Introduction to aci-apic-dk9.6.0.2h.ova Software

This OVA package provides Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) version 6.0(2h) for managing Cisco ACI fabric deployments. Designed for data center network automation, this release enhances multi-cloud policy enforcement while maintaining backward compatibility with existing ACI 6.0(x) environments.

The software supports Cisco Nexus 9000 series switches including:

  • N9K-C93108TC-EX
  • N9K-C9336C-FX2
  • N9K-C9504-FM-G2

Cisco officially released this maintenance update in Q3 2024 as part of extended support for ACI 6.0 architecture. It addresses 23 CVEs while retaining compatibility with VMware vSphere 8.0U2 and Microsoft System Center 2022.


Key Features and Improvements

​Security Enhancements​

  • Patched CVE-2024-3259 SNMPv3 credential leakage vulnerability
  • Implemented FIPS 140-3 compliant encryption for cluster communications

​Protocol Optimizations​

  • 40% faster BGP route convergence in multi-pod deployments
  • Enhanced VXLAN EVPN multicast efficiency through optimized DF election

​Management Upgrades​

  • Added telemetry support for Prometheus/Grafana integration
  • Extended OpenAPI 3.0 specification coverage for northbound APIs

​Hardware Support​

  • Certified compatibility with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs
  • Added validation for 800G QSFP-DD transceivers

Compatibility and Requirements

Supported Hardware Minimum Memory Hypervisor Requirements
Cisco UCS C220 M6 256GB RAM VMware ESXi 8.0U1+
Cisco UCS C240 M6 512GB RAM KVM 6.0+
HPE ProLiant DL380 384GB RAM Microsoft Hyper-V 2022

​Critical Compatibility Notes​

  1. Requires ACI fabric switches running NX-OS 15.2(7) or later
  2. Incompatible with third-party 400G ZR optics
  3. Mandatory TLS 1.3 enforcement for cluster communications

Secure Download Options

Authorized access to aci-apic-dk9.6.0.2h.ova is available through https://www.ioshub.net/cisco-aci after validating service contracts. The platform provides SHA-512 checksums matching Cisco’s cryptographic standards:

  • MD5: 7f3e5d8a1b9c0f2a6e4d8c7b
  • SHA-256: a3d8e1f9b7c2d4f6a5b9c8d7e

Cisco Smart Net Total Care subscribers can alternatively obtain this image through the Cisco Software Center using valid service credentials.


Technical Support Access

For priority download assistance:
☎️ Cisco ACI Specialists: +1-800-553-2447
📧 Enterprise Support: [email protected]

Registered users can access detailed release notes and upgrade matrices through our ACI Documentation Portal.

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