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:
- Earn the Data Center Storage Networking Support Specialist (ICSNS exam) and Data Center Networking Infrastructure Support Specialist (DCNIS exam) certifications
- Earn the VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certification (v3 or above)
OR
- Earn the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification and pass the Data Center Unified Computing Implementation qualifier exam.
- 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.
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