Migrating Vlan 1 hosts to ACI

[kishen32]

Hi, i have a scenario where in legacy 7K network we have multiple production servers running in vlan 1. In ACI, we cant create EPG with encapsulation vlan 1. Do we have a workaround how to move the workload from N7K to ACI without the need to re-id the vlan? I am thinking of exploring private vlan feature in 7K to do the workload migration where this new private vlan is tied under vlan 1 and added in the l2 extension link between ACI and 7K, but asking the opinion from experts here if there is a better solution to move the hosts.

Topology

Vlan 1 Servers (baremetals/virtual) > N5K (fabricpath) > N7K (fabricpath) > ACI Leaf

[Sergiu.Daniluk]

Hi @kishen32 

First, just trying to understand, why you cannot create EPGs with encap-vlan1 in ACI? I am not saying is a good idea, or something desired, but from config perspective, you are able to do that.

Second, it's important to understand how are the servers using this vlan1? Are they sending traffic in vlan 1 with 802.1Q tag? If the traffic is untagged, then you can simply configure a static port in EPG with any vlan you desire in access mode.

Third, for the interconnect between N7K and ACI, you can make the vlan1 as native vlan on the trunk, and on ACI, pretty much the same thing as before, you use any vlan in acces. If the vlan is tagged, you can still configure the EPG with vlan-1 in trunk mode.

Stay safe,

Sergiu

[RedNectar]

Hi @kishen32 ,

[Written this morning but forgot to post - sorry]

I not quite sure where you got the idea that "we cant create EPG with encapsulation vlan 1."  Where did you read that?

Have you tried?

Now let's be clear here - I assume you meant VLAN 1 - as opposed to Untagged packets - which of course is a different thing altogether, bit either way, you certainly can put those servers into the have EPG, although if they are currently in NO VLAN (i.e. sending untagged packets directly to an ACI leaf without first going through a leaf and getting classified into VLAN 1) you WILL have to allocate a VLAN (pick any spare VLAN)

[PS - Looks like Sergiu has give the same answer only his is better than mine]

[kishen32]

@RedNectar @Sergiu.Daniluk thanks for the feedback, so i was working with our partners and they mentioned it cant be done and was a not a best practice of moving vlan 1 as it is. I didn't try it actually, but it looks possible when i tried it in our lab. I will add an native vlan in 7K towards ACI. Just to add, we have servers in vlan 1 as access ports and also VMs in ESXi tagged with multiple vlans along with vlan 1. Let me try it out and update.