What is the primary role of Contracts in Cisco ACI?

In Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), the primary role of Contracts is to govern interaction among Endpoint Groups (EPGs). Contracts define the rules and policies for communication between different EPGs, establishing what types of traffic are permitted or denied based on application requirements and security policies. This mechanism is crucial for maintaining the desired level of security and for implementing micro-segmentation within the data center.

By using Contracts, network administrators can precisely control and manage connectivity between various applications and services, ensuring that the infrastructure is both secure and efficient. This interaction does not merely focus on preventing data loss or allocating bandwidth; rather, it is centered on defining the acceptable interactions based on specific application needs. Additionally, while VLAN configuration plays a role in networking, it is more of a foundational element in traditional networking rather than a direct function of how Cisco ACI handles EPG interactions through Contracts.