NX-OS Fabric IP architecture

[Kaneki007]

Hello guys, 

I'm new on the NX-OS Spine and leaf  Fabric IP Architecture, and i would like to understand some terms that i saw in our visio schemas like satellite leaf, centrale spine. 

[balaji.bandi]

Look at the architecture to understand :

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/dcn/whitepapers/cisco-application-centric-infrastructure-design-guide.html

satellite leaf, - May be referring remote location leaf switches (i am guessing the name can be made easy to locally understand).

Remote Leaf Switch: Addresses the need to extend connectivity and consistent policies to remote locations that are connected using a private or a public network (such as a WAN) where it’s not possible or desirable to deploy a full Cisco ACI pod (with leaf and spine switches). The Cisco APIC cluster in the main location can manage the remote leaf switches connected over an IP network as if they were local leaf switches

[Kaneki007]

You are talking about Fabric ACI, i'm talking juste about standalone NX-OS Spine and leaf architecture, in ACI we're using ethier L3out or normal trunk link on the border leaf. 

[M02@rt37]

Hello @Kaneki007,

Satellite leaf switches are remote leaf switches connected to the central spine switches, and the central spine switches are the core switches that provide connectivity and manage the traffic within the Spine and Leaf Fabric IP architecture.

[Kaneki007]

But what i can't understand what is the difference between a leaf and satellite leaf, because both are directly connected to the Spines, i think the use of the satellite leaf is when we don't have more ports on a POD we add satellite leaf for ports extension but i'm not sure 

[balaji.bandi]

If all are in same campus that may be your naming - to connect different devices. (may be)

[M02@rt37 · Accepted solution]

@Kaneki007,

Satellite leaf switches, as you mentioned, are used when you need to extend your network beyond the capacity of a single pod or data center. They are also directly connected to the spine switches, but they are located in remote or satellite data centers or locations. Satellite leaf switches effectively expand the Spine and Leaf architecture across multiple locations, providing connectivity to devices in those remote areas.