Cisco Application Services Engine provides a common platform for deploying Cisco Data Center applications. These applications provide real time analytics, visibility, and assurance for policy and infrastructure.

Cisco Data Center apps are resource intensive applications that rely on modern technology stacks. Cisco Application Services Engine can host containerized applications on a common platform.

Cisco Application Services Engine is deployed as a cluster of three service nodes. This clustering provides reliability and high-availability software framework.

Cisco Application Service Engine can be deployed in two modes :

• Fabric internal mode:

  In the fabric internal mode, the configuration is obtained from the Cisco Application Services Engine app running on Cisco APIC. The node is automatically discovered by the Cisco ACI fabric. The registration, managing nodes, and roles management is performed using Cisco APIC.

  Note	Only Cisco Network Insights Resources application and Cisco Network Insights Advisor application are supported on fabric internal mode. Only the physical form factor is supported fabric internal mode. Refer to Cisco Application Services Engine Release Notes for more information.

• Fabric external mode:

  In this mode, the Cisco ACI fabric does not provide the configuration and roles. Cisco Application Services Engine can be deployed in the fabric external mode using a number of different form factors, such as:

  • Physical appliance form factor:

    • ISO form factor.

  • Virtual form factors:

    • AWS - AMI form factor.

    • OVA form factor.

    • KVM form factor.

Note	Cisco Application Services Engine, Release 1.1.2 (fabric external mode only) supports the deployment of only the Cisco ACI Multi-Site Orchestrator application (starting with Release 2.2(3)).