 15min

Scalable Architectures – Single-Pod, Multi-Pod, Multi-Site, and IPN5 lectures • 1hr 9min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: