CHAPTER 4
Connecting the Switch to the ACI Fabric
• ACI Fabric Topology, on page 33
• Preparing to Connect to Other Devices, on page 34
• Connecting Leaf Switches to APICs, on page 35
• Connecting Leaf Switches to Spine Switches, on page 37
• FEX Conversion and Support, on page 38
• Installing a Gigabit Ethernet module (GEM), on page 40
• Migration of Nodes From a First Generation Switch to a Second Generation Switch, on page 40
• Setting Up an Optional Console Interface, on page 42
• Setting Up an Optional Management Connection, on page 43
• Maintaining Transceivers and Optical Cables, on page 43
ACI Fabric Topology
The ACI fabric topology includes the following major components:
• Application Centric Infrastructure Controller (APIC) appliance (cluster of APICs)
• Leaf switches (for switch compatibility, please see the data sheets).
• Spine switches (for switch compatibility, please see the data sheets).
For additional information, please see the Cisco APIC Installation, Upgrade, and Downgrade Guide.
To prevent sub-optimal forwarding between endpoints, connect every leaf switch in the fabric to every spine
switch in the same fabric.
Note
As shown in the following figure, each APIC is connected to one or two leaf switches and each leaf switch
should be connected to every spine switch in the same fabric.
Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX3 ACI-Mode Switch Hardware Installation Guide
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