Introduction

Welcome to the Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure) training program. In today's rapidly evolving networking landscape, Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has emerged as a transformative approach to network management, offering unprecedented flexibility, scalability, and automation. Cisco ACI represents a leading SDN solution, designed to simplify network operations, enhance security, and accelerate application deployment in modern data center environments.

This comprehensive training program is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to deploy, configure, manage, and troubleshoot Cisco ACI environments effectively. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and practical demonstrations, participants will gain a deep understanding of ACI architecture, configuration, integration, best practices, and advanced topics.

Objectives

By the end of this training program, participants will:

• Understand the fundamentals of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and the role of Cisco ACI in modern data center environments.
• Gain insight into the architecture and components of Cisco ACI fabric.
• Learn how to initialize, configure, and manage ACI fabric and access policies.
• Acquire knowledge of networking concepts in ACI, including external connectivity and integration with virtualization platforms.
• Develop skills in monitoring, troubleshooting, and resolving common issues in ACI deployments.
• Explore best practices for deploying and operating Cisco ACI environments.
• Gain exposure to security considerations, scalability, and automation capabilities in ACI.

Target Audience

This training program is suitable for:

• Network Engineers/Administrators interested in gaining expertise in Cisco ACI.
• Data Center Architects and Administrators responsible for designing and managing data center networks.
• IT professionals seeking to enhance their skills in Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and network automation.
• Anyone involved in the deployment, configuration, or management of Cisco ACI environments.

Training Program Outline

Day 1: Introduction and Architecture Overview

• Introduction to Software-Defined Networking (SDN)
• Overview of Cisco ACI
• Understanding the ACI Architecture
• Components of ACI Fabric

Day 2: Configuration and Policy Management

• Initializing and Configuring ACI Fabric
• Access Policies in ACI
• Tenants and Application Profiles
• Quality of Service (QoS) in ACI

Day 3: Networking and Integration

• Configuring Networking in ACI
• External Connectivity: Integrating with External Networks
• Integrating with Virtualization Platforms (e.g., VMware)
• Service Insertion and Chaining

Day 4: Monitoring and Troubleshooting

• Monitoring Tools and Features in ACI
• Troubleshooting Common ACI Issues
• ACI Faults and Alarms
• Troubleshooting Connectivity and Policy Enforcement

Day 5: Best Practices and Advanced Topics

• Best Practices for ACI Deployment and Operation
• Security Considerations in ACI
• Scaling ACI Fabric
• Automation and Programmability with ACI