Overview
The Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure (DCID) v8.0 training focuses on data center design using Cisco solutions and technologies. It combines theoretical learning with design-oriented case studies and activities that help learners evaluate real infrastructure requirements and make appropriate design decisions.
The training covers data center network design using virtualization, Layer 2 and Layer 3 technologies, routing protocols and data center interconnect options. It also explores device virtualization through virtual switches, virtual routers, virtual firewalls and other virtual appliances.
Storage and Storage Area Network design are covered in detail, including Fibre Channel architecture, topologies and security. The course also explains design practices for Cisco Unified Computing System environments based on Cisco UCS B-Series, C-Series and UCS-X servers.
Management and orchestration topics include Cisco UCS Manager, Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller and Cisco Intersight. The course also addresses programmability, Ansible, Terraform and infrastructure-as-code practices. Additional modules examine artificial intelligence, AI use cases, AI-ready infrastructure, specialised compute hardware, high-performance transport and sustainable AI data center design.
This training prepares learners for the 300-610 Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure (DCID) v1.2 exam. Passing the exam earns the Cisco Certified Specialist – Data Center Design certification and satisfies the concentration exam requirement for the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Data Center certification. The training also earns 40 Cisco Continuing Education credits toward recertification.
What You Will Learn
- Make informed design choices for data center infrastructure performance, virtualization, security and automation.
- Build the practical and theoretical knowledge required to design scalable, reliable and intelligent data centers using Cisco technologies.
- Develop skills relevant to professional-level roles in enterprise data center environments.
- Prepare for the 300-610 Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure (DCID) v1.2 exam.
Who Should Enrol
- Network designers
- Network administrators
- Network engineers
- Systems engineers
- Data center engineers
- Consulting systems engineers
- Technical solutions architects
- Cisco integrators and partners
- Server administrators
- Network managers
- Storage administrators
- Program managers
- Project managers
Course Outline
View syllabus
Data Center Topologies
Layer 1 Connectivity
Data Center Redundancy
Layer 2 Connectivity
Layer 3 Connectivity
Virtual Resources
Overlay Networks
Fabric Interconnect Connectivity
Cisco Unified Computing System Server Options
Cisco UCS Network Design
Cisco Unified Computing System Server Design
Cisco Unified Computing System Configuration
Storage Options and Design
Fibre Channel Networks
Storage Virtualization
Fibre Channel Topologies
Hyperconverged and Integrated Systems
Basic Data Center Security
Advanced Data Center Security
Storage Security
Cisco Unified Computing System Role-Based Access Control
Fundamentals of AI
Generative AI
AI Use Cases
AI-Enabling Hardware
Key Network Challenges and Requirements for AI Workloads
Application-Level Protocols
AI Transport
AI Compute Resources
AI Sustainability
Network and License Management
Compute Management and Orchestration
Network Orchestration
Data Center Programmability and Automation
Infrastructure as Code Automation
What to Expect in the Exam
- Data center network design.
- Compute infrastructure design.
- Storage network design.
- Data center automation.
Prerequisites
- Implement data center networking, including Local Area Network and Storage Area Network environments.
- Describe data center storage technologies and design considerations.
- Implement data center virtualization.
- Implement Cisco Unified Computing System.
- Implement data center automation and orchestration with a focus on Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure, Cisco Nexus Dashboard and Cisco Intersight.
- Describe products in the Cisco Data Center Nexus and Multilayer Director Switch families.
- Recommended prior learning: Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA).
- Recommended prior learning: Implementing Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR).
Detailed Course Objectives
- Describe the physical design of modern data centers and the different network types used within them.
- Describe how to design and manage the physical-layer infrastructure of modern data centers.
- Explain the multi-layered concept of data center redundancy across hardware, software, topology and site-level resiliency.
- Describe Layer 2 forwarding options and protocols used in a data center.
- Describe Layer 3 forwarding options and protocols used in a data center.
- Evaluate virtual infrastructure options and the considerations involved in deployment.
- Describe overlay networks and the operation of VXLAN and Cisco ACI.
- Describe Fabric Interconnect operation and connectivity.
- Describe Cisco UCS hardware options and make appropriate hardware design choices.
- Design Cisco UCS connectivity for LAN and SAN environments.
- Describe design considerations for Cisco UCS servers, networking and hardware.
- Describe storage options for compute infrastructure and compare RAID levels for availability and performance.
- Describe Fibre Channel concepts and architecture.
- Describe Fibre Channel topologies and design considerations.
- Describe hyperconverged solutions and integrated systems.
- Identify security threats and appropriate security solutions in the data center.
- Describe advanced data center security technologies and best practices.
- Describe security options for storage networks.
- Describe role-based access control and directory-server integration for managing access rights in Cisco UCS Manager.
- Describe key artificial intelligence concepts, including traditional AI, machine learning and deep learning, and explain their applications.
- Describe generative AI, its challenges and future trends, while distinguishing traditional and modern AI methods.
- Explain how AI can improve network management and security through intelligent automation, predictive analytics and anomaly detection.
- Describe the importance of AI-specific hardware in reducing model-training time and supporting advanced AI processing requirements.
- Describe key network challenges created by AI and machine-learning application requirements.
- Explain the mechanisms and operation of Remote Direct Memory Access and RDMA over Converged Ethernet protocols.
- Describe the role of optical and copper technologies in supporting AI and machine-learning data center workloads.
- Identify the compute hardware required to run AI and machine-learning solutions.
- Describe sustainable AI infrastructure practices covering environmental and economic sustainability.
- Describe Cisco network-management models and licence-management approaches.
- Manage and automate the compute-infrastructure lifecycle using Cisco Intersight and related platforms for scalable and secure hybrid data centers.
- Orchestrate, automate and monitor modern data center networks using Cisco Nexus Dashboard and its integrated services.
- Describe data center automation design considerations using programmability.
- Analyse and plan orchestration with Ansible and Terraform to deploy, configure and operate Cisco data centers.