Network (25%)

1.1 Apply routing protocols

•  OSPFv2, OSPFv3
•  MP-BGP
•  PIM
•  FHRP

1.2 Apply switching protocols such as RSTP+, LACP and vPC

1.3 Apply overlay protocols such as VXLAN EVPN and OTV

1.4 Apply ACI concepts

•  Fabric setup
•  Access policies
•  VMM
•  Tenant policies

1.5 Analyze packet flow (unicast, multicast, and broadcast)

1.6 Analyze Cloud service and deployment models (NIST 800-145)

1.7 Describe software updates and their impacts

•  Disruptive /non-disruptive
•  EPLD
•  Patches

1.8 Implement network configuration management

1.9 Implement infrastructure monitoring such as NetFlow and SPAN

1.10 Explain network assurance concepts such as streaming telemetry

Compute (25%)

2.1 Implement Cisco Unified Compute System Rack Servers

2.2 Implement Cisco Unified Compute System Blade Chassis

•  Initial setup
•  Infrastructure management
•  Network management (VLANs, pools and policies, templates, QoS)
•  Storage management (SAN connectivity, Fibre Channel zoning, VSANs, WWN pools, SAN policies, templates)
•  Server management (Server pools and boot policies)

2.3 Explain HyperFlex Infrastructure Concepts and benefits (Edge and Hybrid Architecture vs all-flash)

2.4 Describe firmware and software updates and their impacts on B-Series and C-Series servers

2.5 Implement compute configuration management (Backup and restore)

2.6 Implement infrastructure monitoring such as SPAN and Intersight

 Storage Network (20%)

3.1 Implement Fibre Channel

•  Switch fabric initialization
•  Port channels
•  FCID
•  CFS
•  Zoning
•  FCNS
•  Device alias
•  NPV and NPIV
•  VSAN

3.2 Implement FCoE Unified Fabric (FIP and DCB)

3.3 Describe NFS and NAS concepts

3.4 Describe software updates and their impacts (Disruptive/nondisruptive and EPLD)

3.5 Implement infrastructure monitoring

1. Layer 2

• Troubleshoot static and dynamic 802.1q trunking protocols
• Troubleshoot static and dynamic EtherChannels
• Configure and verify common Spanning Tree Protocols (RSTP and MST)

2. Layer 3

• Compare routing concepts of EIGRP and OSPF (advanced distance vector vs. linked state, load balancing, path selection, path operations, metrics)
• Configure and verify simple OSPF environments, including multiple normal areas, summarization, and filtering (neighbor adjacency, point-to-point and broadcast network types, and passive interface)
• Configure and verify eBGP between directly connected neighbors (best path selection algorithm and neighbor relationships)

3. Wireless

• Describe Layer 1 concepts, such as RF power, RSSI, SNR, interference noise, band and channels, and wireless client devices capabilities
• Describe AP modes and antenna types
• Describe access point discovery and join process (discovery algorithms, WLC selection process)
• Describe the main principles and use cases for Layer 2 and Layer 3 roaming
• Troubleshoot WLAN configuration and wireless client connectivity issues

4. IP Services

• Describe Network Time Protocol (NTP)
• Configure and verify NAT/PAT
• Configure first hop redundancy protocols, such as HSRP and VRRP
• Describe multicast protocols, such as PIM and IGMP v2/v3

 Automation (15%)

4.1 Implement automation and scripting tools

• EEM
•  Scheduler
•  Bash Shell and Guest Shell for NX-OS
•  REST API
•  JSON and XML encodings

4.2 Evaluate automation and orchestration technologies

•  Ansible
•  Puppet
•  Python
•  POAP
•  DCNM
•  UCSD
•  PowerShell

Security (15%)

5.1 Apply network security

• AAA and RBAC
•  ACI contracts and micro segmentation
•  First-hop security features such as dynamic ARP inspection (DAI), DHCP snooping, and port security
•  CoPP

5.2 Apply compute security

•  AAA and RBAC
•  Keychain authentication

5.3 Apply storage security

•  AAA and RBAC
•  Port security
•  Fabric binding

Network Design (35%)

1.1 Evaluate options for Layer 2 connectivity

•  Endpoint mobility
•  Redundancy/high availability
•  Convergence
•  Services insertion

1.2 Evaluate options for Layer 3 connectivity

•  IP mobility
•  Redundancy / high availability (graceful restart, NSF)
•  Convergence
•  Services insertion (load balancing, security)

1.3 Evaluate data center technologies such as vPC/vPC+

1.4 Evaluate options for interconnecting data centers such as VXLAN EVPN and OTV

1.5 Evaluate options for device and routing virtualization

•  VDC
•  VRF (standard, VXLAN EVPN tenant)

1.6 Evaluate in-band and out-of-band options for management

1.7 Evaluate redundancy options such as active/active and disaster recovery site

Compute Design (25%)

2.1 Evaluate options for Ethernet connectivity

•  Redundancy / high availability
•  Bandwidth (oversubscription)
•  Fabric interconnect operation mode (switch mode, end host mode)

2.2 Evaluate options for storage connectivity

• Bandwidth (port-channels, oversubscription)
•  Fabric interconnect operation mode (switch mode, end host mode)
•  Direct-attached storage (appliance, FC storage, and FCoE ports)

2.3 Evaluate options for network device virtualization in a data center (Cisco VIC adapters)

•  Number of interfaces vs. IOM uplinks
•  vCon placement policies
•  Ethernet adaptor policies
•  Fibre Channel adapter policies

2.4 Evaluate options for hyperconverged infrastructure

•  Cluster mode
• HX for virtual server
• Desktop virtualization

Storage Network Design (20%)

3.1 Replace this text with content of your own.3.1 Plan for iSCSI deployment in a data center (Multipathing and addressing schemes)

3.2 Evaluate QoS requirements in a data center

•  Fibre Channel
•  FCoE
•  FCIP
•  iSCSI

3.3 Determine FCoE/ Fibre Channel interface

•  Dedicated and shared mode
•  Port types
•  ISL
•  Oversubscription

3.4 Evaluate SAN topology options

Automation Design (20%)

4.1 Evaluate options for network orchestration and automation

•  DCNM
•  Intersight
•  NX-API
•  Model-driven programmability
• Ansible
•  Puppet
•  Python

4.2 Evaluate options for compute orchestration and automation

•  Service profile templates
• vNIC templates
•  vHBA templates
•  Global policies vs. local policies

Network (25%)

1.1 Troubleshoot routing protocols

•  OSPFv2, OSPFv3
•  MP-BGP
•  PIM
•  FHRP (HSRP, VRRP)

1.2 Troubleshoot switching protocols, such as RSTP+, LACP, and vPC

1.3 Troubleshoot overlay protocols, such as VXLAN EVPN and OTV

1.4 Troubleshoot Application Centric Infrastructure

•  Fabric discovery
• Access policies
• VMM domain integration
• Tenant policies
• Packet flow (unicast, multicast, and broadcast)
•  External connectivity

 Compute Platforms (25%)

2.1 Troubleshoot Cisco Unified Computing System rack servers

2.2 Troubleshoot Cisco Unified Computing System blade chassis

•  Infrastructure such as chassis, power, IOM
•  Network (VLANs, pools and policies, templates, QoS)
•  Storage (SAN connectivity, FC zoning, VSANs, pools, policies, templates)
•  Server pools and boot policies

2.3 Troubleshoot packet flow from server to the fabric

2.4 Troubleshoot hardware interoperability

•  Converged Network Adapters / port expanders
•  Firmware
•  I/O modules / FEX
•  Fabric interconnects

2.5 Troubleshoot firmware upgrades, packages, and interoperability

Storage Network (25%)

3.1 Troubleshoot Fibre Channel

•  Switched fabric initialization
•  Fibre Channel buffer credit starvation
•  FCID
•  Cisco Fabric Services
•  Zoning
•  Device alias
•  NPV and NPIV
•  VSAN

3.2 Troubleshoot FCoE Cisco Unified Fabric (FIP, DCB)

Automation (15%)

4.1 Troubleshoot automation and scripting tools

• EEM
•  Scheduler

4.2 Troubleshoot programmability

•  Bash shell and guest shell for NX-OS
•  REST API
•  JSON and XML encodings

Management and Operations (10%)

5.1 Troubleshoot firmware upgrades, packages, and interoperability

5.2 Troubleshoot integration of centralized management

5.3 Troubleshooting network security

•  Fabric binding and port security
•  AAA and RBAC
•  First-hop security such as dynamic ARP, DHCP snooping, and port security
•  Troubleshoot CoPP

5.4 Troubleshoot ACI security domains and role mapping

5.5 Troubleshoot data center compute security

•  Troubleshoot AAA and RBAC
•  Troubleshoot key management

5.6 Troubleshoot storage security

•  AAA and RBAC
•  Port security
• Fabric binding

ACI Fabric Infrastructure (20%)

1.1 Describe ACI topology and hardware

1.2 Describe ACI Object Model

1.3 Utilize faults, event record, and audit log

1.4 Describe ACI fabric discovery

1.5 Implement ACI policies

• access
•  fabric

1.6 Implement ACI logical constructs

•  tenant
• application profile
• VRF
•  bridge domain (unicast routing, Layer 2 unknown hardware proxy, ARP flooding)
•  endpoint groups (EPG)
•  contracts (filter, provider, consumer, reverse port filter, VRF enforced)

ACI Packet forwarding (15%)

2.1 Describe endpoint learning

2.2 Implement bridge domain configuration **** (unicast routing, Layer 2 unknown hardware proxy, ARP flooding)

External Network Connectivity (20%)

3.1 Implement Layer 2 out (STP/MCP basics)

3.2 Implement Layer 3 out (excludes transit routing and VRF route leaking)

Integrations (15%)

4.1 Implement VMware vCenter DVS integration

4.2 Describe resolution immediacy in VMM

4.3 Implement service graph (managed and unmanaged)

ACI Management (20%)

5.1 Implement out-of-band and in-band

5.2 Utilize syslog and snmp services

5.3 Implement configuration backup (snapshot/config import export)

5.4 Implement AAA and RBAC

5.5 Configure an upgrade

ACI Anywhere (10%)

6.1 Describe multipod

6.2 Describe multisite

Deployment (15%)

• Describe installation and initial setup

NX-OS

DCNM

POAP

1.2 Describe secure boot

Implementation (35%)

2.1 Implement Fibre Channel port channels

2.2 Implement Fibre Channel protocol services

• Name Service
•  Cisco Fabric Services (CFS)

2.3 Implement FCoE

• FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP)
•  Priority flow control (PFC)
•  Enhanced transmission selection (ETS)
•  Data Center Bridging Exchange/Link Level Discover Protocol (LLDP)

2.4 Implement VSANs

2.5 Implement NPV and NPIV

2.6 Implement device aliases and zoning

2.7 Configure inter-VSAN routing

2.8 Implement VSAN extensions

Management and Monitoring (25%)

3.1 Configure DCNM

• DCNM-SAN client
• Licensing options
• DCNM Device Manager

3.2 Configure RBAC

3.3 Configure Fibre Channel fabric security

3.4 Describe slow-drain analysis

3.5 Implement SAN telemetry streaming

MDS Troubleshooting (25%)

4.1 Troubleshoot Fiber Channel domains and duplicate domain ID

4.2 Troubleshoot zoning and zone merge failure

4.3 Troubleshoot boot and upgrade issues

Network Programmability foundation (10%)

1.1 Utilize common version control operations with git: add, clone, push, commit, diff, branching, merging conflict

1.2 Describe characteristics of API styles (REST and RPC)

1.3 Describe the challenges encountered and patterns used when consuming APIs synchronously and asynchronously

1.4 Interpret Python scripts containing data types, functions, classes, conditions, and looping

1.5 Describe the benefits of Python virtual environments

1.6 Explain the benefits of using network configuration tools such as Ansible and Puppet for automating data center platforms

Controller Based Data Center Networking (30%)

2.1 Describe the following:

• 2.1.a ACI target policy
• 2.1.b ACI application hosting capabilities
• 2.1.c Implementation of an ACI application from the Cisco ACI Apps Center

2.2 Leverage the API inspector to explore the REST API calls made by the ACI GUI

2.3 Construct a Python script to create an application policy using the ACI REST API

2.4 Construct a Python script to create an application policy using the ACI Cobra SDK

2.5 Construct an Ansible playbook to create an application policy

2.6 Describe the benefits of integrating Kubernetes infrastructure using the ACI CNI plugin

Data Center Device Centric Networking (30%)

3.1 Describe Day 0 provisioning with NX-OS

• 3.1.a Cisco POAP
• 3.1.b NX-OS iPXE

3.2 Implement On-Box Programmability and Automation with NX-OS

• 3.2.a Bash
• 3.2.b Linux containers (LXC and Docker using provided container
• 3.2.c NX-OS guest shell
• 3.2.d Embedded Event Manager (EEM)
• 3.2.e On-box Python Scripting

3.3 Compare model-driven telemetry such as YANG Push and gRPC to traditional network monitoring strategies such as SMNP, Netflow, and SYSLOG

3.4 Construct Python script that consumes model-driven telemetry data with NX-OS

3.5 Implement Off-Box Programmability and Automation with NX-OS

• 3.5.a Nexus NX-API (NX-API REST and NX-API CLI)
• 3.5.b Nexus NETCONF using native and OpenConfig
• 3.5.c Network configuration tools with NX-OS (Ansible)

Data Center Computer (30%)

4.1 Configure Cisco UCS with developer tools

• 4.1.a UCS PowerTool
• 4.1.b UCS Python SDK
• 4.1.c Ansible

4.2 Describe the capabilities of the DCNM API

4.3 Identify the steps in the Intersight API authentication method

4.4 Construct an Intersight API call given documentation to accomplish tasks such as manage server policies, service profiles, and firmware updates

4.5 Describe the process to implement workflows for physical and virtual infrastructure using UCS Director

• 4.5.a Pre-defined tasks
• 4.5.b Custom tasks
• 4.5.c Script libraries

4.6 Utilize UCS Director REST API browser