Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide, Release 6.2(x)

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Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide, Release 6.2(x)

Decommission a Cisco APIC in the cluster

Updated: January 12, 2026

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Use this procedure to safely remove a Cisco APIC controller from the cluster while ensuring data integrity for Cisco APIC release 6.0(2) and later versions. Note that any log record objects held solely on the decommissioned controller are lost permanently after this operation.

  • Remove a Cisco APIC controller from the cluster safely and ensure data integrity.

Use this procedure for Cisco APIC release 6.0(2) and later versions. Refer to the Decommission a Cisco APIC in the cluster for releases prior to release 6.0(2).

Note

Any log record objects held solely on the decommissioned controller are lost permanently after this operation.

Follow these steps to decommission a Cisco APIC in the cluster:

Before you begin

  • Ensure you are not logged into the controller you plan to decommission.

  • Any log record objects stored only on the decommissioned APIC’s database shard are permanently lost.

  • Confirm that the controller is running release version 6.0(2).

  • Confirm the cluster health state is Fully Fit .

Procedure

  1. Go to System > Controllers .

  2. In the Controllers list, select an APIC within the cluster (not the one to be decommissioned) and access Cluster as Seen by Node .

  3. Verify the cluster health state is Fully Fit in the Active Controllers summary.

  4. In the Active Controllers table, for the controller you wish to remove, choose the Actions menu and select Decommission .

  5. Confirm the decommission action.

    After the controller is decommissioned, its operational state changes to Unregistered , and it is removed from cluster management.

  6. Starting with Cisco ACI release 6.2(1), APIC clean reload is no longer supported. In addition, the acidiag touch clean command will be deprecated. Use the steps below to add an APIC back into the cluster.

    1. Decommission the APIC.

    2. Use the acidiag touch setup command and the acidiag reboot command to reboot the APIC.

    3. From the existing cluster, perform the recommission workflow to recommission the APIC back into the cluster.

    A clean reload of the entire cluster is not supported. To recover the cluster, run acidiag reboot command to reboot each APIC individually. Afterward, perform ID recovery.

    For Cisco ACI Release 6.2(1) or later, contact Cisco TAC to recover the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) password. You cannot recover the password on your own.

The selected APIC controller is removed from the cluster and marked as unregistered.

What to do next

  • Power down the decommissioned controller and disconnect it from the fabric.

  • Perform a factory reset before repurposing or recommissioning the controller.

  • For Layer 4 to Layer 7 services, reboot the controller before recommissioning.

  • If you decommission all controllers, verify the cluster size updates accordingly.