Implementing Automation for Cisco Data Center Solutions (DCAUI)

This training will teach you to implement Cisco Data Center automated solutions to:

• Learn the tools and the benefits of leveraging programmability and automation in the Cisco-powered Data Center
• Examine platforms include Cisco ACI (the controller-based Data Center environment), Cisco NX-OS on all Cisco Nexus platforms for device-centric automation, and Cisco UCS for Data Center compute
• Inspect the current ecosystem of APIs, software development toolkits, and relevant workflows in detail together with open industry standards, tools, and APIs, such as Python, Ansible, Git, JSON/YAML, NETCONF/RESTCONF, and YANG

After taking this course, you will be able to:

• Review Cisco ACI fundamental concepts, GUI workflows, and create the case for implementing automation
• Introduce the Cisco ACI REST API, the tools already available on the Cisco APIC, and understand basic API interaction using Postman
• Understand the functionality provided by the Python ACI libraries and write scripts that apply configuration and verify state on the Cisco ACI fabric
• Understand Cisco ACI Ansible modules, build playbooks that apply Infrastructure-as-Code concepts to Cisco ACI tenant configuration, and generate a health report using Ansible
• Understand Cisco ACI Apps Center integration and the benefits of integrating Kubernetes infrastructure with Cisco ACI
• Understand the API types and capabilities available on Cisco Nexus product family
• Understand Day 0 operations and how ZTP, POAP, and iPXE fulfill these goals with their respective tooling
• Understand functionality provided by the on-box tooling on the Cisco Nexus series switches and implement simple solutions to improve daily operations
• Use Python and Ansible to leverage the NX-API to implement and verify configuration state using modern workflows
• Understand the paradigm shift of Model-Driven Telemetry and explore a fully set up pipeline for data collection and analysis
• Understand the Cisco UCS developer tools and implement management workflows leveraging Cisco UCS APIs, Python, and Ansible modules
• Review Cisco NDFC product capabilities and understand how its API can be leveraged to automate the Cisco Data Center
• Understand the advantages of using Cisco Intersight and how to implement automation tasks using its REST APIs via Python and Ansible
• Describe Terraform plans for Cisco ACI deployments

• Channel and Customer Engineers including Network Engineers, System Engineers, Wireless Engineers, Consulting Systems Engineers, Technical Solutions Architects, Network Administrators, Wireless Design Engineers, Network Managers, Site Reliability Engineers, and Deployment Engineers
• Channel Sales Engineers
• Channel Account Managers

Before taking this course, you should have the following knowledge and skills:
• Basic knowledge of programming language concepts
• Basic understanding of virtualization and VMware
• Ability to use Linux and CLI tools, such as SSH and bash
• CCNP level data center knowledge
• Foundational understanding of Cisco ACI

Course Outline 1. Describing the Cisco ACI Policy Model 2. Describing the Cisco APIC REST API 3. Using Python to Interact with the Cisco ACI REST API 4. Using Ansible to Automate Cisco ACI 5. Introducing Cisco NX-OS Programmability 6. Describing Day-Zero Provisioning with Cisco NX-OS 7. Implementing On-Box Programmability and Automation with Cisco NX-OS 8. Implementing Off-Box Programmability and Automation with Cisco NX-OS 9. Automating Cisco UCS Using Developer Tools 10. Describing Cisco Intersight Lab Outline 1. Use Cisco APCI Web GUI 2. Discover the Cisco APIC REST API 3. Use Postman with the APIC REST API 4. Use Python with Cisco APIC REST API 5. Configure and Verify Cisco ACI Using Acitoolkit 6. Use Cobra and Arya to Recreate a Tenant 7. Manage Configuration Using Ansible 8. Set Up a New Tenant the NetDevOps Way 9. Create an Infrastructure Health Report 10. Set Up Power On Auto Provisioning on the Cisco Nexus 9000 11. Use Bash and Guest Shell on Cisco NX-OS 12. Use Python to Enhance CLI Commands 13. Trigger a Python Script Using EEM 14. Configure and Verify Using NX-API and Python 15. Configure and Verify Using NETCONF and YANG 16. Use Ansible with Cisco NX-OS 17. Connect, Query, and Modify Cisco UCS Manager Objects Using Cisco UCS PowerTool 18. Connect, Query, and Modify Cisco UCS IMC Objects Using Cisco UCS PowerTool 19. Utilize Cisco UCS Python SDK 20. Utilize Cisco IMC Python SDK 21. Implement Ansible Playbooks to Modify and Verify the Configuration of Cisco UCS Manager