Cisco ACI Reviews

The return on investment for Cisco ACI has been positive in some instances, however, recently there have been challenges with the Call Manager.

The pricing for Cisco ACI is generally considered high and can vary depending on the number of sites and the level of functionality desired. Some reviewers mentioned that the solution is expensive yet worth the investment, particularly for enterprises. However, for small organizations or SMBs, the cost may be prohibitive. 

Becoming a gold partner can result in more reasonable pricing, however, the requirements to achieve this status can be costly and time-consuming. 

• "On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."
• "The pricing, including both hardware and licenses, is reasonable."
• "There are no additional costs. We only have to pay for a support contract apart from the license."

The primary use case of Cisco ACI is for micro-segmentation of servers in the same VLAN, securing data centers for multiple sites, multi-site connectivity and managing the entire network, replacing legacy networks, designing data centers, achieving a properly defined data center, automating the data center networking environment, and configuring and managing infrastructure in a data center. 

It can be used for consolidating data centers, integrating virtual environments with the data center, automating processes and centralizing management of devices, collaborating and using it for security, deploying and configuring upgraded ACIs, using it for communication and managing corporate networks, and deploying banking systems. 

It is a next-generation solution that combines innovative technology, has a user-friendly interface, integrates with other brands and platforms, and is capable of high availability and redundancy.

The customer service and support of Cisco ACI have received mixed feedback. Some customers have had positive experiences, stating that technical support has been good, very responsive, and quick to resolve issues. They have praised the knowledge and helpfulness of the support team. In particular, support from engineers in the EMEA region has been excellent. 

However, there have been instances where support took a long time to investigate issues, leading to delays in responding. Some customers have noticed a decline in support quality over time, mentioning that new and inexperienced engineers have been hired without sufficient training. This has resulted in cases requiring multiple escalations and a lack of expertise in certain areas. 

The initial setup for Cisco ACI can vary in complexity depending on the user's background and experience with Cisco products. 

Some users find it to be complex, especially if they are not familiar with software-defined networks or command-line interfaces. However, others find it relatively straightforward, especially if they have experience with Cisco products. 

The setup process typically involves a few steps and can be completed within a few hours or days, depending on the number of devices and the need for integration. 

The deployment process may also involve additional tasks such as migration, which can further complicate the setup. 

Cisco ACI is highly scalable and offers a lot of flexibility. It allows for easy expansion by adding leaf or spine switches without the need for a complete redesign. 

It is suitable for medium to large organizations and can accommodate a large number of devices and servers. The solution can be seamlessly integrated with legacy infrastructure and can support multi-site scenarios. 

Additionally, the hardware performance is reliable and stable. 

The stability of Cisco ACI is generally seen as good. It has become more stable in recent versions. There were a few mentions of bugs causing performance issues, however, overall, the solution is considered stable and reliable.