Initial Deploy
NDFC

To this point, you have created your second Easy_Fabric, Site2, which is a Brownfield fabric and created the configuration intent of Site2's Fabric Settings to align with the existing configuration of your Brownfield fabric. Then, you discovered and added your fabric switches and set the appropriate switch role for your border gateway leaf switch. To get your Brownfield fabric and NDFC fully in sync, you now need to trigger the fabric-level action Recalculate and Deploy. The recalculate portion of the operation initiates an update of the configuration intent for each switch in the fabric based on roles and also processes the preserved Brownfield configuration. As the recalculation occurs, there are progression windows that display in NDFC, like they did for the Greenfield fabric, that let you know what is happening. The deploy portion of the operation has you kickoff the configuration deployment to the switches where you can visually inspect that progress much like the switch import view earlier.

After a successful Recalculate and Deploy, your Brownfield fabric should show the switches In-Sync and the pre-existing VRF(s) and Network(s) will become present in NDFC for visibilty and management.

Step 1 - Trigger Initial Deployment for Brownfield Fabric

At the top right of the Site1 fabric, locate the fabric-level Actions button:

  1. Click Actions
  2. Click Recalculate and Deploy




  3. After clicking Recaculate and Deploy, NDFC will generate the configuration based on intended configuration best practices per role from templates, your user input when you created the fabric initially, and the Brownfield configuration. The screenshots below give you some examples of the displays NDFC provides you to know where the operation is at in the process for recalculating:

Step 2 - Deploy Initial Config

In the Deploy Configuration wizard, you can visually see that not many lines of configuration are required to be configured to your Brownfield fabric. The line here are to bring your Brownfield fabric into alignment with NDFC:

  1. In the bottom right, click Deploy

Step 3 - Exit Deploy Configuration

Upon a successful deployment, NDFC's Deploy Configuration wizard should look as shown in the screenshot below; all green with SUCCESS messages and each switch's expected configuration progress bar also displaying as green and fully executed. If any error occurred, NDFC will display a notification and the status reverted back to Out-of-Sync.

  1. After done reviewing the deployment progress, click Close in the bottom right

Step 4 - Review Switches

Back at the main Switches overview, each switch in your Site2 fabric should display a Config Status of In-Sync.

Step 5 - Review VRFs

Navigate to VRFs and review the VRF(s) imported from your Brownfield fabric:

  1. Click VRFs in the top navigation bar
  2. Ensure VRFs is selected in the left sidebar (this should be by default)

  3. RedVrf is the VRF imported from the Brownfield fabric and now managed by NDFC.
    Take note that the VRF ID (VNI ID) of 59000 resides within the range configured as part of your Site2 fabric settings that is 50000-59000.

Step 6 - Review VRF Attachments

Review the VRF Attachments imported from the Brownfield fabric:

  1. Double Click RedVRF
  2. Click VRF Attachments

  3. RedVrf should show deployed to your Site2-L1 switch and have VLAN 2299 that resides in the VLAN range from your Site2 Fabric Settings that is 2000-2299.

  4. Click X to close VRF Overview

Step 7 - Review Networks

Navigate to Networks and review the Network(s) imported from your Brownfield fabric:

  1. Click Networks in the top navigation bar
  2. Ensure Networks is selected in the left sidebar (this should be by default)

  3. Take note of the Network starting with the name Auto_Net_VNI. This name signifies a Network imported as part of a Brownfield import. Again, notice that the VNI 49000 and VLAN 2999 reside within the Networks VNI and VLAN pools respectively from your Fabric Settings; VNI Pool: 30000-49000 and VLAN Pool: 2300-2999.

Step 8 - Review Network Attachments

Review the Network Attachments imported from the Brownfield fabric:

  1. Double Click on Auto_Net
  2. Click Network Attachments

  3. The Auto_Net_VNI should show deployed to your Site2-L1 switch.

  4. Click X to close Network Overview

Step 9 - Revisit Main Overview Dashboard After Initial Deployment

Revisist the main Overview dashboard and now examine what the dashboard is populated with after initial deployment.

  1. Click Overview
  2. Notice the Switch Configuration status, Switch Roles and VXLAN information are updated and in a healthy state. VXLAN should show 3 Routing Loopbacks for the 3 switches and 2 VTEP Loopbacks that coorespond to the 2 NVE interfaces for the 2 Leaf switches in your Site2 fabric. If not all VXLAN interfaces statuses are green, again, give it a brief moment.



Continue to the next section to verify your Site2 Brownfield "Easy" VXLAN EVPN fabric.