Overview
Q. What is the Cisco Nexus
® Dashboard Data Broker?
A. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Data Broker (formerly Nexus Data Broker) is a packet-brokering solution that provides visibility into the customer’s network. The solution enables NetOps and SecOps teams to programmatically manage aggregating, filtering, and forwarding of copy/mirrored traffic to custom analytics tools for purposes of troubleshooting, capacity planning, network and application performance monitoring, security inspection, and compliance regulation conformance etc.
Deployment guidelines
Q. Which Cisco Nexus series switches can be used for Nexus Dashboard Data Broker functionality?
A. The following Cisco Nexus 9000 family of switches (EX/FX/FX2/GX), both fixed and modular, can be used as Nexus Dashboard Data Broker switches. FX3 and GX2 models will be qualified as Nexus Dashboard Data Broker switches by Q4CY21. Cisco Nexus 3000 and Nexus 3500 series switches can also be used as Nexus Dashboard Data Broker switches.
Q. Where can I run the Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller software?
A.
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller software can run on any bare-metal server or Virtual Machine (VM).
The controller software is shipped as a lightweight Java application. For more details on VM specifications and system requirements and host Linux distribution details, please refer to the Cisco Nexus Dashboard Data Broker configuration guide.
The controller software will be available on Cisco Nexus Dashboard platform as an application starting from Nexus Dashboard 2.1 release.
Q. What are the basic prerequisites to be configured on a Nexus Dashboard Data Broker switch for proper traffic flow?
A. On the Nexus Dashboard Data Broker switch, the prerequisites are as follows:
Create username and password.
username admin password 5 ***
role network-admin
Configure management interface with the following:
interface mgmt0
vrf member management
ip address 10.16.206.203/24
Q. Which port is used for communication between Nexus Dashboard Data Broker and the Cisco
® Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (Cisco APIC) device internally?
A. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Data Broker uses port 443 to communicate with Cisco APIC.
Q. Do Nexus Dashboard Data Broker switches use local SPAN sessions or monitoring sessions to perform TAP aggregations? Does the limit on SPAN sessions on Cisco Nexus OS have an impact on TAP aggregations?
A. Nexus Dashboard Data Broker switches don’t use any local SPAN sessions to perform TAP aggregations. It uses Layer 2 port access lists (ACLs) to move packets from one port to another. The limit on SPAN sessions doesn’t have any impact in this context.
How to buy?
Q. What are the licensing requirements for Nexus Dashboard Data Broker?
A. For every Data Broker switch purchased or repurposed, a Nexus Dashboard Data Broker license (subscription or perpetual) should be added to the Bill of Materials (BOM). Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller software is free.
For more information, please refer to the Nexus Dashboard Data Broker ordering guide.