Stop Guessing! Master the Logic of Cisco ACI.


The Comprehensive Guide to Cisco ACI Core Topics.
Master ACI Core
 

Move beyond memorizing steps. Understand in depth how the ACI fabric works under the hood, from Initialization to complex L3Outs, and crush your CCIE/CCNP Data Center goals.

Does Cisco ACI feel like a "Black Box" to you?


You are not alone! For most network engineers, moving from traditional routing & switching to Cisco ACI is painful. You trade VLANs for EPGs, Subnets for Bridge Domains, and ACLs for Contracts! The problem isn't that ACI is hard; it's that most training explains "What" to click, but never explains "Why" it works.

Configuration Paralysis

You deploy complex features like L3Outs per the guide, but you're afraid to modify them later because you don't fully understand their logic.

Blind Troubleshooting

You see red "Faults" and error scores on the dashboard, but you lack the mental map to trace the root cause or fix it without guessing.

The Translation Gap

You struggle to map your solid networking knowledge (VLANs, OSPF, BGP) to ACI's abstract Object Model of EPGs, Contracts, and BDs.

. . . . .

To survive in a modern Data Center, you need to stop just "operating" the fabric and start truly understanding it.

Master ACI Core

ACI doesn't stand for "Absolute Crazy & Insane" Anymore!

This course is designed to close the gap between traditional networking and Application Centric Infrastructure. As a consultant who has deployed ACI for global enterprises, I don't just read the documentation to you. I break down the complexity into clear, repeatable mental models. 

We deconstruct the ACI Object Model so you can see exactly how a packet walks through the fabric. You will learn how to design Tenants, map physical interfaces to logical groups, and route traffic to the outside world with confidence.
 

The "Why", Not Just The "How

Stop memorizing click-paths. understand the underlying logic so you can troubleshoot.

CCIE & CCNP Aligned

The course curriculum covers the core ACI topics found in the CCIE Data Center v3.1 blueprint.

From Theory to Production

Learn the real-world best practices for naming conventions, policy design, and deployment.

Master Cisco ACI. From Initialization to L3Outs.

 

  • Why Cisco ACI? What problems does it solve?
  • What are the components of the ACI fabric?
  • How does the ACI Leaf-Spine topology work?
  • What is the ACI data, control, and management plane?
  • How to bring up the ACI fabric and do the initial setup?
  • Exploring the ACI Object Model and APIC Clustering.
  • How to navigate the ACI GUI and CLI? 
  • Setting up ACI Access Policies, like Switch Profiles, IPGs, Domains, VLAN Pools, and AEP.
  • Defining ACI Tenant Policies and managing Tenants, VRFs, Bridge Domains, and Contracts.
  • Learn how to operate ACI as L2 and L3 fabric.
  • Understand ACI Endpoint Learning and Packet Forwarding.
  • Deploying ACI Security Policies and Policy Enforcement.
  • Learn how to connect ACI to external L2 networks, STP interaction, and loop detection.
  • Establishing ACI L3Out connectivity and exploring its design considerations.
  • Learning how to integrate ACI with VMM domains, focusing on VMware VDS integration.

Master ACI Core

A Complete Roadmap to ACI Core Mastery.

  1. [1] ACI Overview & Basic Concepts

    6 lessons
    1. (01) What and Why Cisco ACI?
    2. (02) ACI Fabric Components - APICs
    3. (03) ACI Fabric Components - N9K Switches
    4. (04) ACI Leaf-Spine Topology
    5. (05) ACI Data, Control & Management Plane
    6. ACI Core Quiz #1

  2. [2] Bring Up the ACI Fabric

    4 lessons
    1. (06) ACI Fabric Discovery
    2. (07) ACI Fabric Initial Setup
    3. (08) ACI Initialization LAB Demo
    4. ACI Core Quiz #2

  3. [3] ACI Object Model & Clustering

    8 lessons
    1. (09) ACI Object Model
    2. (10) ACI GUI Overview
    3. (11) ACI Obtaining the DN from GUI
    4. (12) ACI Object Store Browser (Visore)
    5. (13) ACI CLI Types
    6. (14) ACI Moquery
    7. (15) ACI APIC Clustering
    8. ACI Core Quiz #3

  4. [4] ACI Access Policies

    12 lessons
    1. (16) ACI Access Policies Overview
    2. (17) ACI Switch Profiles & Selectors
    3. (18) ACI Switch Policies & Policy Groups
    4. (19) ACI Interface Profiles & Selectors
    5. (20) ACI Interface Policies & Policy Groups (IPG)
    6. (21) ACI Port-Channels (PC)
    7. (22) ACI Virtual Port-Channels (VPC)
    8. (23) ACI VLAN Pools
    9. (24) ACI Domains
    10. (25) ACI Attachable Entity Profiles (AEPs)
    11. (26) ACI & Fabric Extenders (FEX)
    12. ACI Core Quiz #4

  5. [5] ACI Tenant Policies

    13 lessons
    1. (27) ACI Tenant Policies Overview
    2. (28) ACI Tenants
    3. (29) ACI VRFs
    4. (30) ACI Bridge Domains (BDs)
    5. (31) ACI Subnets
    6. (32) ACI Application Profiles (AP)
    7. (33) ACI Endpoint Groups (EPG)
    8. (34) ACI Attaching Endpoints to EPGs
    9. (35) ACI Contracts, Subjects & Filters
    10. (36) ACI Contracts Deployment
    11. (37) ACI as L2 & L3 Fabric (LAB Demo Part 1)
    12. (38) ACI as L2 & L3 Fabric (LAB Demo Part 2)
    13. ACI Core Quiz #5

  6. Mid-Course Checkpoint

    1 lesson
    1. ACI Core Validating the Foundation Exam

  7. [6] ACI EP Learning & Forwarding

    11 lessons
    1. (39) ACI Packet Encapsulation & Format
    2. (40) ACI Endpoint Types & Servers NIC Teaming
    3. (41) ACI VLAN Types & VLAN Scope
    4. (42) ACI Endpoint Learning (Part 1)
    5. (43) ACI Endpoint Learning (Part 2)
    6. (44) ACI Endpoint Forwarding Overview
    7. (45) ACI Endpoint Forwarding Deep-Dive (Part 1)
    8. (46) ACI Endpoint Forwarding Deep-Dive (Part 2)
    9. (47) ACI BUM Forwarding (Part 1)
    10. (48) ACI BUM Forwarding (Part 2)
    11. ACI Core Quiz #6

  8. [7] ACI Security Policies Deployment

    10 lessons
    1. (49) ACI Policy Deployment Overview
    2. (50) ACI Zoning-Rules
    3. (51) ACI Policy Enforcement Options (Part 1)
    4. (52) ACI Policy Enforcement Options (Part 2)
    5. (53) ACI Policy Enforcement Options (Part 3)
    6. (54) ACI Policy Enforcement Options (Part 4)
    7. (55) ACI Policy Enforcement LAB Demo (Part 1)
    8. (56) ACI Policy Enforcement LAB Demo (Part 2)
    9. (57) ACI Contract Priorities
    10. ACI Core Quiz #7

  9. [8] ACI External L2 Connectivity

    5 lessons
    1. (58) ACI L2Out vs. EPG Out
    2. (59) ACI L2Out LAB Demo
    3. (60) ACI & STP
    4. (61) ACI Loop Detection
    5. ACI Core Quiz #8

  10. [9] ACI External L3 Connectivity

    14 lessons
    1. (62) ACI L3Out Overview
    2. (63) ACI L3Out Interface Types
    3. (64) ACI MP-BGP Route-Reflector (RR)
    4. (65) ACI L3Out Object Model
    5. (66) ACI L3Out Configuration Steps
    6. (67) ACI L3Out EIGRP LAB Demo
    7. (68) ACI L3Out Static Routing LAB Demo
    8. (69) ACI L3Out OSPF LAB Demo
    9. (70) ACI L3Out BGP LAB Demo
    10. (71) ACI L3Out Route Control
    11. (72) ACI L3Out Route Control LAB Demo (Part 1)
    12. (73) ACI L3Out Route Control LAB Demo (Part 2)
    13. (74) ACI L3Out Route Control LAB Demo (Part 3)
    14. ACI Core Quiz #9

  11. [10] ACI Additional Learning Topics

    1 lesson
    1. (75) Miscellaneous ACI Topics

  12. Final Certification Exam

    1 lesson
    1. ACI Core Final Test

Who Should Enroll in this Course?



This training is designed specifically for: 

  • Network Engineers transitioning from traditional CLI-based networking to Software-Defined Networking (SDN).
  • CCIE & CCNP Data Center Candidates who need to master the ACI section of the DCCOR and Lab exams.
  • Network Administrators who have an existing ACI fabric and need to operate, troubleshoot, and scale it.
  • Solutions Architects responsible for designing modern Data Center fabrics.

⚠️ Important Note: This course explains Cisco ACI from the ground up. However, to get the most out of this training, you must have a solid foundation in Traditional Routing & Switching. You should be comfortable with concepts like VLANs, Subnets, OSPF, and BGP. We won't teach you how OSPF works; but how to implement OSPF inside the ACI fabric.

Master ACI Core

Learn from a Production Expert. Trusted by Engineers Worldwide.

 

Salman Alhiary 2x CCIE #56363 (DC & ENT) Founder, LearnWithSalman

I am a Cisco Data Center specialist with over a decade of experience. My career began in the trenches of Cisco TAC, troubleshooting critical outages, and evolved into an Expert Professional Services Consultant role, leading high-stakes deployments for global enterprises. My teaching philosophy is simple: Learn Easily. Learn Deeply.  Learn Quickly.

See what other engineers are saying:

Yogesh Tambulkar

"Best in market, get more details information as well clarity on basic/advanced topics."

Wee Chuah

"I have done around 5 large scale ACI deployments, despite having deployment experience, I still learnt something new from this course which helps me connect dots that were previously not connected."

Pranavendra Sarkar

"This course is in very deep detail way, I had other tutorials of ACI, which is not in this much detail way."

Have Questions? We have Answers.

Invest in Your Career Today.

Standard Plan

$79.99

Course & Community Access

  • Complete Course: Cisco ACI Core videos (15 hrs).
  • Community Access: Private "DCExperts Hub" for ACI Core Q&A.
  • Resources: Downloadable Lab Topologies & Diagrams.
  • Gamification: Earn Badges & Future Discounts.
  • Validation: Quizzes, Exams.
  • Certificate of completion.
  • Lifetime Access & Updates.

 

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Mentorship Plan

$259.99

Course + 1:1 Coaching Session

  • Save $45 (~15% discount $304.99).
  • Everything in the Standard Plan.
  • Single 1:1 Coaching Session: 1-Hour private video call with Salman.
  • Flexible Scheduling: Book a time that works for you.
  • Consulting Topics: Technical Deep Dive, Resume Review, or Career Strategy.


 

 

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DC Experts Plan

$439.99

Best Value: All 6 Courses + 1:1 Session

  • Save $185 (~30% discount $624.99).
  • Single 1:1 Coaching Session: 1-Hour private video call with Salman.
  • Access to ALL 6 Cisco Data Centers Courses and their Communities:
    • ACI Automation With Ansible
    • ACI Core
    • VXLAN EVPN
    • MP-BGP
    • Multicast
    • L2 & L3 Technologies
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I am confident this course will transform how you work. If you don't find the material valuable, simply email me for a full refund within the first 30 days.