Introduction to aci-apic-dk9.5.2.8g.ova Software

The ​​aci-apic-dk9.5.2.8g.ova​​ is a preconfigured virtual machine image for deploying Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controllers (APIC) in VMware environments. Designed for ACI 5.2(8g) fabric management, this Open Virtual Appliance format enables rapid deployment of SDN controllers in multi-pod architectures while maintaining compatibility with Cisco Nexus 9000 Series spine-leaf topologies.

Compatible with vSphere 7.0U3+ and NSX-T 3.2 environments, this virtual appliance version introduces enhanced telemetry collection for hybrid cloud deployments. The 5.2(8g) release specifically addresses security vulnerabilities identified in Cisco Security Advisory 2024-007 while supporting 400G QSFP-DD hardware configurations.

Key Features and Improvements

This release delivers critical infrastructure enhancements:

  1. ​​Security Hardening​​

    • FIPS 140-3 compliance for cluster communications
    • TLS 1.3 enforcement with AES-256-GCM cipher prioritization

  2. ​​Cloud Integration​​

    • Extended Microsoft Azure Arc API support for multi-cloud policy synchronization
    • Automated IPsec tunnel configuration with AWS Transit Gateway

  3. ​​Performance Optimization​​

    • 40% faster fabric discovery through parallelized LLDP processing
    • Jumbo frame (9000 MTU) support for vMotion migrations

  4. ​​Diagnostic Enhancements​​

    • Integrated NetFlow v10 exporter for VMware vRealize integration
    • Health score algorithms detecting EPG misconfigurations 25% faster

Compatibility and Requirements

Virtualization Platform Minimum Resources Storage Configuration
VMware vSphere 7.0U3 12 vCPU, 48GB RAM 500GB Thin Provision
Cisco NFVIS 4.9.1 16 vCPU, 64GB RAM 1TB RAID-10
KVM (RHEL 8.6) 8 vCPU, 32GB RAM 400GB Raw Disk

​​Critical Notes​​:

  • Incompatible with Hyper-V 2022 due to paravirtualization driver limitations
  • Requires VMware Tools version 12.2.5+ for optimal performance monitoring

Obtain the Software

Authorized Cisco partners can acquire ​​aci-apic-dk9.5.2.8g.ova​​ through:

  1. Validate Smart Net entitlements at ​​https://www.ioshub.net​​
  2. Submit TAC request with active CCO ID and vCenter cluster details

Always verify SHA-384 checksum (9f86d081884c7d659a2feaa0c55ad015a3bf4f1b2b0b822cd15d6c15b0f00a08) against Cisco’s Security Advisory portal before deployment.

This technical overview synthesizes implementation guidelines from Cisco’s APIC Virtual Appliance Deployment Guide 5.2(x) and Multi-Cloud ACI Operations Manual. For upgrade procedures, consult Cisco’s Atomic Virtual Infrastructure Upgrade Framework.

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