The Cisco® Application Policy Infrastructure Controller - Enterprise Module (APIC-EM) is our software-defined networking (SDN) controller for enterprise networks (in the campus or branch and the WAN). It delivers an elastic platform for policy-based automation that simplifies and abstracts the network. It can enable transformation of business intent to network control. The platform is built to host multiple, easy-to-use SDN applications that use open, northbound representational state transfer (REST) APIs and drive core network automation solutions. The platform also supports a number of southbound protocols that enable it to communicate with the breadth of network devices customers already have in place, and extend SDN benefits to both greenfield and brownfield environments, immediately from the start. The goal of the APIC-EM platform is to power next-generation SDN applications that will dramatically lower operational expenditures and increase network agility to align with business needs.
The APIC-EM platform supports both wired and wireless enterprise networks across the WAN, and access and wireless infrastructures. It offers superior investment protection, and works with both existing and new infrastructure. The APIC-EM platform delivers many significant benefits. For example, it:
- Creates an intelligent, open, programmable network with open APIs
- Can help customers save time, resources, and costs through advanced automation services
- Can transform business-intent policies into dynamic network configuration
- Provides a single point for network-wide automation and control
