Unified Data Center Network Operations with Cisco Nexus Dashboard

Ensure proper network operations for your enterprise with Cisco Nexus Dashboard. Cisco Nexus Dashboard is being reimagined and rebuilt to unify and simplify data center network operations, particularly for diverse deployments of Nexus 9K switches that have evolved over the past decade. These deployments span traditional two-tier and three-tier architectures, large-scale HPC and AI/ML clusters, service provider edge data centers, and secure data center interconnects. Historically, these deployments relied on two distinct architectural options: Cisco NX-OS (supporting classic Layer 2/3 and VXLAN overlays) and Cisco ACI (controller-driven with VXLAN underlays). The Nexus Dashboard aims to bridge these architectures, delivering consistentcy in areas like zero-trust networking (ZTN) with micro-segmentation, advanced service chaining, third-party interoperability, CI/CD pipeline integration, and administrative multi-tenancy, effectively unifying data, control, policy, and management planes.

The re-architected Nexus Dashboard 4.1 (expected in July) moves away from a standalone application model to a fully integrated, modular single application, designed to support the Nexus ONE unification vision. This platform provides comprehensive lifecycle automation for Nexus and MDS product lines, and in certain cases, even extends to Catalyst products for VXLAN EVPN automation in campus environments. Nexus Dashboard’s capabilities are categorized into four core areas: provision, secure, manage, and analyze. Provisioning allows users to bootstrap and build various fabric types (classic LAN, VXLAN EVPN, AI/ML clusters, DCI, media, BGP routed, data broker) from scratch using a fabric builder, and manage incremental configurations. The secure aspect offers compliance dashboards, security advisories, CVE mitigation plans (via Tetragon agent), critical bug alerts, audit logging, and micro-segmentation capabilities.

For managing data center networks, Nexus Dashboard facilitates fabric upgrades, including hitless upgrades, pre/post-upgrade snapshots, and change control with approval workflows integrated into systems like ServiceNow. The analytical capabilities provide extensive network visibility, from global topology views down to link-level details, and advanced AI/ML job visibility to correlate network performance with GPU workloads. Troubleshooting is enhanced with connectivity analysis (showing flow paths and potential hotspots), delta analysis for configuration comparisons, and traffic analytics that go beyond traditional flow records to provide scaled NetFlow-type insights into top talkers and application-specific bandwidth consumption. The platform also promises future support for third-party VXLAN fabrics for a truly unified management and visibility experience.

Presented by Sunil Gudurvalmiki, Senior Director, Product Management, Data Center Networking, and Joey Ristaino, Technical Leader, Technical Marketing, Data Center Networking. Recorded live at Tech Field Day Extra at Cisco Live in San Diego, CA on June 10, 2025. Watch the entire presentation at https://techfieldday.com/appearance/cisco-presents-at-tech-field-day-extra-at-cisco-live-us-2025/ or visit https://techfieldday.com/event/clus25/ or https://Cisco.com for more information.