ACI Integration with OpenStack (ACISTK)

Key Features of ACI Integration with OpenStack (ACISTK)

• Neutron ML2 and L3 Plugin Support – Integrates ACI with OpenStack Neutron for Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking.
• APIC Integration – Uses Cisco ACI's APIC (Application Policy Infrastructure Controller) for network configuration.
• Tenant/Project Mapping – Automatically maps OpenStack tenants to ACI tenants.
• Security Groups & Policies – Enforces OpenStack security groups through ACI contracts.
• Service Graphs – Allows integration of services like firewalls/load balancers into OpenStack environments using ACI constructs

Before learning ACI Integration with OpenStack (ACISTK) , a solid understanding of networking concepts such as VLANs, routing, and switching is essential. Familiarity with Cisco ACI architecture and OpenStack services, including compute, storage, and networking, will be helpful. Basic knowledge of virtualization and cloud computing concepts is also beneficial.

Skills Needed Before learning ACI Integration with OpenStack (ACISTK)

• Basic Networking (IP, VLANs, Routing, L2/L3)
• Cisco ACI Concepts (Tenants, EPGs, Contracts, APIC)
• OpenStack Basics (Nova, Neutron, Horizon, CLI)
• Linux Commands and File System
• Virtualization (VMs, KVM, SDN basics)
• Optional: YAML, JSON, REST APIs

• Cisco ACI and OpenStack
• ACI Architecture and Components
• OpenStack Overview (Keystone, Nova, Neutron, Horizon)
• Neutron Networking Concepts and ML2 Plugin
• ACI Object Model (Tenants, VRFs, EPGs, Contracts)
• ACISTK Architecture and Integration Flow
• Installing and Configuring ACISTK
• Mapping OpenStack Tenants to ACI Tenants
• Security Groups and Contract Policies
• Service Graphs and Service Chaining
• Troubleshooting ACI–OpenStack Integration
• Hands-on Labs and Real-world Scenarios