Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Cisco NDFC)

Cisco NDFC

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller

Basically, Cisco has introduced the evolution of the DCNM 11 which is now called the Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller or NDFC12.

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC) enables granular, scalable visibility for deep-dive troubleshooting, functionality, and maintenance operations that benefit data-center operation teams plus Comprehensive management solution for VXLAN, LAN, SAN, and Cisco IP Fabric for Media solutions.

The first point to notice is that now NDFC runs on the top of the common Nexus Dashboard platform. Through the platform, the end user can consume different applications for daily operations such as the Insight application, Data Broker, Orchestrator as well as third-party applications. One of the key advantages for the operator with this evolution is that they have now this single experience. It doesn’t really matter what application you run from the installation process to the common Web GUI, all applications and services look with the same logic behind any request.

NDFC and DCNM Differences

The Cisco NDFC can manage all Cisco NX-OS-enabled deployments, spanning new fabric architectures, IP Fabric for Media, and storage networking deployments for the Cisco Nexus-powered data center.

The following features are supported within NDFC 12 compared with Cisco DCNM:

• Cisco NDFC runs an application on Cisco Nexus Dashboard
• Modularized architecture based on Kubernetes Micro-services
• Cisco Nexus Dashboard fabric discovery capability for Inventory and discovery only
• Increased capability for non-Nexus platforms including Cisco IOS-XE and Cisco IOS-XR
• Implementation of Cisco Smart Licensing policy
• Storage management for the Cisco MDS 9000 family and Cisco Nexus switches

Cisco NDFC Features

Using the Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller, customers can benefit from the below advantages:

• Deliver comprehensive lifecycle management and automation for Cisco Nexus switches and Cisco MDS directors
• Streamline data center automation and centralize applications with Cisco Nexus Dashboard
• Decrease deployment time of VXLAN-EVPN fabrics to minutes
• Expand fabric reliability with constant monitoring of compliance and health
• Decrease operation errors with predefined deployment models
• Monitor and alert operators to failure conditions
• Visualize multiple fabrics with intuitive topology