Overview

Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD-Access) is the evolution from traditional campus designs to networks that directly implement the intent of an organization. SD-Access is a software application running on Cisco DNA Center hardware that automates wired and wireless campus networks with LISP as the control plane and VXLAN for encapsulation.

Fabric technology, an integral part of SD-Access, provides wired and wireless campus networks with programmable overlays and easy-to-deploy network virtualization, permitting a physical network to host one or more logical networks to meet the design intent. In addition to network virtualization, fabric technology in the campus network enhances communications control, providing software-defined segmentation and policy enforcement based on user identity and group membership. Software-defined segmentation is seamlessly integrated using Cisco TrustSec? technology, providing micro-segmentation for groups within a virtual network using scalable group tags (SGTs). Using Cisco DNA Center to automate the creation of virtual networks with integrated security and segmentation reduces operational expenses and reduces risk.  Network performance, network insights, and telemetry are provided through the Assurance and Analytics capabilities.

The book, Cisco Software-Defined Access for Industry Verticals, is a design guide that provides an overview of the requirements driving the evolution of campus network designs. It includes a discussion about the latest technologies and designs that are available for building an SD-Access network to address those requirements. It is a companion to the associated deployment guides for SD-Access, which provide configurations explaining how to deploy the most common implementations of the designs described in this guide. The intended audience is a technical decision maker who wants to understand Cisco's campus offerings, learn about the available technology options, and use leading practices for designing the best network for the needs of an organization.

Since SD-Access was first introduced, it has been widely used in many industry verticals and has been used to solve various business challenges. With that in mind, Cisco put together a team to write a book that provides a brief review of the components of the SD-Access architecture and demonstrates how SD-Access solves business and technical challenges of customers across several industry verticals: Operational Technology (OT), Healthcare, Universities, Large Enterprise, and Finance.  The book concludes with a final section on evolving an existing network to SD-Access through migration.

The book is written in a non-linear format, which allows the reader to focus on the parts of the solution which pertain to a given situation. Additionally, the chapters which follow the architectural overview of SD-Access,  concentrate on industry verticals, the business needs, caveats, and use cases often encountered. The chapters then focus on how SD-Access can be used to overcome those challenges.

The book, Cisco Software-Defined Access for Industry Verticals, provides a brief review of the components of the SD-Access architecture and demonstrates how SD-Access solves business and technical challenges of customers across several industry verticals: Operational Technology (OT), Healthcare, Universities, Large Enterprise, and Finance.  The book concludes with a final section on evolving an existing network to SD-Access through migration.  The following provides a summary of the book chapters:

Cisco SD-Access Solution Architecture and Features Overview

This chapter provides an overview of the necessary Fabric components and feature information that is needed to understand the designs and topics discussed in later chapters. Included are details on common Cisco and third-party application integrations used in SD-Access.

OT Integration with Cisco SD-Access

This chapter focuses on deployments of Cisco SD-Access in Operation Technology (OT) environment with is a dedicated and physically separate network from an enterprise network deployed by manufacturing, industrial, and utility organizations.

Cisco SD-Access in Healthcare

The purpose of this chapter is to provide design guidance for a typical healthcare deployment profile using Cisco DNA Center and SD-Access looking at the significant changes caused by the exponential growth in telehealth, remote workforces, and fast-evolving primary care models.

Cisco SD-Access for Large Enterprises and Government

This chapter explains how Cisco SD-Access addresses the unique scale and connectivity requirements faced by organizations with large-scale networks owned by multinational corporations and governments.

Cisco SD-Access in Universities

This chapter explores typical design caveats that university networks must overcome when adopting new technology and methods in which SD-Access design inherently overcomes these challenges.

Cisco SD-Access in Financial Verticals

This chapter focuses on common SD-Access use cases in the financial vertical looking at the unique challenges in the areas of regulatory compliance, service quality, site scale, and resiliency among others.

Migration to Cisco SD-Access

This chapter focuses on migration options for your existing network, and steps to evolve a traditional network into an SD-Access network.

Authors

This book represents an intense collaboration between the Technical Marketing, Engineering, Sales, and CX teams during a week-long comprehensive session at Cisco Headquarters in San Jose, CA. The team comprises a wealth of Cisco technical talent, which worked long hours over a week-long period to develop this amazing publication.

Download the Book (PDF)

Cisco Software-Defined Access for Industry Verticals

Additional Resources:

This book was created in collaboration with Book Sprints

Cisco SD-Access Fabric Resources

Cisco SD-Access Hardware and Software Compatibility Matrix

Software-Defined Access Design Guide

Software-Defined Access Segmentation Design Guide

Campus LAN and Wireless LAN Design Guide

For comments and suggestions about this guide and related guides, join the discussion on Cisco Community at https://cs.co/en-cvds