Before you begin to perform the tasks in this guide, complete the following:

• Install the ACI fabric and ensure that the APIC controllers are online, and the APIC cluster is formed and healthy—For more information, see Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide, Release 2.x.

• Create fabric administrator accounts for the administrators that will configure Layer 2 networks—For instructions, see the User Access, Authentication, and Accounting and Management chapters in Cisco APIC Basic Configuration Guide.

• Install and register the target leaf switches in the ACI fabric—For more information, see Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide, Release 2.x.

  For information about installing and registering virtual switches, see Cisco ACI Virtualization Guide.

• Configure the tenants, VRFs, and EPGs (with application profiles and contracts) that will consume the Layer 2 networks—For instructions, see the Basic User Tenant Configuration chapter in Cisco APIC Basic Configuration Guide.

Caution

If you install 1 Gigabit Ethernet (GE) or 10GE links between the leaf and spine switches in the fabric, there is risk of packets being dropped instead of forwarded, because of inadequate bandwidth. To avoid the risk, use 40GE or 100GE links between the leaf and spine switches.