Cisco ACI vs Salt: What are the differences?

Introduction

Cisco ACI and Salt are two popular software solutions used in the IT industry. While both technologies offer benefits in managing and automating network infrastructure, they have key differences that set them apart. In this article, we will explore the key differences between Cisco ACI and Salt.

1. Integration with Network Devices: Cisco ACI is a data center networking solution that provides a centralized policy-driven framework for managing network infrastructure. It integrates closely with Cisco networking devices, allowing administrators to define and enforce policies across the network fabric. On the other hand, Salt is an open-source software used for IT automation and configuration management. It offers the flexibility to work with a wide range of network devices, including Cisco devices, as well as devices from other vendors. This makes Salt a more versatile solution for heterogeneous network environments.

2. Focus: Cisco ACI primarily focuses on providing a comprehensive solution for data center network automation and management. It offers features such as application-centric networking, security, and policy-driven automation. Salt, on the other hand, is a general-purpose automation and configuration management tool that can be used across various IT domains, including network automation, server management, and cloud orchestration. Salt's broad focus allows it to be used in a wider range of use cases beyond just network automation.

3. Architecture: Cisco ACI adopts a leaf-spine architecture, where leaf switches connect to spine switches, forming a scalable and high-performance network fabric. It uses an Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) to manage the network fabric, define policies, and automate network operations. Salt follows a master-minion architecture, where a central Salt master server controls and manages multiple Salt minion agents deployed on network devices. The master server pushes configurations and commands to the minion agents, enabling centralized management and automation.

4. Policy and Configuration Management: Cisco ACI offers a policy-based approach to network management. It allows administrators to define and enforce policies at various levels, including application, tenant, and security policies. Policies are defined centrally and applied consistently across the network fabric. Salt provides a declarative approach to configuration management, where infrastructure state is defined using Salt states. Salt states describe the desired configuration state of network devices, and Salt ensures that the actual state matches the desired state, enforcing consistency and automation.

5. Community and Ecosystem: Cisco ACI is a proprietary technology developed by Cisco Systems, with a large and established community of users and developers. It has a robust ecosystem of Cisco-specific tools and integrations. Salt, on the other hand, is an open-source technology with a vibrant community and ecosystem. It is supported by a wide range of modules and extensions developed by the community, offering flexibility and extensibility.

6. Scalability and Flexibility: Cisco ACI provides a highly scalable solution for large-scale data center deployments. It offers features like automatic fabric discovery, automatic path computation, and scale-out architecture to handle the growth and demands of data center networks. Salt is also highly scalable and flexible, supporting thousands of network devices. It offers flexible configuration management through pillars, allowing administrators to organize and manage configuration data in a hierarchical and flexible manner.

In summary, Cisco ACI offers a specialized and comprehensive solution for data center network automation, focusing on Cisco devices and providing a policy-driven approach. Salt, on the other hand, is a versatile open-source automation and configuration management tool that can work with a wide range of network devices and has a broader scope beyond just network automation.