Implementing Automation for Cisco Data Center Solutions (DCAUI)

In this Implementing Automation for Cisco Data Center Solutions (DCAUI) course provides a focused, hands-on introduction to automating Cisco data center environments using modern programmability, model-driven interfaces, and automation frameworks. It is designed for data center and network engineers who want to move beyond manual configuration and adopt scalable, repeatable automation practices aligned with Cisco data center architectures. The course emphasizes practical automation workflows that integrate compute, network, and policy-driven operations across the data center.

Students explore automation technologies commonly used in Cisco data center solutions, including APIs, Python-based automation, model-driven programmability with YANG, and infrastructure-as-code principles. The course demonstrates how automation improves consistency, reduces operational risk, and accelerates deployment for data center networks built on Cisco Nexus platforms and supporting controllers. Concepts such as service abstraction, orchestration, and telemetry are introduced to show how automation enables better visibility and lifecycle management.

Hands-on labs reinforce these concepts by guiding students through real-world automation tasks, such as interacting with data center APIs, building scripts to automate configuration and validation, and integrating automation tools into operational workflows. By the end of the course, learners are equipped with the skills needed to design, implement, and operate automated Cisco data center solutions in support of modern application and infrastructure demands.

How you’ll benefit

• 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 should 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

The primary audience for this course is as follows:

• 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

The following Cisco courses can help you gain the knowledge you need to prepare for this course:

• Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA®)
• Introducing Automation for Cisco Solutions (CSAU)
• Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR)
• Programming Use Cases for Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNAPUC)
• Introducing Cisco Network Programmability (NPICNP)

Module 1: Describing the Cisco ACI Policy Model 

Module 2: Describing the Cisco APIC REST API 

Module 3: Using Python to Interact with the Cisco ACI REST API 

Module 4: Using Ansible to Automate Cisco ACI 

Module 5: Introducing Cisco NX-OS Programmability 

Module 6: Describing Day-Zero Provisioning with Cisco NX-OS 

Module 7: Implementing On-Box Programmability and Automation with Cisco NX-OS 

Module 8: Implementing Off-Box Programmability and Automation with Cisco NX-OS 

Module 9: Automating Cisco UCS Using Developer Tools 

Module 10: Describing Cisco Intersight 

LAB OUTLINE

Lab 1: Use Cisco APCI Web GUI 

Lab 2: Discover the Cisco APIC REST API 

Lab 3: Use Postman with the APIC REST API 

Lab 4: Use Python with Cisco APIC REST API 

Lab 5: Configure and Verify Cisco ACI Using Acitoolkit 

Lab 6: Use Cobra and Arya to Recreate a Tenant 

Lab 7: Manage Configuration Using Ansible 

Lab 8: Set Up a New Tenant the NetDevOps Way 

Lab 9: Create an Infrastructure Health Report 

Lab 10: Set Up Power On Auto Provisioning on the Cisco Nexus 9000 

Lab 11: Use Bash and Guest Shell on Cisco NX-OS 

Lab 12: Use Python to Enhance CLI Commands 

Lab 13: Trigger a Python Script Using EEM 

Lab 14: Configure and Verify Using NX-API and Python 

Lab 15: Configure and Verify Using NETCONF and YANG 

Lab 16: Use Ansible with Cisco NX-OS 

Lab 17: Connect, Query, and Modify Cisco UCS Manager Objects Using Cisco UCS PowerTool 

Lab 18: Connect, Query, and Modify Cisco UCS IMC Objects Using Cisco UCS PowerTool 

Lab 19: Utilize Cisco UCS Python SDK 

Lab 20: Utilize Cisco IMC Python SDK 

Lab 21: Implement Ansible Playbooks to Modify and Verify the Configuration of Cisco UCS Manager