# Integration question: Cisco ACI with f5 in unmanaged mode

**URL:** <https://community.f5.com/t/integration-question-cisco-aci-with-f5-in-unmanaged-mode/21399>\
**Category:** Technical Forums\
**Tags:** big-ip, cisco-aci, aci, security\
**Created:** [October 19, 2018, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.f5.com/t/integration-question-cisco-aci-with-f5-in-unmanaged-mode/21399 "2018-10-19T15:53:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JimW\_156953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/da6949/32.png) [@JimW\_156953](https://community.f5.com/u/JimW_156953)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.f5.com/t/integration-question-cisco-aci-with-f5-in-unmanaged-mode/21399/1 "2018-10-19T15:53:32Z")

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_(knowledge level : rudimentary :: first aci ↔ f5 integeration project of my life:: reaching out to the community since everyone seems to be baffled)_

Need help in getting a stalled project through. trying to reach out the community to identify any direct Cisco ACI + f5 technical material to understand and configure f5 in unmanaged mode. There are quite a few links dealing in more complex vcmp/virtual and other issues. The work done so far:

**expected target architecture :** Use f5 in unmanaged mode with ACI. With ACI expected to act like a regular switch and not be bothered with l4-7 et al.

**f5 configs:** single physical f5 device : Port 2.1 and 2.2 : portchanneled to ACI 9K leaf switches : trunk is green/up!

When you talk to Cisco as soon as they here f5 - the immediate jump is to configure l4-7. Q: When f5 is treating ACI as a switch how do i configure so that is it not bothered with l4-7 et al.

Any discussion around this to further expand will be highly appreciated.

Thanks,

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**Author:** ![Niels\_van\_Sluis](https://d1p9zq3aats0t8.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.f5.com/niels_van_sluis/32/3759_2.png) [@Niels\_van\_Sluis](https://community.f5.com/u/Niels_van_Sluis)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://community.f5.com/t/integration-question-cisco-aci-with-f5-in-unmanaged-mode/21399/2 "2018-10-20T15:34:46Z")

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From the perspective of the BIG-IP no specific configuration is needed. But you probably want to disable ‘Auto Last Hop’. Check the document below at: Guidelines and Limitations for Common Pervasive Gateway

[https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/1-x/ACI\_Best\_Practices/b\_ACI\_Best\_Practices/b\_ACI\_Best\_Practices\_chapter\_010.html](https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/1-x/ACI_Best_Practices/b_ACI_Best_Practices/b_ACI_Best_Practices_chapter_010.html)

I’m not a Cisco ACI expert, but configuration of these items seem to be relevant:

ACI Access Policy for configuration of the physical ports (VPC, LACP, Speed, VLAN, Domain).

Logical Network Constructs for the network configuration (Bridge Domain, Subnets, Access Policy, EPG, Contracts.

Also see this post:

[https://devcentral.f5.com/articles/unmanaged-mode-what-it-means-for-aci-and-big-ip-integration](https://devcentral.f5.com/articles/unmanaged-mode-what-it-means-for-aci-and-big-ip-integration)

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**Author:** ![Payal\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Payal\_S](https://community.f5.com/u/Payal_S)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 9:45pm UTC](https://community.f5.com/t/integration-question-cisco-aci-with-f5-in-unmanaged-mode/21399/3 "2020-08-17T21:45:32Z")

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The F5 and Cisco APIC integration based on the device package and iWorkflow is End Of Life.

The latest integration is based on the Cisco AppCenter named ‘F5 ACI ServiceCenter’.

[Click here to view the Cisco ACI and F5 BIG-IP design guide which discusses the following topics:](https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/data-center-virtualization/application-centric-infrastructure/white-paper-c11-743890.html)

- SNAT or no SNAT
- BIG-IP redundancy
- Multi-tenancy
- Tighter integration using F5 ACI ServiceCenter

Visit [https://devcentral.f5.com/s/articles/F5-and-Cisco-ACI-Essentials-Design-guide-for-a-single-POD-APIC-cluster](https://devcentral.f5.com/s/articles/F5-and-Cisco-ACI-Essentials-Design-guide-for-a-single-POD-APIC-cluster) to learn how to access a lab for hands on experience using the F5 ACI ServiceCenter

[Cisco ACI and F5 BIG-IP Integration | F5](https://f5.com/cisco) for updated information on the integration.