Cisco Apic License

Cisco APIC License

Cisco APCI is an SDN solution that bases the design of its network infrastructure on network policies. The licensed APCI Fabric OS, which is used by every system in the APC network, was developed by Cisco to make this possible. This shared OS enables the various switches in the APC network to translate policies into infrastructure designs.

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (APIC) Architecture.

Two key elements are used to build a Cisco APIC environment:

• Cisco APIC’s SDN controller is called Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC). It develops the regulations that specify the network architecture of the data center.
• Nexus 9000 Switches: Nexus 9000 switches connect to APIC through the APIC Fabric OS and build infrastructure based on policies. They can be either Leaf (access) or Spine (distribution) switches.

Leaf switches are used to connect all endpoints, including APICs, to the network. Spine switches are used in the backend to connect these Leaf switches together.

APIC can be implemented using these components in a variety of deployment models. As part of this, on-premises, cloud-based (including public, private, and hybrid clouds), and SD-WAN edge environments are supported. Through their corporate WANs, this enables organizations to use policy-based network management.

Key Features of Cisco APIC

Using Cisco APIC, businesses can quickly build a software-defined data center that offers a number of advantages, such as:

• Cisco APIC heavily relies on automation to build network infrastructure in accordance with network policies. This fAPIClitates change and improves scalability.
• Consistent Infrastructure: Cisco APIC hides the specifics of the underlying infrastructure. Designing and configuring network environments is made simpler as a result.
• Flexibility: All of a company’s network infrastructure is implemented as code using a SDN solution like Cisco APIC. This makes it simple to update configurations to meet changing business needs.
• Support for Hybrid Environments: Cisco APIC enables the deployment of APIC environments across a variety of different environments by supporting both on-premises and cloud-based infrastructure.

Check Point is used to enhance Cisco APIC security

Numerous built-in security options are offered by the licensed Cisco APIC. The provision of advanced threat prevention for APIC environments is improved by a partnership with Check Point.

What other products Cisco APIC integrates with?

The licensed APIC Open Ecosystem is used in the construction of Cisco APIC. This Open Ecosystem is intended to offer numerous options for integrating external tools with Cisco APIC, such as:

• Open APIs: Since Cisco APIC has open APIs, other products can connect to and communicate with an environment that uses Cisco APIC.
• Service Chaining: Cisco APIC solutions support service chaining, allowing businesses to construct the solutions necessary to satisfy their networking and security needs.
• Jointly-Certified Solutions: To create an SDN ecosystem, Cisco has teamed up with over 65 technology companies. Each organization certifies these joint solutions, and information is shared by both parties to guarantee pre-built solutions are compatible.

Cisco APIC and Check Point CloudGuard.

In software-defined data center environments, Check Point CloudGuard Network Security automatically deploys and dynamically orchestrates the enforcement of advanced security protections while providing consistent policy management. Industry-leading security for APIC environments is provided by CloudGuardfor Cisco APIC. For customers to have better Cisco APIC security, CloudGuard offers the following features:

Data security

Through the integration of CloudGuard with the licensed APIC, data loss prevention (DLP) can be used in APIC environments. As a result, sensitive data belonging to an organization is better shielded from theft or loss.

Centralized Security Management

By integrating CloudGuard with APIC, it is possible to monitor and manage the security of the APIC ecosystem from the same console as the rest of a company’s network infrastructure. As a result, security analysts will find it simpler to identify and counter potential threats in their on-premises, private, and public networks.

Automation and orchestration

Cisco APIC makes it possible to define network infrastructure in accordance with network policies. An organization can automatically insert and provision Check Point CloudGuard security gateways into Cisco APIC environments for the enforcement of security policies thanks to the integration between these two products.

Policy and Compliance Enforcement

CloudGuard receives context from Cisco’s licensed APIC, enabling policy information defined within the APIC environment to be used to quickly define security policies. Using CloudGuard gateways, these security policies can then be easily implemented in APIC.

Cloud Network Visibility and Visualization

CloudGuard implements microsegmentation for the licensed APIC environments, offering in-depth knowledge of both east-west and north-south traffic flows. This fine-grained visibility helps with understanding data flows within a corporate network and enforcing corporate security policies.

Advanced Threat Prevention

CloudGuard’s advanced threat prevention features integrate a complete security stack, including a firewall, intrusion prevention system (IPS), antivirus, and anti-bot protections, with secure remote access, threat extraction, and sandbox-based threat emulation.