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Data Center CertificationLearning@CiscoOverviewOverviewDemand for Trained and ExperiencedData Center ProfessionalsIT data center professionals are facing more challenges frombusiness owners within their companies. Corporate initiativesfor innovation, business agility, the proliferation of devices,and increased energy efficiency are all demands that datacenter professionals are trying to solve. A company’s abilityto solve these issues directly affects its bottom line and canput it ahead of the competition. Solving these complexissues requires data center professionals who are trained notjust on the latest products but on industry best practices andwho have a strong foundation in data center technologies.Cisco’s data center certification programs provide trainingin industry-leading solutions and offer hands-on experiencesolving real problems.Job-Ready Practical Skills The Cisco CCNA Data Center, CCNP Data Center, and CCIE Data Center certification programs are practical,relevant, and job-ready certification curricula aligned closelywith the specific tasks expected of these in-demand datacenter professionals. Cisco realizes that the data centerprofessional must increasingly focus on design,implementation, and support responsibilities as thetechnical consultant and device specialist or expert.1 2012 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.Therefore, the Cisco data center curriculum is specificto the best practices of data center administrators,engineers, and experts using the latest Ciscoequipment, devices, and technologies.Data Center Best PracticesThe CCNA Data Center, CCNP Data Center, and CCIEData Center certification programs validate basic throughadvanced knowledge of the skills required to design,implement, and troubleshoot data centers using thelatest Cisco data center devices and technologies. Thecurricula emphasize the real-world best practices ofunified computing and unified fabric architectures usingthe features of the Cisco MDS 9222i MultiserviceModularSwitch, Cisco Nexus 7009 Switch, Cisco Nexus 5548Switch, Cisco Nexus 2232 Fabric Extenders, CiscoNexus1000V Series Switches, the Cisco Unified ComputingSystem (UCS), and the Cisco Application Control Engine(ACE) Appliance.

Data Center CertificationAchieving CCNA Data Center CertificationCCNA Data Center certification offers professionalsjob-ready training and skills. The certification lays thefoundation for job roles such as a data center networkadministrator. Candidates gain foundational knowledgein installing, configuring, and maintaining data centers.RequirementsThe CCNA Data Center program is an associate-levelcertification program that is valid for three years. Thiscertification is a job-role-based certification for data centeradministrators. The exams and courses cover foundationaldata center concepts in the unified computing and unifiedfabric areas. The CCNA Data Center certification programallows you to maximize your investment in your educationand increase the value of your data center network.Prerequisite SkillsThere are no prerequisites for the CCNA Data Centercertification. Completion of the CCNA Data Centercertification requires the exams and recommendedtraining shown in Table 1.Learning@CiscoOverviewRequirementsThe CCNP Data Center certification is a three-year job-rolebased professional-level certification for technology architects,presales engineers, design engineers, and implementationengineers. The exams and courses cover advanced datacenter concepts within the areas of unified computing andunified fabric. The certification is for data center professionalswho want to save time and money on data center equipmentdesign, installation, and maintenance. The CCNP Data Centercertification program allows you to maximize your investmentin your education and increase the value of your data centernetwork.Prerequisite SkillsCCNA Data Center certification is a prerequisite toachieving your CCNP Data Center certification. (Completionof the CCNA Data Center certification requires theprerequisite exams that are shown in Table 1.) The CCNPData Center curriculum requires the exams andrecommended training shown in Table 2. In addition, three tofive years of hands-on experience are recommended beforestarting the CCNP Data Center program.Table 2Table 1Required ExamsTrainingRequired ExamsTraining640-911 DCICNIntroducing Cisco Data CenterNetworking (DCICN)642-997 (DCUFI)Implementing Cisco Data CenterUnified Fabric (DCUFI)640-916 DCICTIntroducing Cisco Data CenterTechnologies (DCICT)642-999 (DCUCI)Implementing Cisco Data CenterUnified Computing (DCUCI)andAchieving CCNP Data Center CertificationCCNP Data Center certification offers professionals jobready training and skills. The certification lays thefoundation for job roles such as a data center technicalarchitect or engineer. Candidates gain knowledge indesigning, implementing, and troubleshooting data centersin all their components. The certification builds on yourtechnical foundation in installing, configuring, andmaintaining data centers. Once you complete your CCNPData Center certification, you can expand your expertise indata centers with the CCIE Data Center certification, andgrow your career.642-996(DCUFD)Designing Cisco Data Center UnifiedFabric (DCUFD)642-998(DCUCD)Designing Cisco Data Center UnifiedComputing (DCUCD)or642-980(DCUFT)Troubleshooting Cisco Data CenterUnified Fabric (DCUFT)642-035(DCUCT)Troubleshooting Cisco Data CenterUnified Computing (DCUCT)Note: All candidates must take and pass both implementationexams and then can choose either both of the design or bothtroubleshooting exams.2 2012 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Data Center CertificationLearning@CiscoOverviewTable 3Achieving CCIE Data Center CertificationThe CCIE Data Center program is an expert-levelcertification that validates a candidate’s expert knowledge ofimplementing and troubleshooting complex data centernetworks. The program offers candidates the knowledgeand skills required to independently design, implement,operate, monitor, and troubleshoot complex data centernetworks. Products tested in this certification include theCisco Catalyst 3750 Series Switches, Cisco MDS 9222iMultiservice Modular Switch, Cisco Nexus 7009 Switch,Cisco Nexus 5548 Switch, Cisco Nexus 2232 FabricExtenders, Cisco Nexus 1000V Series Switches, the CiscoUnified Computing System (UCS), and the CiscoApplication Control Engine (ACE) Appliance. This programis quickly becoming the industry standard for recognitionand rewards for data center engineers who havedemonstrated expert-level performance in design,implementation, and troubleshooting of Cisco data centersolutions.RequirementsThe CCIE Data Center program is an expert-levelcertification that is valid for two years. The certificationprogram is intended to recognize the Cisco data centerexperts who have the necessary skills to design, implement,and maintain Cisco data centers. Attaining and maintainingthis performance-based, practical certification proves skillsthat are achievable only by distinct experts in the data centerfield. This certification carries prestige in that it is becomingincreasingly sought after by data center professionalsworldwide. To gain CCIE Data Center certification,candidates not only must prove their theoreticalknowledge of data center best practices but also mustdemonstrate them in a lab environment with real equipment,using real-world scenarios.Prerequisite Skills and LanguageThere are no formal prerequisites for Cisco CCIEcertification. Candidates must first pass a writtenqualification exam and then pass the corresponding handson lab exam. Candidates are expected to have an in-depthunderstanding of the exam topics and are stronglyencouraged to have three to five years of job experiencebefore attempting certification.The CCIE Data Center certification requires the examsshown in Table 3.3 2012 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.Required ExamsTraining350-080CCIE Data Center Written ExamCCIE Data CenterLab Exam v1.0CCIE Data Center Lab Exam v1.0Achieving Data Center Specialist CertificationWithin the CCNP Data Center curriculum are several datacenter specialist certifications that cover topics that aremore in-depth and can be used for cross-training and staffdevelopment, as well as an intermediate step toward yourCCNP Data Center certification. Intended for individualswho specialize in one or more technologies or products thatmake up the data center expertise, these specialistcertifications offer a convenient validation of skills andcompetency in unified computing design and support, andunified fabric design and support. The following data centerspecialist certifications are included in the CCNP Data Centercurriculum.Cisco Data Center Unified Computing Design SpecialistThe Cisco Data Center Unified Computing DesignSpecialist certification validates an engineer’s ability todesign scalable, reliable, and intelligent data centervirtualization solutions.The following products are covered in the learningmaterials: Cisco Unified Computing System B-Series and C-Seriesservers Server virtualization software Additional Cisco data center productsTable 4Required ExamsTraining642-994 or642-999Implementing Cisco Data CenterUnified Computing (DCUCI)642-993 or642-998Designing Cisco Data CenterUnified Computing (DCUCD)

Data Center CertificationCisco Data Center Unified Computing Support SpecialistThe Cisco Data Center Unified Computing SupportSpecialist certification is designed to test a learner’sknowledge of the fundamentals of the Cisco UnifiedComputing System and the ability to implement a virtualizeddata center environment. Cisco Data Center UnifiedComputing Support Specialist professionals will also betested on the following components: Implementing the Cisco Unified Computing System BSeries and C-Series servers Knowledge of the Cisco Unified Computing System inan enterprise data center routing and switchinginfrastructure Knowledge of the next-generation Cisco Nexusproduct familyTable 5Required ExamsRecommended Training642-035Troubleshooting Cisco Data CenterUnified Computing (DCUCT)642-994 or642-999Implementing Cisco Data CenterUnified Computing (DCUCI)Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric Design SpecialistThe Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric Design Specialistcertification is for network virtualization and unified I/Odesign and presales engineers who are seeking to validatetheir skills and knowledge in data center technology designand implementation.The following products are covered in the learningmaterials: Cisco Nexus 1000V, 5000, and 7000 Series Switches Cisco UCS B-Series and C-Series servers Cisco UCS Manager Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Cisco Virtual Network Management Center Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switches4 2012 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.Learning@CiscoOverviewTable 6Required ExamsRecommended Training642-991 or642-996Designing Cisco Data CenterUnified Fabric (DCUFD)642-992 or642-997Implementing Cisco Data CenterUnified Fabric (DCUFI)Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric Support SpecialistThe Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric Support Specialistcertification is for network virtualization and unified I/Oimplementation, support, and field engineers who areseeking to validate their skills and knowledge in data centertechnology implementation and support.The following products are covered in the learningmaterials: Cisco Nexus 1000V, 5000, and 7000 Series Switches Cisco UCS B-Series and C-Series servers Cisco UCS Manager Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Cisco Virtual Network Management Center Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer SwitchesTable 7Required ExamsRecommended Training642-992 or642-997Implementing Cisco Data CenterUnified Fabric (DCUFI)642-980Troubleshooting Cisco DataCenter Unified Fabric (DCUFT)