Skip to main content
TrustRadius
Cisco ACI

Cisco ACI

Overview

What is Cisco ACI?

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is network virtualization technology.

Read more
Recent Reviews

Cisco ACI Review

8 out of 10
June 12, 2024
Incentivized
So mainly this product is for kind of data center solutions. Before using that we were using Cisco devices and non ACI mode. So the main …
Continue reading

Faster Deployment

9 out of 10
February 05, 2024
Incentivized
We have been use Cisco ACI for 4 years. We have pods logic, with 3 pods. In each Pods we have one or more pairs of LBA and FW with PBRs or …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing
N/A
Unavailable

What is Cisco ACI?

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is network virtualization technology.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Would you like us to let the vendor know that you want pricing?

4 people also want pricing

Alternatives Pricing

What is California Telecom SD-WAN Platform?

Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) is a technology that offers benefits to organizations seeking to optimize their network infrastructure. California Telecom blends the benefits of SD-WAN with support and a team of Tier-3 Network engineers to provide a helping hand to come alongside…

Return to navigation

Product Details

What is Cisco ACI?

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI®) is presented as a secure, open, and comprehensive Software-Defined Networking (SDN) solution, enables automation that accelerates infrastructure deployment and governance, simplifies management to move workloads across a multi-fabric and multicloud frameworks, and proactively secures against risk arising from anywhere. It's goal is to simplify, optimize, and expedite the application deployment lifecycle.

Cisco ACI Features

  • Supported: Enable automation to accelerate infrastructure deployment and governance
  • Supported: Simplify management to move workloads across a multi-fabric and multicloud framework
  • Supported: Proactively secure against risk
  • Supported: Identify performance issues in the network before they happen
  • Supported: Transform IT operations from reactive to proactive

Cisco ACI Video

Cisco ACI Explained

Cisco ACI Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is network virtualization technology.

VMware NSX, Palo Alto Panorama, and IBM Cloud Internet Services are common alternatives for Cisco ACI.

Reviewers rate Performance and Support Rating highest, with a score of 9.1.

The most common users of Cisco ACI are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(154)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 66)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
June 12, 2024

Cisco ACI Review

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
So mainly this product is for kind of data center solutions. Before using that we were using Cisco devices and non ACI mode. So the main problem was distributed management. Whenever there is some issues we need to manage the device. All the devices log into different devices to kind of do the troubleshooting. So it provide us kind of single plane pane of glass for management and operations. And this is SDN capable as well. So a lot of integration and automation can be done through using this product.
  • Mainly whenever we have a requirement to do bulk configurations or multiple objects within the data center needs to create or multiple endpoints needs to be connected to the disease. So in a single go we can configure them all.
  • Actually we had some issues in past as well in which this multi ACI, whenever we run it into multi-part architecture mode or design. So we have a lot of multicast issues in between. In which endpoints between the data centers in the single EPG or bds, were unable to connect with each other due to that multicasting loops and other stuff. So this is the problem we faced multiple times in the past.
Cisco ACI is well suited for the user environment like we have in which there are kind of the endpoints or servers are in thousands. So for those environment that is well suited but then in small environment it is not very helpful.
June 10, 2024

Cisco ACI Review

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We're migrating off of the Old Nexus platform to a CI platform just to future-proof our data centers to allow better communication between data centers. Right now we use OTV with Nexus, so this is going to allow for easier transition between data centers.
  • So with the old one, we've had a secure zone, core zone, so we have special hardware specific for those zones, so security zones in our data center. This allows us to basically have the spine leaf and we could put any ports in any zone. So it allows a lot more, I'd say efficient use of equipment, being able to plug in things to whatever, and then program it to how you want it to work on.
  • Being how it's primarily, I know a lot of things can be scripted, but it is very much a gooey point and click administration. I think there needs to be people coming from a command line, mind type of deal going towards something like this. It's very slow, very cumbersome to make a lot of changes, so it'd be nice to be able to automate or be able to have those changes without having to learn scripting languages or at least have a path. For those of us who haven't learned those scripting waves yet.
It was really well suited. Being able to configure, say like a, it's called the IPG and interface port profile group. So to be able to create a profile for a type of server and then implement that to a lot of different ports is a lot easier than going through and configuring every port to be configured as a certain profile. So it's a nice way of saying it's like, we have this type of server, it uses these VLANs and has these characteristics and we're going to just apply this towards all those things. That way when something changes, we have to change it once instead of in 20 different places.
June 04, 2024

Cisco ACI Review

Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Primarily in a netcentric design. Virtual servers deployed using VMM integration.
  • Ease of deployment
  • Quickly identify issues / endpoints on the network.
  • Code upgrades are a huge undertaking
  • Lack of feedback through GUI during changes and upgrades
  • Constant requirement to push new code versions due to code end of support.
well suited for rapid deployments.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
L2 connectivity between EPs and external router, managed by EPGs. VPC connections for servers.
3 pod cluster, 40 leaf switches.
  • Feedback on connection problems. Be it layer 1 through 4, it'll warn us when something is wrong.
  • Adoption of new topology. The way in which LLDP works together with the rest of the fabric makes this very easy.
  • Setting up VPCs. It's not difficult at all.
  • The APIC web UI is slow. Even on the newer UCS systems it is laggy.
  • The terminology for some of the objects is really confusing for someone that never used Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure. It would be at least helpful if there would be a link to a reference of the "classical" terms in the web UI.
  • The cost of the hardware, together with the management platform, is high. It is difficult to convince my management layer why the ease of manageability outweighs the high price.
It is a great tool to do full end to end automation within a datacenter. Also when integrating the physical routing and switching world with the connected hypervising platforms like esxi or docker.
If none of these integrations are possible, or when the mutations in infra are sparse, I think the price isn't worth it.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
We offer services to our customers, such as architecture and implementation.
  • Segmentation and security
  • Multitenancy
  • Scalability
  • Integration with different providers
  • Microsegmentation
Big environments, with the necessity of scalability.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Automation and integration of virtual networking via switch app in Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure for fiber interconnect.
  • Residence
  • Flexibility
  • Control
  • Visibility
  • Monitoring
  • Recovery
  • Autorecovery
  • Config validation
  • Bug checks against functionality when making changes
Where you need most critical application to perform and proactive monitoring.
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure as a big traditional switch. It is a waste of potential and money, but there is no way we can convince our management and the rest of our firm to move cables to the new ACI infrastructure, change the approach to an Application Centric one and integrate the network with the VM infrastructure.
  • Switch
  • Contracts
  • Epg
  • User interface
The way we are using it now Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure is just a big switch without the power of CLI. Programmability would probably be its best feature if I could get to use it.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
3 fabric with about 100 leafs, each moving from network to Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure.
  • Central management
  • Scalability
  • Cli commands messing up policy
Should only be used when there is a need for allocation centric deployment.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We have migrated our existing core to Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure, allowing for policy based objectives and automation.
  • Scripted deployments
  • A single/terraform integration
  • Bugs
  • Lack of training awareness
Large infrastructures benefit the most.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use ACI fabric as primary Datacenter Infrastructure. We use SDN model for internal apploications and multicloud environment.
Flexibility and High availability for strategic compute and data resources are the main goal of the ACI infrastructure
  • High availability
  • programmability
  • Infrastructure as a service
  • Integration with third party compute
  • Storage management
ACI is completely suited for modern datacenter and Hybryd cloud scenarios.
ACI is not so good in conventional environemtn where VLAN switching is the only required transport service
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure to run our data center applications for 1300+ retail stores and 400 pharmacies.
  • Segmentation
  • Programmability
  • Automation
  • Policy based redirect using service graph
Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure works best if you want to run data center networking via code.
February 05, 2024

Faster Deployment

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
We have been use Cisco ACI for 4 years. We have pods logic, with 3 pods. In each Pods we have one or more pairs of LBA and FW with PBRs or L3/L2Out. We prefer L2Out, not Static port binding because of security and STP logic. In total we have 5 Tenants.
  • PBR
  • Microsegmentation
  • Security
  • Automation
  • Visibility
  • Performance
  • Naming convation
Mix env. for example Cloud and Local On prem. Multipod and Multisite, to have the option for end-to-end security policy is very well.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Cisco ACI automates data center networks, streamlines operations, and boosts security, covering deployment automation to multi-cloud integration.
  • Automation
  • Monitoring
  • Provisioning
  • Assurance
  • Security
  • Flexibility
  • Simplicity
Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI) is well-suited for automating data center operations, simplifying network management in multi-cloud environments, and enhancing security with micro-segmentation. It's less appropriate for small networks lacking complexity or where the cost and learning curve outweigh the benefits.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI) helps us to use our cloud servers. We connected our servers to them. We use vlanx over them. We work with two companies as one, so we have two environments but manage them together over Cisco ACI. It helps to connect our different servers from different companies to each other.
  • Easier management
  • Better user experience
Cisco ACI helps us to connect different environments to each other. It is easier than traditional because policies are better than configuring on switches. Also we use to connect our business partners to us. We like also virtual port channels are easier to use on ACI. Software-defined network technologies are new trend so we catch up with trends.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI) is used as L2 infrastructure mainly. DR site connectivity, scalability, administration.
  • Adding a new Switch
  • Configuring a port.
  • Separating control and data from traffic plane
  • Easy deployment of EPG/VLAN
  • No STP
  • Policy reusable.
  • TEP pool exhaustion.
  • Upgrade process tends to be unpredictable.
Cisco ACI is great for scalability and adding new switches. No STP to worry about. L3 out implementation with L3 placed on a VM Pre 5.2 version.
December 22, 2023

DC Fabric

Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure forms the backbone of our Data Centre networks across 3 physical locations and multiple data halls. It integrates with our virutalisation platforms, baremetal and cloud partners.
  • Network segregation
  • High availability
  • Simplicity of Design
  • Spine infrastructure can become overloaded without careful consideration
Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure has demonstrated effectiveness in its use within the datacentre although we have at times overloaded the spine capabilities causing some outages. I would not think this to be a good solution for very small datacentre footprints (a couple racks).
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
Provide Networking solutions for data center deployments. Business problem was to migrate data centers from old to new and relocate the workloads into the new data center. Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure multipod and remote leaf architecture used to provide migration links. Layer 2 extensions used to co-exit workloads while they are being migrated.
  • Once setup IMAC are simple
  • Very reliable
  • Performance on the platform is great
  • Simpler Inband management
  • Easier troubleshooting of contracts
  • More checks during upgrades (endpoints and routes)
Well suited to data center deployments with storage and compute to host applications. When deployed with VMWARE and/or hyperconverged infrastructure you get a good solution that is reliable and robust and can support a vast array of solutions. Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure works on any sized solution however, it's more appropriate to mid to large scale deployments.
August 25, 2023

Cisco ACI review

Rodrigo Marchina Soares | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Cisco ACI is mostly used on our customers Data Centers (Public and Private sectors), helping to integrate Primary and Disaster recovery DCs. The Deployment scenarios can be Multi-site or Multi-Pod. The DCI (Data Center Interconnect) can be used to stretch VLANs between ACI Data Centres. The technology used for that is VXLAN.
  • Stretch VLANs
  • Security access between EPGs
  • Routing
  • Contract and filters
  • MSO (multi-site orchrestrator) tool
Data Center scenarios, replacing Aggregation switches, like legacy Nexus 7k and 5K devices. Also improve the technology between Data Centres with VXLAN technology.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use it in Network Centric Mode, several separated PODs, we use it as a private cloud. It’s agility and flexibility as a product to automate integration with VMware and UCS integration makes every deployment simple to just a couple of clicks, it solves time for deployment, it brings full availability of each link since it is a VXLAN fabric. Integration to many products seems native, and makes easy to move from a contract type of deployment to other type of similar deployments again with just a couple of clicks. It’s integration with POSTMAN is essential to configure tenants with libraries or get information.
  • It’s integration with VMware makes seem less the deployment
  • It’s integration with compute using UCS integration, automates the VLAN creation and assignment in the UCSM
  • Rich API scope, you can deploy tenants within seconds.
  • Move from a legacy environment to a network centric in ACI is doable through multiple ways.
  • It’s operations and troubleshooting module with the audit and alerting provides good insight of what could be causing the issue(if there is one).
  • It’s endpoint visibility in GUI looks good but through CLI they disappear, and makes things harder to troubleshoot.
ACI can work in almost in any DC
- Private cloud
- Public cloud
- Stretched Data centers
- Multiple PODs as separated DC (side A and side B)
It can fit in a bank design where they need their apps always available this way you can stretch multiple DCs at the same time, in case of those goes offline, you can deploy it easily in a private cloud environment where multiple customers connect in. It depends the design but ACI can definitely adapt easily to the deployment type.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
My organization has migrated from the traditional NX-OS tiered networking architecture to ACI allowing us to provide a higher level of redundancy, while also streamlining services.
  • more network Redundancy
  • automation for provisioning access ports
  • easier fault isolation
  • graphical user interfaces
  • bridging the manual input into automated responses
Cisco ACI is definitely well suited for larger companies that host data center environments. I cannot see the advantage for smaller organizations.
June 09, 2023

Cisco ACI Review

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Cisco ACI is what we use for our two main Data Centers. Building on the flexibility of fabric path for redundancy and bandwidth to support enterprise solutions for 60 acute facilities and 1000+ ambulatories.
  • Scalability
  • Reliability
  • API inspection for ease with automating tasks
  • None listed
Migrating to ACI and the learning curve and understanding from the business is sometimes a challenge. Because it is a security focused (appropriately so) the ease of adding ports and end points associated to traditional trunks can be very time consuming. Note I understand we can maybe improve these speeds if we bring the FI's into the ACI infrastructure but today they are separated bring up a new FI domain teadious if not automated.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
we 're building a new dc and using the ACI for managing the Fabric with entirely enhance features
  • managing and deploying the fabric
  • managing and controlling inter site mobility
  • integrating with hypervisor (vcenter)
  • air force
  • navigator systems
  • goverments
multisite dc migration
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We are using aci for about 5 years. we have 3 fabrics for different firewall segments
  • central provisioning
  • micro segmentation
  • ep tracking
  • complex user interface
  • complex object modelling
  • complex configuration
I find aci menu , its object oriented structure too hard to use
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We have moved all our internal infrastructure to Cisco ACI platform. We use it support our internal and external applications, for clients peering with us externally, either through direct connect or VPN.

The main business problem this has addressed for us is latency within our network through the mesh topology.
It has also helped make manageability of our network much easier through the GUI and API. ACI has also enabled us to have much better visibility on faults (such as BGP peers going down or links going down) so we can respond much faster to any issues.
  • Network Zoning through contacts / Easily isolating endpoints even within the same subnets
  • Managability through either the GUI or through Automation via the API helps reduce time for implementing changes
  • SLA - with Cisco ACI mesh topology we have multiple redundant paths within our network and 1 link going down won't even be noticed
  • viewing contract drops within ACI , there should be a better interface to check this
Cisco ACI is well suited to larger environments with latency sensitive applications or with strict SLA requirements

Cisco ACI is suited ofr eveyrthing!
June 08, 2023

ACI is Great !

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Cisco ACI as the only fabric for the Toronto Stock Exchange. It provides, Extranet, Internet and servers connectivity. We manage eveything through APIC and use Ansible and Gitops to provision the fabric. We use Nexus Dashboard Insight to monitoring and telemetry. It is a good tool. Good Product.
  • Central Manage through Controller
  • Software Defined Networking
  • Datacenter Switching
  • Integration with Cisco ISE
  • Integration with Firewalls (Cisco or not)
  • CLI on leaf is missing JSON output
Verry good for a greenfield datacenter deployment for Compute farm.
Return to navigation