Cisco Data Center Networking

Cisco Reveals Nexus HyperFabric AI Clusters, A New Simplified Data Center Infrastructure Solution with NVIDIA for Generative AI

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Achieve simplicity, visibility, and sustainability with Cisco Data Center Networking and WWT

Data centers now must accommodate highly distributed conventional and AI/ML workloads, intensifying communications across a disparate environment. Cisco data center solutions with WWT deliver modernized networks with operational excellence, networking for AI/ML, and sustainability, enabling you to manage your networks with ease.

Keep your data, workloads, and apps connected and secure for exceptional efficiency across your global on-premises and cloud data center infrastructure with data center networking.

Explore a Learning Path

Data Center Networking

Cisco NEXUS Dashboard

Previously, the Cisco day 2 operations suite of MSO, NAE, NIR, and NIA ran separately on computing as a .ova in vSphere or on the APIC as an application. The architecture never allowed for sharing data between the apps or correlations with errors and telemetry views of packet loss. With the roadmap moving, we had applications and a shared data lake for all applications to draw from and correlate between application errors, changes to the policy, and deep flow telemetry, all visual as an epoch. For all the applications to run and have sharable databases, Cisco NEXUS Dashboard (ND) was created. The ND platform allows all the Cisco Day 2 apps and third-party applications to run on a single appliance. Secondly, the ND has to be an expandable CPU and storage-intensive platform; today, the platform can scale with 3 master nodes and 4 worker nodes with the apps and their data residing on the ND cluster. As ND matures, more ND servers can join the cluster, and they can be separated regionally if within TTL requirements to distribute applications and provide DR strategies.

Learning Path

Data Center Networking

Cisco ACI

Cisco ACI is a policy-driven CLOS or Spine/Leaf based switching fabric utilizing layer 3 ECMP routing in the underlay and VXLAN encapsulation in the overlay to transport layer two and layer three traffic East/West across the fabric and North/South in and out of the fabric. ACI consists of the Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC), a centralized controller that manages all aspects of the ACI fabric. The leaf switches are ToR switches that provide connectivity between servers and external networks, and the spine switches are Layer 3 switches that provide ECMP high-bandwidth connectivity between leaf switches. An ACI fabric can be expanded East/West by adding leafs, cabling to the spines, and registering them. ACI was designed to operate as "One Big Switch" (like a chassis-based NEXUS 7K) with the controllers acting like the Supervisors, the spines as fabric modules, and leafs acting as blades. We can decouple these elements from the chassis and place them anywhere in the data center by taking this approach. The leafs (blades) can be placed anywhere in the data center, so you are not limited to a chassis.

Learning Path

Data Center Networking

Cisco DCNM and NDFC

Data Center Network Manager (DCNM), now superseded by Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC), is Cisco's version of an EVPN fabric controller. DCNM, or NDFC, has three essential primary components. Spines that act like physical aggregation points for all of the leaves. Leaves provide endpoint aggregation and link to the spine. The last essential component is the controller, which in the case of DCNM is a single device or HA pair, and for NDFC, it is a Nexus Dashboard cluster with a loaded NDFC application. In most cases, DCNM or NDFC will utilize OSPF for the underlay and VXLAN EVPN with MP-BGP as the overlay on Nexus 9000 switches. These fabric controllers are easier to use than similar fabric technologies on smaller to medium size networks, as most variables work out of the box without needing to change them. To what is known in the industry as a point and click your way to happiness.

Learning Path

WWT experts and the AI Proving Ground in our Advanced Technology Center (ATC) support the latest in Cisco Data Center Networking solutions, including:

Cisco Nexus Dashboard
Configure, operate, and analyze from one place across your data center and cloud networks. Cisco and WWT can help simplify your network operations with Cisco Nexus Dashboard.

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches
Help meet modern architecture, data growth, and sustainability priorities with Cisco Nexus 1G to 800G data center switches and a complete line of optics from Cisco and WWT. Cisco Nexus data center switches offer high-density performance and can usher your network to high-density 800G deployments. Modernize your aging infrastructure today.

Cisco ACI
Cisco ACI simplifies, secures, and automates network management and deployments through a single point of configuration.

Meet our experts

Rita Younger

Data Center Networking Practice Lead

Eric Fairfield

Technical Solutions Architect

Justin van Schaik

Technical Solutions Architect

Cisco Data Center certifications and awards

WWT employs 367 Cisco-certified engineers and holds more than 6,060 individual Cisco certifications. Notable certifications include many CCIE data center certifications, including:

Cisco Gold Integrator
Cisco Master Data Center and Hybrid Cloud Specialized
Cisco Advanced Data Center Specialized
Cisco Hybrid Cloud Computing Specialized

WWT was also recognized with three Cisco global partner awards in 2023, including Americas Partner of the Year and also the global Security & Collaboration Partner of the year.

View all of WWT's Cisco certifications and awards

Learn more about Data Center Networking and Cisco

AI Proving Ground

Welcome to the AI Proving Ground — the industry's first and only multi-OEM AI testing environment housed within the ATC. Compare, test and train AI solutions with a growing list of composable labs featuring the latest reference architectures, hardware and software from the leading AI innovators.

ATC

Data Center Networking

The Risk of End of Support (EoS) Infrastructure in Your Data Center

This article examines what End of Support/End of Life means, how it can affect your business and steps to making a plan to refresh your data center.

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• May 2, 2023

Cisco ACI Multi-Site vs. Multi-Pod

Understanding these two powerful yet distinct architectures is paramount to deriving maximum value from your data center network powered by ACI.

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• Jul 2, 2023

Data Center Networking

6 Steps to Understanding Cisco ACI

When understood, these six concepts will help anyone new to ACI to understand a more detailed technical discussion.

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• Jun 28, 2023

Data Center

Is Your IT Infrastructure Built for Tomorrow?

To remain competitive in today's global markets, organizations must determine which IT infrastructure makes sense for their business needs, now and in the future.

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• Mar 23, 2023

Data Center Networking

Data Center Networking Envisioning Workshop

How do you automate, analyze and secure your data center network in a world where applications are provisioned in real-time regardless of where they reside? During this Data Center Networking Strategy Workshop, our experts will assist you in developing an architectural strategy for an agile data center, regardless of where applications reside. Also taken into account are modern application integrations, the future of data center networking and ever-increasing security demands. We will help you establish a data center networking strategy that meets your current and future business needs.

Workshop

• 2 hrs