Overview
• Overview, page 1
Overview
The Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) Fabric hardware includes an Application Policy Infrastructure
Controller (APIC) (a Cisco UCS C220-M3 Server), one or more leaf switches (Cisco Nexus 93128TX, 9396PX,
or 9396TX switches), and one or more spine switches (Cisco Nexus 9336PQ, 9504, or 9508 switches) for
each leaf switch. Information about installing the APIC Controllers, leaf switches, and spine switches in racks
can be found in the following publications:
• APIC Controllers
◦Cisco UCS C220-M3 Server—See the Cisco UCS C220 Server Installation and Service Guide
• Leaf switches
◦Cisco Nexus 93128TX Switch —See the Cisco Nexus 93128TX ACI-Mode Switch Hardware
Installation Guide
◦Cisco Nexus 9396PX Switch —See the Cisco Nexus 9396PX ACI-Mode Switch Hardware
Installation Guide
◦Cisco Nexus 9396TX Switch —See the Cisco Nexus 9396TX ACI-Mode Switch Hardware
Installation Guide
• Spine switches
◦Cisco Nexus 9336PQ Switch —See the Cisco Nexus 9336PQ Switch Hardware Installation Guide
◦Cisco Nexus 9504 Switch —See the Cisco Nexus 9504 ACI-Mode Switch Hardware Installation
Guide
◦Cisco Nexus 9508 Switch —See the Cisco Nexus 9508 ACI-Mode Switch Hardware Installation
Guide
This hardware installation guide explains how to set up the ACI fabric by connecting APIC controllers to leaf
switches and connecting the leaf switches to spine switches.
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Overview
Cisco APIC Installation Features
For information about creating the initial switch configuration for the switches in the ACI fabric, see the Cisco
APIC Getting Started Guide, which also explains how to connect the optional console, out-of-band, and
in-band management interfaces, which you can use for monitoring and troubleshooting.
Cisco APIC Installation Features
The following figure identifies the Cisco APIC features that you use to install the Cisco ACI Fabric hardware.
For the other features on this controller, see the Cisco UCS C220 Server Installation and Service Guide.
Figure 1: APIC Installation Features
1
Console port for a direct connection to a console 4
Virtual Interface Card (VIC) for either optical
(VIC1225) connections or 10GBASE-T
(VIC1225T) connections
2
Cisco Integrated Management Controller
(CIMC) port (alternative) port dedicated to a
console (1-Gigabit Ethernet connection)
connection
Two fiber optic or 10GBASE-T ports for
connections to a downlink port on one or two
TOR switches
3
Out-of-band management ports (can also be
used as CIMC ports)
5
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Cisco Leaf Switch Installation Features
Cisco Leaf Switch Installation Features
The following figure identifies port features that you work with when installing the Cisco Nexus 93128TX
switch with the Cisco ACI Fabric hardware.
Figure 2: Cisco Nexus 93128TX Switch ACI Fabric Installation Features
1
Downlink ports that connect to the APIC
2
Uplink ports that connect to Cisco spine
switches (only the leftmost 8 ports are active
for this switch)
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Cisco Leaf Switch Installation Features
The following figure identifies port features that you work with when installing the Cisco Nexus 9396PX
switch with the Cisco ACI Fabric hardware.
Figure 3: Cisco Nexus 9396PX Switch ACI Fabric Installation Features
1
Downlink ports that connect to the APIC
2
Uplink ports that connect to Cisco spine
switches (all 12 ports are active)
The following figure identifies port features that you work with when installing the Cisco Nexus 9396TX
switch with the Cisco ACI Fabric hardware.
Figure 4: Cisco Nexus 9396TX Switch ACI Fabric Installation Features
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Cisco Spine Switch Installation Features
1
Downlink ports that connect to the APIC
2
Uplink ports that connect to Cisco spine
switches (all 12 ports are active)
For other features on these switches, see one of the following documents:
• Cisco Nexus 93128TX ACI-Mode Switch Hardware Installation Guide
• Cisco Nexus 9396PX ACI-Mode Switch Hardware Installation Guide
• Cisco Nexus 9396TX ACI-Mode Switch Hardware Installation Guide
Cisco Spine Switch Installation Features
The following figure identifies the installation features that you use when installing the Cisco Nexus 9336PQ
switch with the Cisco ACI Fabric hardware.
Figure 5: Cisco Nexus 9336PQ Switch Installation Features (Port Side)
1
Chassis LEDs
5
40-Gigabit QSFP+ ports (36)
2
USB ports
6
Screw holes for attaching a front mount bracket
for four-post racks (one bracket on each of two
sides).
3
Out-of-band management port
7
Notch in both sides of the chassis for locking
the power supply side of the chassis to the
bottom support rails.
4
Console port
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Cisco Spine Switch Installation Features
The following figure identifies the features that you use when installing the Cisco Nexus 9504 switch with
the Cisco ACI Fabric hardware.
Figure 6: ACI Fabric Installation Features on the Cisco Nexus 9504 Switch Chassis
1 Two vertical
4 3-kW AC power supplies (up to two without power redundancy or up to four with
mounting
power redundancy) in slots PS 1 to PS 4
brackets used to
mount the
chassis onto a
rack
2 I/O modules (up 5 Chassis LEDs
to four) in slots
LC 1 to LC 4
3 Supervisor
6 Chassis handles (used only for positioning the chassis on the bottom support rails—do
modules (one or
not use these handles for lifting the chassis)
two) in slots
SUP 1 and SUP
2
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Cisco Spine Switch Installation Features
The following figure identifies the features that you use when installing the Cisco Nexus 9508 switch with
the Cisco ACI Fabric hardware.
Figure 7: ACI Fabric Installation Features on the Cisco Nexus 9508 Switch Chassis
1
Chassis LEDs
4
3-kW AC power supplies (up to four required
for optical I/O modules with power recundancy)
in slots 1 through 8
2
36-port 40-Gigabit I/O modules (up to eight) in 5
slots 1 to 8
Two vertical mounting brackets used to mount
the chassis onto a rack
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Cisco Spine Switch Installation Features
3
Supervisor modules (one or two) in slots 27 and 6
28
Chassis handles (used only for positioning the
chassis on the bottom support rails—do not use
these handles to lift the chassis)
For information about installing these switches in racks, see the following documents:
• Cisco Nexus 9336PQ Switch Hardware Installation Guide
• Cisco Nexus 9504 Switch Hardware Installation Guide
• Cisco Nexus 9508 Switch Hardware Installation Guide
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