Cisco APIC Enterprise Module provides SDN on existing Cisco routers and switches

Here is my understanding about this coming, new APIC Enterprise Module from Cisco Systems.

Controller of SDN

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a very big topic of discussion. In a nutshell, any SDN implementation always have a role of "Controller". Controller provides all SDN services, and also "control" every physical elements to provide any software requested services.

Software Defined Networking System Overview.
Original photo by Denwid on Wiki

Controller is very similar to a director of an orchestra, or a quarterback of a football team.

Both APIC and APIC Enterprise Module are Controllers in SDN. APIC is abbreviation of "Application Policy Infrastructure Controller".

APIC Enterprise Module works on existing Cisco routers and switches

For original Cisco's Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI, Cisco's vision about SDN), APIC works with the following network products:

• Nexus 9000 series switches.
• Cisco Application Virtual Switch (AVS) 
• Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure Security

Yes, for hardware it requires Cisco's Nexus 9000 series switches as infrastructure! Then, how can customers without Nexus 9000 start to deploy ACI? I got it! The solution is APIC Enterprise Module!

So far I have not found any official data sheets about this product. However, in this introduction video at 3:03, I believe the key difference to original APIC is its workability on existing routers (ISR, ASR) and switches (Catalyst). Both APIC and APIC Enterprise Module should provide almost identical SDN services.

References



Cisco puts enterprises under Insieme control - Network World