Optical Data Center Interconnect (DCI) is a widely deployed architecture that provides high density, layer 1 connectivity between two physically disperse locations. Traditionally, most enterprise network operators lease these services from various service providers, paying a monthly recurring fee based on size and quantity of circuits. Though leased circuits have their benefits, deploying your own DCI network has become a very popular option amongst network operators of all sizes. Cost savings, flexibility of bandwidth growth, security and operational control are some of the reasons driving operators to deploy their own DCI system.

Modern Data Center solutions solve business problems by improving efficiency, reliability, scalability, security and innovation. Robust network, storage and server infrastructure, along with cloud-ready application platforms, enable data-driven decision making, performance optimization, cost control and the creation of new business opportunities. By realizing Modern Data Center solutions, businesses can solve current and future challenges, gain a competitive edge and achieve their goals.

The Data Center Network (DCN) is essential for supporting high-performance workloads, including Artificial Intelligence (AI). This briefing will explore next-generation data center architectures, highlighting the advantages of using an underlay/overlay topology and controller-based management. As DCN architectures become more complex, day-two operations software becomes increasingly necessary. This session will provide an overview of DCN hardware, architectures, and day-two operations, along with a brief introduction to the most commonly seen DCN OEMs in enterprise data centers.

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Insights (NDI) is included with all Nexus licensing and is compatible with both ACI and NDFC. The platform offers extensive insights functionality, such as dynamic correlation, impact analysis, proactive alerts, failure prediction, and remediation. By leveraging advanced alerting, baselining, correlation, and forecasting algorithms, NDI provides deep insights into network behavior through telemetry data from networking components. This accelerates troubleshooting, rapid root-cause analysis, and early remediation, ensuring compliance with operator intent and simplifying audits. Additionally, it supports multi-site environments, enabling effective monitoring, maintenance, and troubleshooting across multiple data center sites. Overall, Cisco Nexus Dashboard Insights enhances network visibility, optimizes performance, and ensures a more reliable and efficient data center operation. This briefing will introduce you to the Nexus Dashboard platform and demonstrate the benefits of NDI.