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Understanding Cisco Data Center Foundations

  • Course Code DCFNDU
  • Days Access 180 days
  • Version 1.1

Elearning (Self-paced) Price

£1,200.00

excl. VAT

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Course Delivery

This course is available in the following formats:

  • Company Event

    Event at company

  • Elearning (Self-paced)

    Self paced electronic learning

  • Public Classroom

    Traditional Classroom Learning

  • Virtual Learning

    Learning that is virtual

Request this course in a different delivery format.

Course Overview

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The Understanding Cisco Data Center Foundations course helps you prepare for entry-level data center roles. In this course, you will learn the foundational knowledge and skills you need to configure Cisco® data center technologies including: networking, virtualization, storage area networking, and unified computing. You will get an introduction to Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI™), automation, and cloud computing.  You will get hands-on experience with configuring features on Cisco Nexus® Operating System (Cisco NX-OS) and Cisco Unified Computing System™ (Cisco UCS®).

This course does not lead directly to a certification exam, but it does cover foundational knowledge that can help you prepare for several professional-level data center courses and exams.

 

This course will help you:

    Prepare for entry-level job roles in the high-demand area of data center environments

    Prepare for courses that support the Cisco Certified Network Professional Data Center certification exams

    Gain knowledge and hands-on skills through Cisco’s unique combination of lessons and hands-on practice using enterprise-grade Cisco learning technologies, data center equipment, and software

    Earn 30 CE credits toward recertification

e-Learning

Interactive self-paced content that provides flexibility in terms of pace, place and time to suit individuals and organisations. These resources also consist of online books, educational podcasts and vodcasts, and video-based learning.

Target Audience

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Individuals looking to gain the knowledge and skills required for an entry level role in a Cisco Data Center environment.

Course Objectives

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After completing this course, you should be able to:

  • Describe the foundations of data center networking
  • Describe Cisco Nexus products and explain the basic Cisco NX-OS functionalities and tools
  • Describe Layer 3 first-hop redundancy
  • Describe Cisco Fabric Extender (FEX) connectivity
  • Describe Ethernet port channels and virtual port channel (VPCs)
  • Introduce switch virtualization, machine virtualization, and network virtualization
  • Compare storage connectivity options in the data center
  • Describe Fibre Channel communication between the initiator server and the target storage
  • Describe Fibre Channel zone types and their uses
  • Describe N-Port Virtualization (NPV) and N-Port Identifier Virtualization (NPIV)
  • Describe data center Ethernet enhancements that provide a lossless fabric
  • Describe Fibre Channel over EthernetFCoE
  • Describe data center server connectivity
  • Describe Cisco UCS Manager
  • Describe the purpose and advantages of APIs
  • Describe Cisco ACI
  • Describe the basic concepts of cloud computing

Course Content

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Describing the Data Center Network Architectures

  • Cisco Data Center Architecture Overview
  • Three-Tier Network: Core, Aggregation, and Access
  • Spine-and-Leaf Network
  • Storage Area Network
  • Hypoconverged Storage Systems

Describing the Cisco Nexus Family and Cisco NX-OS Software

  • Cisco Nexus Data Center Product Overview
  • Cisco FEX Overview
  • Cisco NX-OS Software Architecture
  • Cisco NX-OS Software CLI Tools
  • Cisco NX-OS Virtual Routing and Forwarding

Describing Layer 3 First-Hop Redundancy

  • Default Gateway Redundancy
  • Hot Standby Router Protocol
  • Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol
  • Gateway Load Balancing Protocol

Describing Port Channels and vPCs

  • Ethernet Port Channels
  • Virtual Port Channels

Describing Switch Virtualization

  • Cisco Nexus Switch Basic Components
  • Virtual Routing and Forwarding
  • Cisco Nexus 7000 Virtual Device Contexts (VDCs)
  • VDC Types
  • VDC Resource Allocation
  • VDC Management

Describing Machine Virtualization

  • Virtual Machines
  • Hypervisor
  • VM Manager

Describing Network Virtualization

  • Overlay Network Protocols
  • Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) Overlay
  • VXLAN Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Ethernet VPN (EVPN) Control Plane
  • VXLAN Data Plane
  • Cisco Nexus 1000VE Series Virtual Switch
  • VMware vSphere Virtual Switches

Introducing Basic Data Center Storage Concepts

  • Storage Connectivity Options in the Data Center
  • Fibre Channel Storage Networking
  • Virtual Storage Area Network (VSAN) Configuration and Verification

Describing Fibre Channel Communication Between the Initiator Server and the Target Storage

  • Fibre Channel Layered Model
  • Fabric Login (FLOGI) Process
  • Fibre Channel Flow Control

Describing Fibre Channel Zone Types and Their Uses

  • Fibre Channel Zoning
  • Zoning Configuration
  • Zoning Management

Describing Cisco NPV Mode and NPIV

  • Cisco NPV Mode
  • NPIV Mode

Describing Data Center Ethernet Enhancements

  • Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Data Center Bridging
  • Priority Flow Control
  • Enhanced Transmission Selection
  • Data Center Bridging Exchange (DCBX) Protocol
  • Congestion Notification

Describing FCoE

  • Cisco Unified Fabric
  • FCoE Architecture
  • FCoE Initialization Protocol
  • FCoE Adapters

Describing Cisco UCS Components

  • Physical Cisco UCS Components
  • Cisco HyperFlex Data Platform
  • Cisco Fabric Interconnect Product Overview
  • Cisco I/O Module (IOM) Product Overview
  • Cisco UCS Mini
  • Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) Supervisor
  • Cisco Intersight™

Describing Cisco UCS Manager

  • Cisco UCS Manager Overview
  • Identity and Resource Pools for Hardware Abstraction
  • Service Profiles and Service Profile Templates
  • Cisco UCS Central Overview

Automating the Data Center

  • Automation Basics
  • Choosing the Automation Toolset
  • Management and Orchestration Systems

Describing Cisco ACI

  • Cisco ACI Overview
  • Cisco ACI Topology and Hardware
  • Cisco ACI Policy Model
  • Cisco ACI External Connectivity Options
  • Cisco ACI and VMM Integration
  • Cisco ACI and Layer4-Layer 7 Integration
  • Cisco ACI Management and Automation
  • Cisco ACI Anywhere

Describing Cloud Computing

  • Cloud Computing Overview
  • Cloud Deployment Models
  • Cloud Computing Services

Labs

  • Explore the Cisco NX-OS CLI
  • Explore Topology Discovery
  • Configure Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP)
  • Configure VPCs
  • Configure Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF)
  • Explore the Virtual Device Contexts (VDC) Elements
  • Install VMware ESXi and vCenter
  • Configure VSANs
  • Validate FLOGI and FCNS
  • Configure Zoning
  • Configure Unified Ports on a Cisco Nexus Switch and Implement FCoE
  • Explore the Cisco UCS Server Environment
  • Configure a Cisco UCS Server Profile
  • Configure Cisco NX-OS with APIs
  • Explore the Cisco UCS Manager XML API Management Information Tree
  • Explore Cisco ACI

 

Course Prerequisites

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Attendees should meet the following prerequisites:

  • Good understanding of networking protocols
  • Good understanding of the VMware environment
  • Basic knowledge of Microsoft Windows operating systems


 

Recommended prerequisites:

Test Certification

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Recommended as preparation for the following exams:

  • There are no exams currently aligned to this course

Follow on Courses

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The following courses are recommended for further study:

  • DCCOR - Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies
The following are recommended for further study:
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