Cisco ACI Vs Cisco DNA Center: Comparison

The comparison between Cisco ACI and Cisco DNA Center is crucial for network professionals looking to optimize their infrastructure. Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure) focuses on data center management, providing a robust framework for application deployment and policy management.

In contrast, Cisco DNA Center (Digital Network Architecture) offers a centralized platform for automating and managing enterprise networks. Understanding the differences and applications of these technologies is essential for effective network design.

Engaging in Cisco training courses can enhance your knowledge and skills in leveraging both solutions to meet organizational needs efficiently.

In this article, we will look at the difference between Cisco ACI and Cisco DNA Center. We will also look at the direct comparison table listing all the differences between Cisco ACI vs Cisco DNA Center.

What is Cisco ACI?

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) has been the data center networking workhorse since its unharnessed in 2014. ACI was a substantial success in scalability, automation, and user experience.

ACI authorized admins to fine-tune automation in data centers large and small. ACI simplified DC networking by taking away the complexity of manually fixing up a network's surroundings.

Traditionally, various Nexus switches installed in similar surroundings had to be organized manually — one by one. Since ACI treats all organized devices as a single entity, admins can configure and manage them all at a similar time through the APIC. It’s an enormous time and money saver.

ACI started returning to its own from an automation point of view with its HTML5-based GUI — simplifying the entire setup process by shielding administrators from the often tedious task of configuring equipment through the CLI or the REST API.

Integration is another huge profit that ACI brought to the table. ACI brought technologies such as networking, virtualization, container, and orchestration together to simplify network configurations, and unified configuration.

ACI delivers this practically through an application-oriented platform. Instead of being bound to routing, trunks, VLANs, and subnets, ACI uses a leaf-spine-leaf topology (CLOS) that is both simple and scalable, making it easy to expand when required.

There is a lot more to this technology, however, these are a few of the very basics for comparison.

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What is Cisco DNA?

Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA) is an intent-based networking solution. Cisco DNA is just like ACI that permits network engineers to deploy new networks virtually and with a few simple clicks of the mouse it creates policies for the network. DNA takes it a step further.

Think about the DNA Center as the centralized management and automation platform that controls the entire network via the enterprise version of APIC, called APIC-EM.

Rolling out new policies, deploying new networks, and supporting new applications that operate both locally, within the cloud, and across the WAN, can be configured in seconds from a single point.

This creates a lot of organic network with less complexity for your support employees to worry about — and removes human error.

With application policy templates and simple preparation, Cisco DNA offers users all the simplicity and easy use of the ACI and conjointly permits automated IWAN deployment and management.

This takes away the requirement to configure any one single piece of Cisco equipment, as the system automates all this through Cisco DNA.

Difference Between Cisco ACI vs DNA

The changes considerably improve network administration. Data center teams spend much less time on troubleshooting, testing, and network design.  Security is tightened. Micro-segmentation ensures that any potential threats are contained and consistent security policies keep sensitive data safe.

Compliance improves. Manual configurations are vulnerable to human error. IBN and SDNs automatically apply policies, decreasing human error and potential compliance lapses. Integral integrity verification ensures that policies do not contradict each other.

Companies come back in time periods because the network is sensible enough to understand the impact of changes created to the network. These refined systems alert network operators to potential problems as they arise and even take steps that address problems proactively.

Cisco ACI vs DNA Difference Table

Some differences between Cisco ACI and Cisco DNA

Cisco Digital Network Architecture Center

In effect, Cisco ACI permits your environment to deploy new networks virtually, alter application policies on the network, and gain bigger network visibility. The Cisco DNA Center takes these concepts a step further and builds upon the achievements of Cisco ACI.

The DNA Center is a centralized management and automation platform for the whole network, and it is powered by a new enterprise-scale version of the APIC referred to as the APIC-EM.

Beyond the templated approach to application policy, the DNA Center can also automate IWAN management and deployment. Moreover, it can provide business insight from your Cisco wireless infrastructure with CMX Cloud.

Using location and presence information, the DNA Center can deliver customer behavior data to the network administrators.

SD-Access

DNA Center is not everything, Though it is an important component of the Network, Intuitive., it. The Network, Intuitive. includes a variety of alternative powerful management and automation solutions for the network, for example, Software-Defined Access. SD-Access is itself a tool that consists of other tools within it.

SD-Access provides an administrator with the DNA Center and each of its capabilities. From there, it additionally provides an Identity Services Engine which permits you to automate access and security policies across wired, VPN, and wireless connections.

Finally, SD-Access also contains an analytic platform for network monitoring and metrics.

Cisco ACI vs DNA- Summing Up!

In the evolving landscape of networking, understanding the differences between Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure) and Cisco DNA Center (Digital Network Architecture) is crucial for organizations aiming to optimize their IT environments.

Cisco ACI focuses on data center management, offering robust application-centric policies and centralized automation, while Cisco DNA Center enhances enterprise network management through intent-based networking, automating policy deployment across various network segments.

Both solutions provide unique advantages: ACI excels in application visibility and management in data centers, whereas DNA Center simplifies network operations and improves user experience across WAN and campus environments.

For networking professionals, engaging in IT infrastructure courses can deepen their understanding of these technologies, enabling them to implement the right solutions effectively. By leveraging the strengths of both Cisco ACI and DNA Center, organizations can achieve a more agile, secure, and efficient network infrastructure.