You can add Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrestructure) as a data source in VMware Aria Operations for Networks. This feature is available only for the enterprise license users.

Prerequisites

  • You must verify the following information:

    • The data source and its version is supported in VMware Aria Operations for Networks. For more information, see Supported Products and Versions.
    • The data source follows VMware Ports and Protocols supported in VMware Aria Operations for Networks. For more information, see VMware Ports and Protocols.
  • To connect to the APIC controller REST API over HTTPS, you must have access to all the tenants and have the read-only privilege.
  • For SNMP, you must have the read-only permission.
  • To authenticate Cisco ACI, you must have a local user role with the following privileges:
    • Security Domain: all
    • Role: admin
    • Access: read
    For details on how to create a local user in Cisco ACI, see the Access, Authentication, and Accounting section in the Cisco APIC Security Configuration Guide.

Procedure

  1. From the left navigation pane, go to Settings > Accounts and Data Sources.
  2. Click Add Source.
  3. Under Others, select Cisco ACI.
  4. In the Add a new Cisco ACI Account or Source page, provide the following details:
    Option Action
    Collector VM Select a collector VM from the drop-down menu.
    IP Address/FQDN Provide the IP address of an APIC controller in the cluster.
    Note: You do not have to add the individual switches in the ACI fabric.
    Username Enter the user name.
    Note:
    • If the user is a domain user, then you must add apic: before the user name. For example, if the user name is user1 and if the user belongs to the domain domain1 then specify the user name as apic:domain1\\user1. The domain name is case-sensitive.
    • If you want to use a local user account when default authentication method is set to TACACS, then you must add apic#fallback\\ before the user name. For example, if the local user name is user2, then specify the user name as apic#fallback\\user2.
    Password Enter the password.
  5. Click Validate.
  6. To enable a richer data collection, click Use SNMP (recommended for richer data collection) check box, and do the following:
    1. From the SNMP Version drop-down menu, select an SNMP version. Depending on which version of SNMP you have selected, do the following:
      Option Action
      2c In the Community String text box, enter a community string.
      3
      1. Enter Username, Context Name.
      2. From the Authentication Type drop-down, select an authentication type and enter the Authentication Password.
      3. From the Privacy Type drop-down, select a privacy type and enter the Privacy Password.
  7. Define the polling interval for the configuration data collection. You can set the polling interval from 10 minutes to 7 days.
    • Preset - Select the interval time from the predefined time set.
    • Custom Interval - Set a value and select Minutes, Hours, and Days.
    • Fixed Schedule - Select the days and set the time to schedule the interval.
  8. (Optional) In the Nickname text box, enter a nickname.
  9. (Optional) In the Notes text box, add a note if necessary.
  10. Click Submit.

Results

Cisco ACI is added as a data source in VMware Aria Operations for Networks.
Note:

VMware Aria Operations for Networks supports the following features of Cisco ACI:

  • Neighbor discovery (CDP and LLDP)
  • Endpoint group (EPG)
  • L3Out EPG
  • EPG gateway
  • Bridge domain
  • VRF
  • IPv4 routing
  • Contract (in network assurance and verification)

The following features are not supported:

  • Fabric extender (FEX)
  • IPv6
  • Layer 3 EVPN
  • Multi-pod
  • Multi-site