A Juniper Apstra rack is a physical entity that contains one or more network devices, such as leaf nodes, access switches, or generic systems. A rack is used to organize and manage the network devices in the Apstra software application. A rack has the following characteristics:
It stores information on how leaf nodes connect to generic devices. This is because a rack can include generic systems, which are devices that are not managed by Juniper Apstra, but are connected to the network. A generic system can be a server, a firewall, a load balancer, or any other device that has a networkinterface. A rack stores the information on how the leaf nodes, which are the devices that provide access to the end hosts, connect to the generic devices, such as the port number, the link speed, the LAG mode, and the roles1.
It has a rack type, which defines the type and number of leaf devices, access switches, and/or generic systems that are used in the rack. A rack type is a resource that is created in the data center design phase, and it does not specify the vendor or the model of the devices. A rack type can be predefined or custom-made, and it can be used to create multiple racks with the same structure and configuration2.
It has a rack build, which assigns the specific vendor and model of the devices to the rack. A rack build is created in the staged phase, and it uses the rack type as a template. A rack build can also assign the resources, such as the IP addresses, the ASNs, and the VNIs, to the devices in the rack3.
It has a rack deployment, which applies the network configuration and services to the devices in the rack. A rack deployment is performed in the active phase, and it uses the rack build as a reference. A rack deployment can also monitor the network performance and compliance of the devices in the rack4.
The following three statements are incorrect in this scenario:
It stores information on how pods connect to super spines. This is not true, because a rack does not store any information on the pod or the super spine level of the network. A pod is a cluster of leaf and spine devices that form a 3-stage Clos topology, and a super spine is a device that connects multiple pods in a 5-stage Clos topology. A rack only stores information on the leaf and the access level of the network1.
It stores IP address and ASN pool information. This is not true, because a rack does not store any information on the IP address and ASN pools. IP address and ASN pools are resources that are created in the data center design phase, and they contain a range of IP addresses and ASNs that can be assigned to the devices and the virtual networks. A rack only uses the IP address and ASN pools to assign the resources to the devices in the rack build2.
It stores device port data rates and vendor information. This is not true, because a rack does not store any information on the device port data rates and vendor information. The device port data rates and vendor information are specified in the rack build, which assigns the specific vendor and model of the devices to the rack. A rack only uses the rack build to apply the network configuration and services to the devices in the rack deployment3.
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