Cisco ACI Multi-Pod vs Multi-Web site: Detailed Comparability

August 29, 2022

1

Software centric architectures are core of networking which assist to derive most worth from knowledge centre networks powered by them. Software centric architectures (ACIs) present flexibility to leverage ACIs coverage mannequin in single knowledge centre, a number of knowledge centres or in public cloud environments. They let organizations increase, safe and interconnect knowledge centres situated all around the world.

Immediately we glance extra intimately about two strongest and distinct architectures Cisco ACI Multi Pod vs Multi-site, main variations between the 2, function for which they’re deployed and use circumstances.

Earlier than we deep dive into these two distinct architectures we have to perceive two terminologies generally used or related to them. A ‘Cloth’ is a backbone leaf topology of Nexus 9000 sequence switches with a single cluster of utility coverage infrastructure controllers (APIC); it’s a single level of administration for ACI material. A ‘Pod’ is a set of interconnected ACI leaf and backbone switches which might be below the management of a selected APIC cluster.

ACI material might have a number of Pods and all these Pods are a part of the identical material and are below the management of the identical APIC cluster. When you have a number of materials, every with its personal APIC cluster then unbiased ACI clusters are known as ‘Websites’. A ‘Web site’ is a single material within the ACI world.

The ACI multi-Pod structure is an extension of pre-existing ACI material with out the necessity to arrange new material from the beginning. ACI Multi-pod material contains two to 12 ACI Pods that are related by way of an inter Pod community and managed below a single APIC cluster. It’s an analysis of what was earlier known as as ‘stretched material’.

Options of Cisco ACI Multi-Pod

Multi-Pod affords resiliency at community stage throughout Pods and remainder of the performance stays with Single ACI material. Administrative overhead is minimal whereas extending knowledge centre community
Connectivity and management – all Pods inside topology are interconnected utilizing an IP routed inter-Pod community (IPN) which isn’t managed by APIC however person can configure it individually. All inter-Pod visitors is encapsulated with VXLAN. Management airplane between Pod leverages MP-BGP EVPN so endpoint data is propagated in a single Pod to an endpoint to a different Pod in a seamless method.
Ease of administration – All leaf and Backbone switches deployed throughout Pod come below one Single APIC cluster which implies they’re thought-about a single administrative area.

Use circumstances for Cisco ACI Multi-Pod

Enhanced scalability for a big knowledge centre footprint
Campus knowledge centre deployments
Organising catastrophe restoration websites

ACI Multi-site is 2 or extra materials (having its personal APIC cluster) which might be managed as a unit utilizing ACI multi-site orchestrator. Every ACI website has a single APIC cluster managing backbone leaf material. That is ideally suited the place full isolation is a requirement each at community and tenant change area ranges throughout ACI community setups.

Elements of Cisco ACI Multi-Web site Structure

Cisco Multi-site structure has a number of purposeful parts we are going to look into them extra intimately as below:

Cisco Multi-site orchestrator – is the intersite coverage supervisor offering single pane of glass for centralized coverage supervisor to push all intersite coverage to totally different APIC domains, monitoring well being standing and rating of all interconnected websites and likewise offers single pane of administration.
Intersite management airplane is – reachability particulars of endpoints is exchanged throughout MP-BGV EVPN protocol utilizing MAC and IP Tackle
Intersite knowledge airplane is multi-site , website to website VXLAN tunnel to supply layer 2 and layer 3 endpoint communication
Shadow EPG is restricted copy of every EPG (also referred to as shadow EPG) are create robotically for every APIC area when contracts between two totally different EPGs at every website is outlined at MSO.

Options of Cisco ACI Multi-Web site

It comes complementary with Cisco APIC
MP-BGP EVPN is used because the management airplane between websites with throughout websites VXLAN knowledge encapsulation
Extends coverage area finish to finish throughout materials
Enablement of worldwide view of web sites well being
Muti website coverage supervisor GUI interface to launch website APICs
Cross website namespace normalization is supported by connecting backbone switches
Catastrophe restoration eventualities to supply IP mobility by way of websites

Use circumstances for Cisco ACI Multi-Web site

Centralized knowledge centre which requires to create separate availability zones
Catastrophe restoration eventualities
Geographically distributed knowledge centres throughout international locations, cities, continents require a single pane of administration for provisioning, monitoring and administration , deployment of stretched insurance policies throughout availability zones.

Comparability Desk: Cisco ACI Multi-Pod vs Multi-Web site

Under in a position summarizes the distinction between the 2:

PARAMETER	CISCO ACI MULTI-POD	CISCO ACI MULTI-SITE
Administration	APIC cluster affords the central level of administration for total multi-pod material	Central level of configuration and administration of material.
ACI Performance	Full ACI performance throughout Mult-Pod material	Multi-sites have tenants, Purposes, VREs, BDs, Subnets, EPGs, insurance policies pushed throughout ACI materials
Availability	Single availability zone with one APIC cluster	A number of availability zones , every material with its separate APIC cluster
Replication	Makes use of multicast in inter-pod community	Makes use of head finish replication
VM Migration	Helps stay VM migration inside and throughout Pods	Helps stay VM migration inside and throughout websites (vSphere 6 and above) with assist of IP mobility throughout websites
Site visitors dealing with	Multi-Pod make the most of multicast in inter-pod community	Handles multi-destination visitors
Redundancy	Redundant nodes, interfaces and gadgets inside a cloth	Full website energetic / energetic or energetic/standby deployment
Configuration Modifications	APIC cluster pushes configuration adjustments to Pods material (Preserving tenant isolation)	Selectively pushing configuration adjustments to particular websites allow staging/validation (preserving tenant isolation)
Node Rely	Node rely scales as per limits of a single material	Node rely scales as per variety of related websites
Interconnects	Makes use of decrease latency IP networks	It could actually deploy insurance policies throughout continents
Authentication And Position-based Entry Management	Authentication and RBAC enforced inside all Pods of material	Authentication and RBAC enforced throughout websites