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Create a tenant, VRF, and bridge domain using the GUI

Updated: April 15, 2026

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Configure a tenant, VRF, and bridge domain using the GUI to establish network infrastructure components for your ACI fabric.

This task enables you to create the foundational network components required for ACI fabric configuration.

If you have a public subnet when you configure the routed outside, you must associate the bridge domain with the outside configuration.

Follow these steps to create a tenant, VRF, and bridge domain using the GUI:

Procedure

  1. On the menu bar, choose Tenants > Add Tenant.

  2. In the Create Tenant dialog box, perform the following tasks:

    1. In the Name field, enter a name.
    2. In the Security Domains section, click the + to open the Create Security Domain dialog box.
    3. In the Name field, enter a name for the security domain, then click Submit.
    4. In the Create Tenant dialog box, click Update for the security domain that you created.
    5. Fill in the other fields as necessary.
    6. Click Submit.

      The tenant_name > Networking screen displays.

  3. In the Work pane, drag the VRF icon to the canvas to open the Create VRF dialog box, and perform the following tasks:

    1. In the Name field, enter a name.
    2. Fill in the other fields as necessary.
    3. Click Submit to complete the VRF instance configuration.

  4. In the Work pane, drag the Brdige Domain icon to the canvas within the circle around the VRF instance to connect the two. In the Create Bridge Domain dialog box that displays, perform the following tasks:

    1. In the Name field, enter a name.
    2. Fill in the other fields as necessary.
    3. Click Next.
    4. In the Subnets section, click the + to open the Create Subnet dialog box.
    5. In the Gateway IP field, enter the IP address and subnet mask.
    6. Fill in the other fields as necessary.
    7. Click OK.
    8. Back in the Create Bridge Domain dialog box, fill in the other fields as necessary.
    9. Click Next.
    10. Fill in the fields as necessary.
    11. Click OK to complete bridge domain configuration.

  5. In the Work pane, drag the L3 icon to the canvas within the circle around the VRF instance to connect the two. In the Create Routed Outside dialog box that displays, perform the following tasks:

    1. In the Name field, enter a name.
    2. In the Nodes field, click the + button.
    3. In the Create Node Profile dialog box, fill in the other fields as necessary.
    4. Click OK.
    5. Put a check in the BGP, OSPF, or EIGRP check boxes if desired.
    6. Fill in the other fields and Create static route as necessary.
    7. Click Next.
    8. Fill in the fields as necessary.
    9. Click OK to complete the Layer 3 configuration.
    To confirm the Layer 3 configuration, in the Navigation pane, expand Networking > VRFs.