Integrate BlueCat, Cisco ACI, and Cisco DNA to save time and promote data integrity
BlueCat integrates with Cisco ACI and Cisco DNA center to simplify DDI connections with your entire network stack.
Key takeawaysKey takeaways are generated with AI assistance. Because automated summaries can occasionally contain errors or miss important context, always refer to the full blog post for complete information.The article explains how Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) and Digital Network Architecture (DNA) automate enterprise network deployments but create operational dependencies on back-end DNS, DHCP, and IP address management (DDI). It describes the manual challenges network administrators face keeping ACI and DNA synchronized with an accurate centralized DNS/IPAM database—pulling device and scope assignments from ACI and pushing available IP space into DNA. BlueCat’s integrations automate those workflows: the ACI integration feeds ACI data into BlueCat Address Manager while the DNA integration lets DNA select pools, networks, and IPs from BlueCat, both provided in the Intelligent Automation package to scale automation efforts.
What operational problem do Cisco ACI and DNA create for DNS, DHCP, and IPAM (DDI) teams?
Cisco ACI and DNA require an accurate, centralized repository of DNS and IPAM data in real time to provision IP addresses, assign DHCP scopes, and map architectures. This creates an operational burden on DDI teams because administrators must manually pull information from ACI to reconcile devices with assigned IP spaces and DHCP scopes, and manually push information about available IP space into DNA so it can assign resources. These manual workflows increase administrative overhead and risk inconsistencies between the SDN platforms and the underlying DDI infrastructure.
How does BlueCat’s ACI integration improve visibility and workflows?
BlueCat’s ACI integration feeds information from Cisco ACI into BlueCat Address Manager, enabling the platform to map and annotate the dynamic view provided by ACI. By importing ACI data into the centralized Address Manager, administrators gain an up-to-date representation of device-to-IP mappings and related metadata without repetitive manual exports and reconciliation. This automated ingestion reduces mismatches between network automation and the authoritative DNS/IPAM source of truth, simplifying operational processes tied to network provisioning and documentation.
What capabilities does the BlueCat DNA integration provide for network provisioning?
The BlueCat DNA integration centralizes provisioning by enabling Cisco DNA to select the next available Pool (Block), Network (Subnet), and IP address directly from BlueCat’s core platform. Instead of relying on manual communication of available address space, DNA can query BlueCat to obtain and allocate resources in real time. This tight integration streamlines address assignment workflows, reduces potential for address collisions, and supports scale by allowing DNA-driven automation to consume authoritative IPAM data managed by BlueCat.
Cisco Application Centered Infrastructure (ACI) and Digital Network Architecture (DNA) are powerful solutions which automate and simplify network infrastructure deployments. Using the power of software-defined networking, ACI and DNA optimize the performance of network hardware across the enterprise.
Both ACI and DNA have operational impacts on back-end DNS, DHCP, and IP address management (DDI) infrastructure. Whether it’s provisioning IP addresses for network devices, assigning DHCP scopes, or mapping architectures, ACI and DNA require an accurate, centralized database of DNS data which can deliver information in real time.
To meet the operational requirements of their Cisco deployments, network administrators have to constantly manage the flow of data between their DDI infrastructure, ACI, and DNA. This means manually “pulling” information from ACI to match devices with assigned IP spaces and DHCP scopes. It also means “pushing” information on available IP space into DNA so it can assign available resources.
BlueCat’s integrations auto-populate network configuration and DNS data in Cisco ACI and DNA. This creates a seamless workflow which takes full advantage of BlueCat’s centralized source of truth for DNS and IPAM. By eliminating the need for constant management of the interaction between ACI, DNA, and the underlying IPAM and DNS infrastructure, BlueCat and Cisco are making life even easier for network administrators.
The BlueCat ACI integration feeds information from ACI into BlueCat Address Manager with the ability to map and annotate this dynamic view.
The BlueCat DNA integration centralizes provisioning by allowing DNA to select the next available Pool (Block), Network (Subnet) and IP address from BlueCat’s core platform solution.
The Cisco ACI and DNA integrations are available as part of BlueCat’s Intelligent Automation package, which builds on the powerful Gateway platform to offer integrations for customers who are deploying automation at scale.
Learn more about BlueCat’s DNS automation tools here.
BlueCat provides core services and solutions that help our customers and their teams deliver change-ready networks. With BlueCat, organizations can build reliable, secure, and agile mission-critical networks that can support transformation initiatives such as cloud adoption and automation. BlueCat’s growing portfolio includes services and solutions for automated and unified DDI management, network security, multicloud management, and network observability and health.
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