Dear @packet2020
In an ACI Multi-Pod deployment, the In-band management network is typically designed to provide a consistent and unified management plane across all pods. The standard practice is to configure a single subnet under the 'inb' bridge domain for the In-band IP addressing of ACI nodes, including APICs, Spine Switches, and Leaf Switches. This approach ensures seamless communication and management across the entire fabric.
However, your requirement to use different subnets for different pods (e.g., 192.168.11.0/24 for Pod1 and 192.168.12.0/24 for Pod2) is not supported in the standard ACI Multi-Pod In-band management configuration. The ACI fabric expects a single, contiguous In-band management subnet to be used across all pods to maintain a unified management plane.
Here are some key points to consider:
Single Subnet Requirement: The In-band management network in ACI Multi-Pod must use a single subnet to ensure that all nodes can communicate with each other without routing complexities. This is crucial for the proper functioning of the ACI fabric and management tools like Nexus Dashboard Insights.
Routing and Reachability: Using multiple subnets would introduce routing complexities and potential reachability issues between nodes in different pods. The ACI fabric is designed to handle In-band management traffic within a single subnet to avoid these issues.
Configuration Simplicity: A single subnet simplifies the configuration and management of the In-band network. It ensures that all nodes are part of the same Layer 2 domain, making it easier to manage and troubleshoot.
If you have specific requirements that necessitate the use of different subnets for different pods, you might need to consider alternative approaches, such as:
Out-of-Band Management: Use Out-of-Band (OOB) management for different subnets in each pod. This way, you can have separate management subnets for each pod while keeping the In-band management subnet unified.
Advanced Routing Solutions: Implement advanced routing solutions outside of the ACI fabric to handle the communication between different subnets. However, this approach can be complex and is generally not recommended for standard ACI deployments.
In summary, the best practice for ACI Multi-Pod In-band management is to use a single subnet across all pods. This ensures a unified and seamless management plane, which is essential for the proper operation of the ACI fabric and associated management tools.
