Cisco®‘s new Data Center Certification Track

On Tuesday, November 20th, Cisco® quietly announced their latest certification track: the CCNA and CCNP Data Center. The CCIE Data Center has been around for a short while, and the buzz for the last year was that they were working on this new cert path.

So, why is this important to you? I mean Cisco® has many, many certification paths, with more to come probably. You can chose from the most popular, which is Routing and Switching (R/S), but also Voice, Wireless, Service Provider, Security, and more – and all of these can provide great job security and good pay. However, the Data Center track will be the hottest cert in 2013 and beyond.

All medium-to-large-to-enterprise companies will eventually move to a Unified Computing System or similar model. This model allows companies to unify their networks, computing resources, virtualization and storage in an easy to manage manner. Yes, I know it will take years for some companies to even consider consolidating their data centers, but there are many, many companies that need to do it now, are doing it now, or have already done it. If you’ve been following my blogs, and social media posts, you know I am all about jobs — and Data Center is the “New Hot Job with lots of potential and good pay!”.

However (why is there always a ‘but” or “however” when you just read good news?), working in a new UCS Data Center is not easy, it is tough and takes a lot of effort and brainpower. I found that out the hard way in the last year or so when I tried to take my many decades of work experience and apply it to what I was doing on a day-to-day basis with UCS. Sure, Ethernet is Ethernet, and TCP/IP is still the same, but you have all new technologies that you need to learn with UCS, and if you’ve been a router & switch guy in the past, the virtualization and storage pieces can be a bear to get a handle on!

Let’s take a look at how the new certs appear in Cisco®’s new certification lineup:

Notice interestingly enough, Cisco® didn’t make the old-tried-and-true CCNA R/S a pre-requisite as it is for all other certification tracks. This makes no sense to me, especially since the first test in the CCNA DC track is a networking exam (with some introduction to Data Center info). Cisco® could have easily made the CCNA R/S a pre-requisite to the CCNA DC and then made the CCNA DC a single test instead of the two they have. These two tests you must pass for the CCNA DC are: Introducing Cisco® Data Center Networking (DCICN) and Introducing Cisco® Data Center Technologies (DCICT). There is no single test for the CCNA Data Center. For the CCNP, there are four more tests to pass, wtih two paths to chose from: an Implementation path or a Design path. I’ll provide you all the different CCNP Data Center tests to take at the end of this blog, because trying to gleen this information from their web site is very difficult.

Starting in 2013, I will be teaching my new CCNA Data Center 6-day bootcamp, as well as the CCNP Data Center 12-day bootcamp at GlobalNet Training & Consulting, Inc. My new bootcamps will be all-inclusive, meaning luxury Hyatt hotel where the classes are held, testing onsite with test vouchers included (2nd shot vouchers are included in the DC bootcamps!), hot fresh meals, 24×7 UCS rack availability, all taxes and gratuities included – no hidden fees.

NOTE: For the price of just one Cisco® Data Center class at another company, where you take one class at a time at a high cost, plus your travel, hotel and rental car, GlobalNet Training & Consulting, Inc will give you all the needed CCNA Data Center or CCNP Data Center classes in one single boot camp, and include the hotel, meals, and tests, in one low price — which will cost you less, and you’ll learn more because you never leave the learning enviornment!

Here are the CCNP Data Center Two Certification Paths:

Cisco® CCNP Data Center Implmentation Path:
Four Exams, three certifications
642–999 DCUCI (v5.0)
642–997 DCUFI (v5.0)
642–035 DCUCT
642–980 DCUFT
Cisco® Data Center Unified Computing Support Specialist
642–035 DCUCT
642–999 DCUCI (v5.0)
Cisco® Data Center Unified Fabric Support Specialist
642–980 DCUFT
642–997 DCUFI (v5.0)
==================================================================
Cisco® CCNP Data Center Design Path
Four exams, three certifications
642–999 DCUCI (v5.0)
642–997 DCUFI (v5.0)
642–998 DCUCD (v5.0)
642–996 DCUFD (v5.0)
Cisco® Data Center Unified Computing Design Specialist
642–999 DCUCI (v5.0)
642–998 DCUCD (v5.0)
Cisco® Data Center Unified Fabric Design Specialist
642–996 DCUFD (v5.0)
642–997 DCUFI (v5.0)

Implementing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing (DCUCI) 5.0

Prerequisites

Understanding of server system design and architecture Familiarity with Ethernet and TCP / IP networking Familiarity with SANs Familiarity with Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP)

Understanding of Cisco Enterprise Data Center Architecture Familiarity with hypervisor technologies (VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Xen)

Attendance of the following Cisco learning offerings is recommended to fully benefit from this course:

• Configuring Cisco Data Center Unified Computing (DCUCS)

Course Content

Implementing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing (DCUCI) is designed to serve the needs of engineers who implement Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) B-Series Blade Servers and Cisco UCS C-Series Rack-Mount Servers.

 Course Objectives

Install Cisco R-Series Rack Enclosures in the data center.

• Use Cisco Integrated Management Controller to provision LAN and SAN connectivity for the C-Series server.
• Use the LSI MegaRAID web user interface to provision local hard drives into a RAID 5 array.
• Implement system management, maintenance, and high availability services for Cisco UCS B-Series.
• Maintain Cisco UCS in a high-availability configuration Implement generation 1 and generation 2 connectivity.
• Implement LAN & SAN connectivity for Cisco UCS B-Series hardware.
• Provision VLANs and fabric interconnect uplinks for server connectivity to the Layer 3 data center cloud.
• Provision VSANs and fabric interconnect Fibre Channel uplinks for server connectivity to the data center storage cloud.
• Provision service profiles with initial and updating templates Implement virtualization features.
• Provision Cisco VM-FEX

Course Outline

• Course Introduction
• Implement Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers
• Manage the Cisco UCS B-Series
• Implement Cisco UCS B-Series Connectivity
• Provision Cisco UCS Compute Resources
• Implementing Cisco UCS Server Virtualization Features

Who Should Attend

• Channel Partner / Reseller
• Customer
• Employee

Cisco Data Center Unified Computing Support Specialist Certification

With the popularity of unified computing systems (UCS) quickly rising, it is important that individuals responsible for supporting UCS systems keep up-to-date with their operations and maintenance. When supporting Cisco’s UCS offerings the Data Center Unified Computing Support Specialist certification is a great option for validating your skills and knowledge. This certification tests the ability of the candidate to implement a virtualized data center environment with a focus on the implementation of Cisco’s UCS B and C series and Nexus products operating in an enterprise grade data center.

Data Center Unified Computing Support Specialist Review

Before a candidate is able to achieve the Data Center Unified Computing Support Specialist certification, they must meet a number of different prerequisites; there are two different prerequisite paths:

1. Earn the Data Center Storage Networking Support Specialist (ICSNS exam) and Data Center Networking Infrastructure Support Specialist (DCNIS exam) certifications
2. Earn the VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certification (v3 or above)

OR

1. Earn the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification and pass the Data Center Unified Computing Implementation qualifier exam.
2. Earn the VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certification (v3 or above)

Once a candidate meets the prerequisites, they must take and pass one of the Data Center Unified Computing Implementation (DCUCI) exams; there are going to be two different versions of the DCUCI exams available depending on when scheduling the exam:

• The 642-983 DCUCI exam will be available until 5/7/2012 when it will be retired.

• The 642-994 DCUCI exam will be available on 2/7/2012 and is the newer version of the exam.

The 642-994 DCUCI exam has between 45 to 55 total questions and must be completed in 75 minutes. The exam can be taken in any of the available Pearson VUE testing centers.

Data Center Unified Computing Support Specialist Blueprint

The blueprint for the new 642-994 DCUCI exam is very similar to the older exam; the different exam objectives for this new exam are shown here:

• Install a Cisco virtualized data center
  • List the environmental elements that must be in place for a virtualized data center installation
  • List the connectivity elements that must be in place for a virtualized data center installation
  • Describe the cabling characteristics necessary for a Cisco virtualized data center
  • Describe the process to perform an initial software load on a Cisco Unified Computing System
  • Describe the process to perform an initial software load for server OS and drivers
  • Identify the best practices necessary to design, install, and maintain a Cisco virtualized datacenter
  • Describe the process to install the Nexus 1KV and integrate into the VMWare Virtual Infrastructure
  • List the terminology used to identify the VMWare and Nexus 1KV components

• Configure Cisco virtualized data center operating parameters
  • Given a set of customer policies, determine the most appropriate Cisco virtualized data center configuration
  • Configure security in a Cisco virtualized data center
  • Configure networks in a Cisco virtualized data center
  • Configure storage sources in a Cisco virtualized data center
  • Configure resource pools/policies in a Cisco virtualized data center
  • Configure OS parameters in a Cisco virtualized data center
  • Configure the base Cisco Unified Computing System
  • Configure service profiles in a Cisco virtualized data center
  • Configure VNICs and VNIC policies in a Cisco virtualized data center

• Manage a Cisco virtualized data center
  • Describe the steps necessary to manage software and firmware versions and upgrades in a Cisco Unified Computing System environment
  • Describe the procedure to backup and restore a Cisco virtualized data center system configuration
  • Describe the methods to monitor a Cisco virtualized data center system
  • Describe the process to map a VNIC to an ESX instance
  • Describe responses to common growth scenarios that affect Cisco virtualized data center capacity
  • Describe the methods to monitor a Cisco virtualized networks at a virtual machine level
  • Describe the Call Home feature in a Cisco virtualized data center system

• Troubleshoot a Cisco virtualized data center
  • Describe the methods to produce debugging data in a Cisco virtualized data center environment
  • Describe the use of LED error codes in troubleshooting in a Cisco virtualized data center environment
  • Describe the method to determine common boot failures and their causes in a Cisco virtualized data center environment
  • Describe the causes of boot from SAN failures
  • Describe event log entries indicating invalid configurations
  • Describe the methods to perform hardware maintenance in a Cisco virtualized data system environment

• Describe Cisco data center virtualization
  • Describe the reasons for data center virtualization
  • Describe the elements of typical data center virtualization
  • Describe the elements of Cisco data center virtualization
  • Describe the advantages of a Cisco data center virtualization
  • List the products making up the Cisco data center virtualization solution
  • List the capacities and maximums of a Cisco data center virtualization solution
  • Describe the differences between Nexus 1KV and Palo

• Describe data center virtualization foundations
  • Describe virtualization technologies
  • Describe common virtualization solutions
  • Describe virtualization in a Cisco Unified Computing System solution

Summary

There are certainly a large number of certification possibilities in the current Information Technology environment. When an engineer supports or may in the future support the Cisco data center product offerings it is certainly an advantage to study and achieve the Center Unified Computing Support Specialist certification as it provides a good solid knowledge base for their offerings and with this an easier support experience. Hopefully the content of this article can be used by those interested to get started with their Cisco data center certification path.