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CCIE ® Data Center Written Exam Topics
The topic areas listed are general guidelines for the type of content that is likely to appear on the exam. Please note, however, that other relevant or related topic areas may also appear.
All exam materials are provided and no outside reference materials are allowed.
Exam Sections and Sub-task Objectives
Cisco Data Center Architecture
- Describe the Cisco Data Center Architecture
- Describe the products used in the Cisco Data Center Architecture
- Describe Cisco unified I/O solution in access layer
- Determine which platform to select for use in the data center different layers
Cisco Data Center Infrastructure—NX-OS
- Describe NX-OS features
Describe the architecture of NX-OS
Describe NX-OS Process Recovery
Describe NX-OS Supervisor Redundancy
Describe NX-OS Systems file management
Describe Virtual Output Queuing (VoQ)
Describe Virtual Device Contexts
Configure and Troubleshoot VDCs
Describe fabric extension via the nexus family
- Design and implement NX-OS Layer 2 and Layer 3 functionality
Describe VLANs
Describe PVLANs
Describe Spanning-Tree Protocols
Describe Port-Channels and Virtual Port Channels
Compare and contrast VPC options
Describe basic features of routing protocols in a data center environment
Implement jumbo frames end-to-end in a data center
Describe FabricPath
Describe VRF lite in a data center environment
Validate configurations and troubleshoot problems and failures using command line, show and debug commands.
- Describe Multicast
Describe Multicast Operation in a data center environment
Describe Basic PIM configuration
Describe IGMP operation and configuration on the Nexus Platform
Validate Configurations and troubleshoot problems and failures using command line, show and debug commands
- Describe basic NX-OS Security features
AAA Services
RBAC, SSH, and SNMPv3
Control Plane Protection and Hardware Rate Limiting
IP ACLs, MAC ACLs, and VLAN ACLs
Port Security
DHCP Snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection, and IP Source Guard
Validate configurations and troubleshoot problems and failures using command line, show and debug commands
- Implement NX-OS high availability features
Describe First-Hop Routing Protocols
Describe Graceful Restart and nonstop forwarding
Describe OTV
Describe the ISSU process
Validate configurations and troubleshoot problems and failures using command line, show and debug commands
- Implement NX-OS management
Describe DCNM LAN features
Implement SPAN and ERSPAN
Implement embedded Ethernet analyzer and Netflow
Describe XML for network management and monitoring
Describe SNMP for network management and monitoring
Describe Implement Embedded Event Management
Describe configuration management in Data Center Network Manager
Describe Smart Call Home
Detail connectivity and credentials required for Data Center Network Manager
Validate configurations and troubleshoot problems and failures using command line, show and debug commands
Cisco Storage Networking
- Describe Standard-based SAN Protocols
Describe Fiber Channel Standards and protocols
Describe SCSI standards and protocols
Describe iSCSI standards and protocols
Describe FCIP standards and protocols
- Implement Fiber Channel Protocols features
Describe Port Channel, ISL, trunking and VSANs
Design basic and enhanced zoning
Describe FC domain parameters
Describe Cisco Fabric services and benefits
Design and implement proper oversubscription in an FC environment
Validate proper configuration of FC storage based solutions
- Implement IP Storage based solution
Implement FC over IP (FCIP)
Describe iSCSI and its features
Validate proper configuration of IP Storage based solutions
- Design and describe NX-OS Unified Fabric features
Describe Fiber Channel features in the NX-OS environment
Describe Fiber Channel over Ethernet Protocol and technology
Design and implement data center bridging protocol and lossless Ethernet
Design and implement QoS features
Describe NPV and NPIV features in a Unified Fabric environment
Describe FCoE NPV features
Describe Unified Fabric Switch different modes of operations
Describe multihop FCoE
Describe and configure universal ports
Validate configurations and troubleshoot problems and failures using command line, show and debug commands
- Design high availability features in a standalone server environment
Describe server-side high availability in the Cisco Unified I/O environment
Describe Converged Network Adapter used in FCoE topologies
Configuring NIC teaming
- Implement SAN management
Describe Device Manager for element management
Describe configuration management in Data Center Network Manager
Describe connectivity and credentials required for DCNM-SAN
Describe how to monitor and trend utilization with DCNM Dashboard
Cisco Data Center Virtualization
- Implement Data Center Virtualization with Nexus1000v
Describe the Cisco Nexus1000v and its role in a virtual server network environment
Describe Virtual Ethernet Module (VEM) on Nexus1000v
Describe Virtual Supervisor Module (VSM)
Describe the Cisco Nexus 1010 physical appliance and components
Describe Port Profiles and use cases in Nexus1000v
Describe QoS, Traffic Flow and IGMP Snooping in Nexus1000v
Describe Network monitoring on Nexus1000v
Explain the benefits of DHCP snooping in a VDI environment
Describe how to intercept traffic using Vpath and its benefits
Describe and implement Nexus1000v port channels
Describe Virtual Service Domain
Validate configurations and troubleshoot problems and failures using command line, show and debug commands
Cisco Unified Computing
- Unified Computing System components and architecture
Describe Cisco Unified Computing System components and architecture
Describe the Cisco Unified Computing server deployment and implementation model
Describe Cisco UCS Management features
Describe Cisco UCS Connectivity from both LAN and SAN perspective
Describe Cisco UCS High Availability
Describe what the capability catalog is and how it is used
Describe Cisco UCS C Series Integration
Describe the functional differences between physical and virtual adaptors
- Describe LAN connectivity in a Cisco Unified Computing environment
Describe Fabric Interconnect for LAN connectivity
Implement server and uplink ports
Describe End Host Mode
Implement Ethernet Switching Mode
Implement VLANs and port channels
Implement Pinning and PIN groups
Describe Disjoint Layer 2 and design consideration
Describe Quality of Service (QoS) options and configuration restrictions
Design and verify scalable Cisco Unified computing systems
- Describe Implement SAN connectivity in a Cisco Unified Computing environment
Describe Fabric Interconnect for SAN connectivity
Describe End Host Mode
Implement NPIV
Implement FC Switch mode
Implement FC ports for SAN connectivity
Implement Virtual HBA (vHBA)
Implement VSANs
Implement SAN port channels
Describe and implement direct attach Storage connectivity options
Describe and implement FC trunking and SAN pinning
- Describe Cisco Unified Computing Server resources
Describe Service Profiles in Cisco UCS including templates and contrast with cloning
Describe Server Resource Pools
Implement updating and initial templates
Describe Boot From remote storage
Detail best practices for creating pooled objects
Explain how to use the Cisco UCS KVM with Vmedia and session management
Describe local disk options and configuration protection
Describe power control policies and their effects
- Describe role-based Access Control Management Groups
Understand Cisco UCS Management Hierarchy using ORG and RBAC
Describe roles and privileges
Implement integrated authentication
- Cisco Unified Computing troubleshooting and maintenance
Understand backup and restore procedures in a unified computing environment
Manage high availability in a Cisco Unified Computing environment
Describe monitoring and analysis of system events
Implement External Management Protocols
Analyze statistical information
Understand Cisco Unified Computing components system upgrade procedure
Describe how to manage BIOS settings
Describe memory extension technology
Cisco Application Networking Services—ANS
- Data center application high availability and load balancing
Describe standard ACE features for load balancing
Describe different Server Load Balancing Algorithm
Describe health monitoring and use cases
Describe Layer 7 load balancing
Describe sticky connections
Understand SSL offload in SLB environment
Describe Protocol Optimization
Describe Route Health Injection (RHI)
Describe Server load balancing Virtual Context and HA
Describe Server load balancing management options
- Global load balancing
Describe basic DNS resolution process
Describe the benefits of the Cisco Global Load Balancing Solution
Describe how the Cisco Global Load Balancing Solution integrate with local Cisco load balancers
Implement a Cisco Global Load Balancing Solution into an existing network infrastructure
