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Templates (Datacenter Design)

Template Overview

Templates are used to create blueprints. They define a network's policy intent and structure. The global catalog (Design > Templates) includes predefined templates based on common designs.

From the left navigation menu, navigate to Design > Templates to go to the templates table view. Many predefined templates are provided for you. Click a template name to see its details. You can create, clone, edit, and delete templates.

See the sections below for details on each type of template.

Rack-based Template

Rack-based templates define the type and number of racks to connect as top-of-rack (ToR) switches (or pairs of ToR switches). Rack-based templates include the following details:

Table 1: Rack-based Template Policies
Policy Options
ASN Allocation Scheme (spine)
  • Unique - applies to 3-stage designs. Each spine is assigned a different ASN.
  • Single - applies to 5-stage designs. All spine devices in each pod are assigned the same ASN, and all superspine devices are assigned another ASN.
Overlay Control Protocol
  • Defines the inter-rack virtual network overlay protocol in the fabric. Overlay control protocol on deployed blueprints can't be changed.
  • Static VXLAN - uses static VXLAN routing the Head End Replication (HER) flooding to distribute Layer 2 virtual network traffic between racks.
  • MP-EBGP EVPN - uses EVPN family eBGP sessions between device loopbacks to exchange EVPN routes for hosts (Type 2) and networks (Type 5). Only homogeneous, single-vendor EVPN fabrics are supported. EVPN-VXLAN capabilities for inter-rack virtual networks are dependent on the make and model of network devices used. See Virtual Networks for more information. External systems must be connected to racks (not spine devices).
Spine to Leaf Links Underlay Type
Table 2: Rack-based Template Structure
Structure Options
Rack Types Type of rack and number of each selected rack type. ESI-based rack types in rack-based templates without EVPN are invalid.
Spines
  • Spine Logical Device and Count - Type and number of spine logical devices
  • Links per Superspine Count and Speed - Number and speed of links to any superspine devices
  • Tags - User-specified. Select tags from drop-down list generated from global catalog or create tags on-the-fly (which then become part of the global catalog). Useful for specifying external routers. Tags used in templates are embedded, so any subsequent changes to tags in the global catalog do not affect templates.

Pod-based Template

Pod-based templates are used to create large, 5-stage Clos networks, essentially combining multiple rack-based templates using an additional layer of superspine devices. The following images show examples of 5-stage Clos architectures built using pod-based templates (Superspine links are not shown for readability purposes). See 5-Stage Clos Architecture for more information.

Pod-based Template

Single plane, dual superspine4 x plane, 4 x superspine

Pod-based templates include the following details:

Table 3: Pod-based Template Policies
Policy Option
Spine to Superspine Links
Overlay Control Protocol
  • Defines inter-rack virtual network overlay protocol used in the fabric. Overlay control protocol on deployed blueprints can't be changed.
  • Static VXLAN - uses static VXLAN routing the Head End Replication (HER) flooding to distribute Layer 2 virtual network traffic between racks.
  • MP-EBGP EVPN - uses EVPN family eBGP sessions between device loopbacks to exchange EVPN routes for hosts (Type 2) and networks (Type 5). Only homogeneous, single-vendor EVPN fabrics are supported. EVPN-VXLAN capabilities for inter-rack virtual networks are dependent on the make and model of network devices used. See Virtual Networks for more information. External systems must be connected to racks (not spine devices).
Table 4: Pod-based Template Structure
Structure Options
Pods Type of rack-based template and number of each selected template
Superspines
  • Superspine Logical Device and Count
  • Plane Count and Per Plane Count - Number of planes and number of superspine devices per plane
  • Tags - User-specified. Select tags from drop-down list generated from global catalog or create tags on-the-fly (which then become part of the global catalog). Useful for specif.ying external routers. Tags used in templates are embedded, so any subsequent changes to tags in the global catalog do not affect templates.

Collapsed Template

Collapsed templates allow you to consolidate leaf, border leaf and spine functions into a single pair of devices. A full mesh topology is created at the leaf level instead of at leaf-spine connections. This spineless template uses L3 collapsed rack types. Collapsed templates have the following limitations:

  • No support for upgrading collapsed L3 templates to L3 templates with spine devices (To achieve the same result you could move devices from the collapsed L3 blueprint to an L3 Clos blueprint.)
  • Collapsed L3 templates can't be used as pods in 5-stage templates.
  • You can't mix vendors inside redundant leaf devices - the two leaf devices must be from the same vendor and model.
  • Leaf-to-leaf links can't be added, edited or deleted.
  • Inter-leaf connections are limited to full-mesh.
  • IPv6 is not supported.

Collapsed templates include the following details:

Table 5: Collapsed Template Policies
Policy Options
Overlay Control Protocol
  • Defines the inter-rack virtual network overlay protocol used in the fabric. Overlay control protocol on deployed blueprints can't be changed.
  • Static VXLAN - uses static VXLAN routing the Head End Replication (HER) flooding to distribute Layer 2 virtual network traffic between racks.
  • MP-EBGP EVPN - uses EVPN family eBGP sessions between device loopbacks to exchange EVPN routes for hosts (Type 2) and networks (Type 5). Only homogeneous, single-vendor EVPN fabrics are supported. EVPN-VXLAN capabilities for inter-rack virtual networks are dependent on make and model of network devices used. See Virtual Networks for more information. External systems must be connected to racks (not spine devices).
Table 6: Collapse Template Structure
Structure Options
Rack Types Type of L3 collapsed rack and number of each selected rack type.
Mesh Links Count and Speed Defines the link set created between every pair of physical devices, including devices in redundancy groups (MLAG / ESI). These links are always physical L3. No logical links are needed at the mesh level.

Create Rack Based Template

You can build a multi-rack environment by selecting multiple rack types, but you can't mix Layer 2 and Layer 3 racks in the same template.

  1. If your design requires rack types and/or logical devices that are not in the global catalog, create them before proceeding.
  2. From the left navigation menu, navigate to Design > Templates and click Create Template.
  3. Enter a unique name (64 characters or fewer).
  4. Select RACK BASED.
  5. Select applicable policies.
  6. Select a rack type from the drop-down list and select the number of that type to include in the template. Notice that as you enter information, the topology preview on the right changes accordingly.
    • To add another rack, click Add racks.
  7. Select the Spine Logical Device from the drop-down list, then select the number of them to include in the template. Make sure to select one that provides a sufficient number of spine ports for your design. For 5-stage designs, make sure to select a logical device that includes the Superspine role.
  8. For 5-stage designs, enter the number and connection speed of links for Superspine Connectivity.
  9. Select tags, as applicable (to specify external routers for example), from the drop-down list or create them on-the-fly.
  10. Click Create to create the template and return to the table view.

Next Steps: Create a blueprint from the template.

Create Pod Based Template

A pod-based template consists of multiple rack-based templates; it's essentially a "template of templates" used to build 5-stage Clos networks.

  1. If your design requires templates, rack types and/or logical devices that are not in the global catalog, create them before proceeding.
  2. From the left navigation menu, navigate to Design > Templates and click Create Template.
  3. Enter a unique name (64 characters or fewer).
  4. Select POD BASED.
  5. Select applicable policies.
  6. Select a pod from the drop-down list and select the number of that type of pod. Notice that as you enter information, the topology preview on the right changes accordingly.
    • To add another type of pod, click Add pods and select another pod from the drop-down list.
  7. Select a Superspine Logical Device from the drop-down list.
  8. Select the number of planes and the number of superspine devices per plane.
  9. Select tags, as applicable (to specify external routers for example), from the drop-down list or create them on-the-fly.
  10. Click Create to create the template.

    The example below shows a pod-based template with three pods and two planes, each containing two superspine devices:

Next Steps: Create a blueprint from the template.

Create Collapsed Template

  1. From the left navigation menu, navigate to Design > Templates and click Create Template.
  2. Enter a unique name (64 characters or fewer).
  3. Select COLLAPSED.
  4. Select applicable policies.
  5. Select a rack type from the drop-down list (only L3 collapsed rack types are available for selecting), then select the number of mesh links and their speeds. Notice that as you enter information, the topology preview on the right changes accordingly.
  6. Click Create to create the template and return to the table view.

Next Steps: Create a blueprint from the template.

Edit Template

Changes made to a template in the global catalog do not affect blueprints that were previously created with that template, thereby preventing potentially unintended changes to those blueprints.

  1. From the left navigation menu, navigate to Design > Templates and click the Edit button (top-right) for the template to update.
  2. Make your changes.
    • To update a rack type in a rack-based template, delete the original rack type from the template (click X to the right of the template). Then, before clicking Update, select the same (modified) rack type from the drop-down list.
  3. Click Update (bottom-right) to update the template and return to the table view.

Update Rack Type in Rack Based Template

Changes to a rack type in the global catalog do not affect templates that were previously created with that rack type, thereby preventing potentially unintended changes to those templates. If your intent is for the template to use the modified rack type, then you must re-import the rack type into the template.

  1. Modify the rack type in the global catalog.
  2. From the left navigation menu, navigate to Design > Templates and click the Edit button (top-right) for the template to update.
  3. Click the X to the right of the rack type to remove it. Don't click Update yet.
  4. Select the same rack type from the drop-down list.
  5. Click Update (bottom-right) to update the template with the modified rack type and return to the table view.

Delete Template

Do not delete a template if it's referenced by a blueprint.

  1. From the left navigation menu, navigate to Design > Templates and click the Delete button for the template to delete.
  2. Click Delete to delete the template and return to the table view.