CCNP (4 PAPERS) – DATA CENTRE
Implementing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing (642-999)
Exam Description: The 642-999 DCUCI Implementing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing exam is associated with the CCNP® DC certification and with the Cisco Unified Computing Support Specialist. This 90-minute, 65−75 question exam tests a candidate’s knowledge of implementing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing. Concepts like setup of the computing environment in a standalone and rack-mountable configuration, provisioning of storage resources, backup, management functions and deployment of a virtualized environment are covered by this exam. The exam is closed book and no outside reference materials are allowed.
The following topics are general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam. In order to better reflect the contents of the exam and for clarity purposes, the guidelines below may change at any time without notice.
Implement C-Series Standalone
- Implement UCS C-Series rack servers
- Implement firmware updates
- Configure CIMC
- Configure network and storage connectivity
- Provision hard drives
- Install ESXI on local hard drives
- Configure logging and monitoring the methods for Cisco UCS
Configure Cisco UCS B-Series Connectivity
- Configure B-Series overall connectivity
- Implement UCS B-Series component installation
- Configure B-Series LAN connectivity
- Configure B-Series SAN connectivity
Manage Cisco UCS B-Series
- Implement security in a Cisco UCS
- Identify the steps necessary to manage software and firmware versions and upgrades in a Cisco UCS
- Implement backup and import for Cisco UCS database
- Configure logging and monitoring the methods for Cisco UCS
- Configure the Call Home feature in a Cisco UCS system
- Describe high availability for the fabric interconnect cluster
Provision Cisco UCS Compute Resources
- Provision network connectivity in a Cisco UCS
- Provision storage sources in a Cisco UCS
- Provision resource pools in a Cisco UCS
- Provision resource policies in a Cisco UCS
- Provision service profiles in a Cisco UCS
- Provision O/S parameters in a Cisco UCS
- Provision the base UCS system configuration
- IntroducingCiscoDataCenterNetworking
- Provision VNICs and VNIC policies in a Cisco UCS
- Provision C-Series integration
Implement Cisco UCS Server Virtualization Features
- Provision UCS integration with Vmware vCenter server
- Provision UCS vm-fex
- Provision direct path I/O
Implementing Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric (642-997)
Exam Description: The 642-997 DCUFI Implementing Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric exam is associated with the CCNP® DC certification and with the Cisco Unified Fabric Support Specialist. This 90-minute, 65−75 question exam tests a candidate’s knowledge of implementing Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric architecture, security, management, high availability, virtualization in the network. The exam is closed book and no outside reference materials are allowed.
The following topics are general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam. In order to better reflect the contents of the exam and for clarity purposes, the guidelines below may change at any time without notice.
Describe the Cisco Unified Fabric Products in a Cisco Data Center Network Architecture
- Describe the Cisco data center network architecture from a Cisco Nexus Series Switch point of view
- Describe the Cisco SAN network architecture from a Cisco MDS SAN Switch point of view
- Describe Fibre Channel over Ethernet
- Describe the Cisco Nexus product family
- Describe the key high-availability features of Cisco NX-OS
- Describe the key unified fabric features of Cisco NX-OS
- Describe the key scalability features of Cisco NX-OS
- Describe the features and benefits of the major Cisco Nexus line card modules
- Describe the network infrastructure connection to the Cisco UCS platform
Implement Security on Cisco Unified Fabric Products in a Cisco Data Center Architecture
- Implement CTS
- Implement integrated security features
- AppSecure
- Implement AAA
- Implement RBAC
- Implement zoning
Manage the Unified Fabric in a Cisco Data Center Architecture
- Implement CMP
- Manage the Unified Fabric using DCNM SAN
- Manage the Unified Fabric using DCNM LAN
- Upgrade EPLD
- Implement SNMP in the Unified Fabric environment
- Implement xml
- Implement DeviceManager
- Implement netflow
- Implement SPAN
- Implement Callhome
- Implement EEM
- Implement licensing
- Implement cfs
- Implement scheduler
Implement High Availability Features on Cisco Unified Fabric Products in a Cisco Data Center Architecture
- Implement FHRP
- Implement Graceful Restart
- Implement non-stop forwarding
- Implement Port-channels
- Implement vPC
- Implement FabricPath
- Upgrade NX-OS using ISSU
Implement Cisco Unified Fabric Network Features and Functionality in a Cisco Data Center Environment
- Implement QoS
- Implement L2 functionality
- Implement L3 functionality
- Implement multicast functionality
- Implement LISP
- Implement OTV
- Implement MPLS
Implementing Network Virtualization in Cisco Data Center Environment
- Implement VDC
- Implement adapter-fex
- Implement vm-fex
- Integrate Nexus with vCenter manager
- Implement vn-link
Implement Storage features in a Cisco Data Center environment
- Implement zoning
- Implement npiv
- Implement npv
- Implement vsans
- Implement FCoE
- Implement multihop FCoE
- Describe shared vs. dedicated ports
- Describe the FibreChannel protocol
- Implement DCB features
- Implement CFS (Cisco Fabric Services)
Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing (642-998)
Exam Description: The 642-998 DCUCD Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing exam is associated with the CCNP® DC certification and with the Cisco Unified Computing Design Specialist. This 90-minute, 65−75 question exam tests a candidate’s knowledge of designing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing, including design concepts in a server virtualization environment, scalability, reliability, performance and management. The exam is closed book and no outside reference materials are allowed.
The following topics are general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam. In order to better reflect the contents of the exam and for clarity purposes, the guidelines below may change at any time without notice.
Describe the Design Methodology
- Describe developing business trends
- Identify business requirements driving the data center design
- Determine the requirements needed to create a data center solution
- Describe the tools/process to characterize an existing data center
- Describe the top down approach to network design
Describe Data Center Structure and Modularity
- Describe network architectures for the data center
- LAN
- SAN
- Describe the modular approach in network design
- Describe the data center core layer
- Describe the data center aggregation layer
- Describe the data center access layer
- Identify design considerations for connectivity between data centers
- Identify the environments that use a Cisco data center virtualization solution
- Identify the migration plan from existing to new infrastructure
Describe the Technologies Used within the Data Center
- Describe switching protocols used in a data center network
- Describe IPv4/IPv6 Addressing
- Identify routing protocol considerations in a data center
- Describe how various data center protocols impact the design of a data center network
- Describe data center server deployment topologies
- Describe how traffic flows may impact the design of a data center network
- Describe methods for deploying an energy efficient data center
- Describe data center virtualization technologies
- Determine when to use each technology within a data center solution
- Describe high availability design in the data center
Design the Access Layer of a Data Center
- Select appropriate platforms and modules in the data center access layer
- Identify scalability, availability, performance, and connectivity requirements in the data center access layer
- Design for traffic flows in the data center access layer
- Design a cabling plan and topology for the data center access layer
- Design virtualization into the data center access layer
Design Virtualization Solution using Cisco UCS
- Gather historical performance characteristics for the network, compute and storage components of the data center.
- Given a particular set of data center applications and servers, identify the number of physical machines necessary to create a Cisco virtualized data center solution
- Given a particular set of data center applications and servers, identify the networking requirements to create a Cisco virtualized data center solution
- Describe the deployment of pass-thru switching (PTS) and integration with vCenter
- Specify the infrastructure needed to deploy a specified Cisco data center virtualization solution
- Deploy operating systems
- Specify the UCS components of solution design
- Identify Cisco technologies to mitigate security vulnerabilities
- Secure data center network connectivity
- Secure the data center infrastructure
Design Network Management Considerations into a Data Center
- Describe the common industry and Cisco-specific data center network management tools
- Design a network data collection strategy for a data center
Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric (642-996)
Exam Description: The 642-996 DCUFD Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric exam is one of the exams associated with the CCNP® DC certification and to the Cisco Unified Fabric Design Specialist certification. This 90-minute, 65−75 question exam tests a candidate’s knowledge of designing Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric solutions, including reference network topologies, routing protocols, traffic design concepts, storage and storage networking architectures, scalability, availability, security, and management architectures. The exam is closed book and no outside reference materials are allowed.
The following topics are general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam. In order to better reflect the contents of the exam and for clarity purposes, the guidelines below may change at any time without notice.
Describe the Design Methodology
- Describe developing business trends
- Identify business requirements driving the Data Center design
- Determine the requirements needed to create a Data Center solution
- Describe the tools/process to characterize an existing Data Center
- Describe the top down approach to network design
Describe Data Center Structure and Modularity
- Describe network architectures for the Data Center
- LAN
- SAN
- Describe the Modular Approach in Network Design
- Describe the data center core layer
- Describe the data center aggregation layer
- Describe the data center access layer
- Identify Design Considerations for connectivity between Data Centers
- Identify the environments that use a Cisco data center virtualization solution
- Identify the migration plan from existing to new infrastructure
Troubleshooting Storage Area Network in a Cisco Data Center
- Describe switching protocols used in a data center network
- Describe IPv4/IPv6 Addressing
- Identify Routing Protocol Considerations in an Data Center
- Describe how various data center protocols impact the design of a data center network
- Describe data center server deployment topologies
- Describe how traffic flows may impact the design of a data center network
- Describe methods for deploying a Energy Efficient Data Center
- Describe Data Center virtualization technologies
- Determine when to use each technology within a Data Center solution
- Describe high availability design in the data center
Design the Core Layer of a Data Center
- Select the appropriate platforms and modules for use in the data center core layer
- Identify scalability, availability, performance and connectivity requirements in the data center core layer
- Design for traffic flows in the data center core layer
- Design for a collapsed data center core layer
Design the Aggregation Layer of a Data Center
- Select appropriate platforms and modules in the data center aggregation layer
- Identify scalability, availability, and performance requirements in the Data Center aggregation layer
- Design for traffic flows in the data center aggregation layer
- Design virtualization into the data center aggregation layer
Design the Access Layer of a Data Center
- Select appropriate platforms and modules in the data center access layer
- Identify scalability, availability, performance and connectivity requirements in the Data Center access layer
- Design for traffic flows in the Data Center access layer
- Design a cabling plan and topology for the Data Center access layer
- Design virtualization into the data center access layer
Design Storage and SAN Solution
- Consult with internal leading storage vendor experts for design criteria for proper LUN sizing and data protection
- Given a particular set of data center applications and servers, identify the storage requirements to create a Cisco virtualized data center solution
- Describe block vs. filter
- Describe different SAN topologies
- Describe and select SAN Services
- Describe Data replication
- Connect the SAN Unified Fabric
Design Security Considerations into a Data Center
- Identify Cisco technologies to mitigate security vulnerabilities
- Secure Data center network connectivity
- Secure the Data center infrastructure
Design Network Management Considerations into a Data Center
- Describe the common industry and Cisco-specific data center network management tools
- Design a network data collection strategy for a data center