Which VMware Platform Integrates with Cisco ACI for Policy and Visibility?
Short answer
B Cisco ACI integrates with VMware vRealize (vRA/vRO) for enhanced visibility, policy deployment, and access-list-based security policies.
Question
Key Takeaways
This item tests whether you know ACI's VMware management-plane integration, and the trap is picking "VMware APIC" because APIC sounds like the ACI policy component but is Cisco-proprietary.
Cisco ACI integrates with VMware vRealize to enhance visibility, automate policy deployment, and enforce access-list security policies. The correct answer is B; VMware Horizon and Fusion are endpoint/VDI products, and APIC is Cisco's ACI controller.
Common mistake: Most candidates choose VMware APIC (C) because APIC is central to ACI policy, yet APIC is Cisco's controller and not a VMware platform; Horizon (A) and Fusion (D) are desktop/VDI or hypervisor products.
Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
VMware vRealize is the VMware cloud-management platform that Cisco documents as integrating with ACI for enhanced visibility, policy integration and deployment, and access-list security policy implementation. Cisco's integration uses vRealize Automation service blueprints and vRealize Orchestrator workflows that call Cisco APIC APIs, letting tenants build, manage, and remove ACI networking components from a self-service catalog. That aligns precisely with the question's wording about policy integration, deployment, and security policies with access lists. Therefore option B is the correct VMware platform.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
VMware Horizon (A) is a VDI and end-user computing product, not the platform used for ACI policy integration. VMware APIC (C) is a deliberate trap: APIC is Cisco's Application Policy Infrastructure Controller for ACI, not a VMware product, even though the option labels it as VMware. VMware Fusion (D) is a desktop hypervisor for running virtual machines on macOS, so it has no role in ACI policy deployment or access-list enforcement. None of these options matches Cisco's documented ACI-to-vRealize integration.
Community Comment Notes
Totosos1 voted B and linked Cisco's "Cisco ACI with VMware vRealize" virtualization guide, which directly supports the integration. XBfoundX explained that vRA integration is delivered through service blueprints that leverage APIC workflows and a self-service portal for tenants to build, manage, and remove networking components. jku2cya added useful elimination logic that the desktop products cannot be the answer and that "APIC is Cisco proprietary."
Official Reference
This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.
Exam Strategy
When the stem names a VMware platform, immediately eliminate Cisco APIC and the desktop hypervisors; the remaining management platform is vRealize. Link the phrase "policy integration and deployment" to vRealize Automation blueprints and Orchestrator workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is VMware APIC (C) not the correct Cisco ACI integration platform?
What does VMware vRealize add to Cisco ACI visibility and policy deployment?
Discussion 3 contributions
Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.
From public community threads 3
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Totosos1 👍 2 Answered BB is correct: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/4-x/virtualization/Cisco-ACI-Virtualization-Guide-42x/aci-with-vmware-vrealize-42x.html
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XBfoundX 👍 1 Answered BCisco ACI with VMware vRealize Solution Overview vRA integration is delivered through a set of service blueprints imported into vRA. The service blueprints leverage the vRO Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) workflows, providing a set of catalog items in a self-service portal that allows Tenants to build, manage, and remove networking components. Multi-machine with ACI workflows achieve following functionalities: Auto-create Tenant Endpoint Groups (EPGs) Required policies in APIC Create VMs and portgroups in vCenter Auto-place the VMs is respective port groups Created by APIC Create security policy with access lists Configure L4-L7 services, and provide external connectivity
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jku2cya 👍 1 Answered BAgree with Totosos1. Can't be A or D as they are VMware hypervisor software for MAC OS and VDI software respectively. Can't be C as APIC is Cisco proprietary.
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