Cisco Cisco Virtual Topology System 1.5 Data Sheet
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The system enables the creation of a highly scalable, open-standards multitenant data center solution. It
automates complex network overlay provisioning and management tasks through integration with cloud
orchestration systems such as OpenStack and VMware vCenter. The solution can be managed from the
embedded GUI or entirely by a set of northbound representational state transfer (REST) APIs that can be
consumed by orchestration and cloud management systems.
Main Benefits
Table 1 summarizes the main benefits of the Virtual Topology System.
Table 1.
Cisco Virtual Topology System Benefits
Feature
Benefit
Scalable multitenant networks
● Helps ensure segmentation, isolation, and agility of cloud infrastructure
Fabric automation
● Supports faster, more agile network provisioning through a wide range of hardware and
software endpoints
Programmability
● Provides an open, well-documented REST-based northbound API, which allows integration
with an external orchestration or cloud management system
● Offers extensive southbound integration through platform APIs (Cisco NX-API) or
NETCONF YANG
Open, scalable, and standards based
● Provides a standards-based Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Ethernet Virtual Private
Network (EVPN) control plane for flexible workload placement and mobility without
compromising performance
compromising performance
● Provides standards-based Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) encapsulation
for flexible overlays
Investment protection
● Supports the entire Cisco Nexus
®
portfolio (Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders and
Cisco Nexus 5000, and 9000 Series Switches)
Deployment flexibility
● Supports hybrid overlays of physical and virtual VXLAN tunnel endpoints (VTEPs) for
greater deployment flexibility
Platform Support
The Virtual Topology System extends a robust set of SDN capabilities to the entire Cisco Nexus portfolio by
bringing automation and programmability to the Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders and Cisco Nexus 3000,
5000, 7000, and 9000 Series Switches. Table 2 lists the platforms supported and their roles.
Table 2.
Cisco Virtual Topology System Platform Support
Role
Platforms Supported
Top-of-rack (ToR) leaf switch
(with or without Cisco Nexus 2000 Series
Fabric Extenders)
Fabric Extenders)
● Cisco Nexus 9300TX and 9300PX platform switches and Cisco Nexus 9332PQ
and 93128TX Switches
● Cisco Nexus 5600 platform switches
● Cisco Nexus 9500 platform switches
● Cisco Nexus 9500 platform switches
Data center spine
● Cisco Nexus 9300PX platform switches
● Cisco Nexus 9500 platform switches
● Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
● Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches
● Cisco Nexus 9500 platform switches
● Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
● Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches
Border leaf
● Cisco Nexus 9300TX and 9300PX platform switches
● Cisco Nexus 9500 platform switches
● Cisco Nexus 9500 platform switches
Data center interconnect (DCI)
● Cisco ASR 9000 Series Aggregation Services Routers
● Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
● Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
Fabric extenders
● Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders
Virtual machine manager (VMM)
● OpenStack Icehouse, Juno
● VMware vCenter 5.5 Server Enterprise Plus
● VMware vCenter 6.0 Server Enterprise Plus
● VMware vCenter 5.5 Server Enterprise Plus
● VMware vCenter 6.0 Server Enterprise Plus