Implementing Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (DCACI) — Question 210

An engineer plans a Cisco ACI firmware upgrade. The ACI fabric consists of three Cisco APIC controllers, two spine switches, and four leaf switches. Two leaf switches have 1-Gb copper ports for bare metal servers, and the other two leaf switches have 10-Gb SFP ports to connect storage. Which set of actions accomplishes an upgrade with minimal disruptions?

Answer options

• A. Upgrade the APIC controllers by selecting the desired firmware and choosing Upgrade Now. Divide the switches into two upgrade groups: spines and leaves. Start the firmware upgrade on the spine upgrade group and then proceed with the leaf upgrade group.
• B. Upgrade the APIC controllers by initiating the upgrade process that uses the most recent uploaded firmware. Divide the switches into three upgrade groups: spines, 1-Gb switches, and 10-Gb switches. Start the firmware upgrade on the spine upgrade group and then proceed with the other two groups.
• C. Upgrade the APIC controllers by selecting the desired firmware and choosing Upgrade Now. Divide the switches into two upgrade groups with one spine, one 1-Gb switch, and one 10-Gb switch per group. Start the firmware upgrade on the first upgrade group and when it finishes, start the second upgrade group.
• D. Upgrade the APIC controllers as a single group by selecting the firmware and choosing Upgrade Now. Divide the switches into four upgrade groups with one switch per group. Start the firmware upgrade on each upgrade group in succession until all four are complete.

Correct answer: C

Explanation

Option C is correct because it minimizes disruptions by grouping switches effectively, ensuring that upgrades are done in a way that maintains fabric stability. Options A and B do not utilize an ideal grouping strategy for the switches, potentially causing more downtime. Option D upgrades all switches individually, which could lead to longer maintenance windows and higher risk of issues during the upgrade process.