📘Cisco DevNet Associate (200-901 DEVASC)

1. Introduction to Cisco Network Management Platforms

For the DEVASC exam, you must understand:

What each Cisco platform does
Where it is typically used (enterprise, data center, cloud, WAN, etc.)
What APIs it provides
What kind of automation is possible
How developers interact with these systems

These platforms allow network automation, programmability, monitoring, and centralized management using APIs instead of manual CLI configuration.

All of them support:

REST APIs
JSON data format
Automation using Python or other programming languages
Integration with external systems

2. Cisco Meraki

What is Meraki?

Cisco Meraki is a cloud-managed networking platform.

It manages:

Wireless access points
Switches
Security appliances (MX)
SD-WAN
Cameras
IoT devices

Everything is managed from the Meraki Dashboard (cloud portal).

Key Capabilities

1. Cloud-Based Management

No on-premises controller required
Devices connect to the Meraki cloud
Centralized management from anywhere

2. Zero-Touch Provisioning

Devices can be shipped directly to branch offices
Once powered on, they automatically download configuration

3. Monitoring and Analytics

Client usage data
Traffic analysis
Security events
Device health monitoring

Meraki APIs

Meraki provides a RESTful API.

Main Characteristics:

Uses HTTPS
Uses API key for authentication
JSON request and response format

What You Can Do with Meraki API:

Create and manage networks
Add/remove devices
Configure SSIDs
Retrieve client usage statistics
Monitor device status
Automate VLAN configuration

Exam Key Points

Meraki = Cloud-managed networking
Simple REST API
API key authentication
Good for branch and distributed networks
Strong dashboard + automation integration

3. Cisco DNA Center

What is Cisco DNA Center?

Cisco DNA Center (DNAC) is an enterprise campus network controller and automation platform.

It manages:

Campus switches
Wireless LAN controllers
Routers
Access points

It provides intent-based networking.

Key Capabilities

1. Intent-Based Networking

You define what you want (intent), and DNAC configures the network automatically.

Example:

Define a policy for a department
DNAC pushes configurations to all devices

2. Automation

Device discovery
Configuration deployment
Template-based configuration
Software image management
Zero-touch provisioning

3. Assurance (Monitoring & Troubleshooting)

Real-time network health
Client health scores
AI-driven issue detection
Root cause analysis

Cisco DNA Center APIs

DNAC provides:

REST APIs
Event notifications (webhooks)
Integration APIs

What You Can Automate:

Provision devices
Create network profiles
Configure VLANs
Deploy templates
Retrieve health statistics
Pull client analytics

Exam Key Points

Used in enterprise campus networks
Supports automation and assurance
REST APIs with token-based authentication
Uses JSON
Supports event-driven automation

4. Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure)

What is Cisco ACI?

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is Cisco’s data center networking solution.

It is managed by:

Cisco APIC (Application Policy Infrastructure Controller).

ACI focuses on:

Application-based policies
Data center automation
Software-defined networking (SDN)

Key Capabilities

1. Policy-Based Networking

Instead of configuring VLANs manually, you define:

Application profiles
Endpoint groups (EPGs)
Contracts (policies between groups)

ACI automatically programs switches.

2. Centralized Controller (APIC)

APIC:

Controls all ACI fabric switches
Provides GUI and REST API
Stores network policies

3. Multi-Tenant Support

ACI allows:

Multiple isolated tenants
Secure segmentation
Scalable data center design

ACI APIs

ACI has a REST API built into APIC.

Characteristics:

Uses HTTPS
Uses JSON or XML
Token-based authentication
Policy-based object model

What You Can Automate:

Create tenants
Create bridge domains
Define EPGs
Configure contracts
Monitor fabric health

Exam Key Points

Used in data centers
Application-centric policy model
Controlled by APIC
Strong REST API
Object-based configuration model

5. Cisco SD-WAN

What is Cisco SD-WAN?

Cisco SD-WAN is Cisco’s software-defined WAN solution.

It connects:

Branch offices
Data centers
Cloud environments

Main controllers include:

vManage (Management)
vSmart (Control plane)
vBond (Orchestration)

Key Capabilities

1. Centralized Management

vManage provides:

Central configuration
Policy deployment
Monitoring

2. Policy-Based Routing

You can define:

Application-aware routing
Path selection
QoS policies
Security policies

3. Secure Overlay Network

Encrypted tunnels
Dynamic path selection
Cloud connectivity

Cisco SD-WAN APIs

vManage provides REST APIs.

What You Can Automate:

Device onboarding
Template creation
Policy deployment
Monitoring tunnel status
Retrieving device statistics

Exam Key Points

SD-WAN = WAN virtualization
Uses controllers (vManage, vSmart, vBond)
REST APIs for automation
Template-driven configuration

6. Cisco NSO (Network Services Orchestrator)

What is Cisco NSO?

Cisco NSO is a network automation and orchestration platform.

It works across:

Multi-vendor devices
Physical and virtual devices
Routers, switches, firewalls

Key Capabilities

1. Service-Based Automation

Instead of configuring devices individually:

You define a service (for example: create VPN for branch).

NSO:

Translates service into device-specific configurations
Pushes configs to multiple devices
Maintains consistency

2. Model-Driven Architecture

NSO uses:

YANG models
NETCONF
RESTCONF
CLI

It supports:

Transaction control
Rollback
Validation

3. Multi-Vendor Support

NSO can manage:

Cisco devices
Non-Cisco devices
Cloud infrastructure

NSO APIs

NSO supports:

REST API
RESTCONF
NETCONF
CLI

What You Can Automate:

Service provisioning
Network-wide configuration
Lifecycle management
Automated rollback

Exam Key Points

Orchestration platform
Uses YANG models
Supports NETCONF/RESTCONF
Multi-vendor automation
Transaction-based system

7. Platform Comparison Summary (Important for Exam)

Platform	Primary Use	Environment	API Type	Key Strength
Meraki	Cloud-managed networking	Branch / SMB	REST	Simplicity & cloud
DNA Center	Campus automation	Enterprise	REST	Intent-based networking
ACI	Data center SDN	Data Center	REST	Policy-based model
SD-WAN	WAN virtualization	Branch/WAN	REST	Application-aware routing
NSO	Orchestration	Multi-domain	REST, NETCONF	Service-level automation

8. Common API Characteristics (Very Important for DEVASC)

Across all platforms:

REST APIs
HTTPS transport
JSON payloads
Token or API key authentication
CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
Automation via Python scripts
Integration with DevOps tools

9. What You Must Be Able to Do for the Exam

You should be able to:

Identify which platform is used in which scenario
Recognize REST API usage
Understand authentication methods
Interpret JSON responses
Know which controller manages which architecture
Understand policy-based automation
Differentiate between management and orchestration

10. Final Exam Tips

Remember these core associations:

Meraki → Cloud dashboard
DNA Center → Campus automation
ACI → Data center policy
SD-WAN → WAN virtualization
NSO → Service orchestration

If a question mentions:

Cloud-managed Wi-Fi → Meraki
Intent-based campus → DNA Center
Application profiles in data center → ACI
Branch connectivity with centralized policy → SD-WAN
Multi-vendor service automation → NSO