Overview
The Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure (DCID) course provides in-depth training on designing modern data centers using Cisco technologies. Participants will explore network design with virtualisation technologies, Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking, routing protocols, and data center interconnect solutions.
The course covers design practices for Cisco Unified Computing System (Cisco UCS) solutions, including Cisco UCS B-Series and C-Series servers, Cisco UCS Manager, and Cisco Unified Fabric. Learners will also gain experience with Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) and Cisco UCS Director.
This course awards 40 Continuing Education (CE) credits for Cisco recertification and supports preparation for the 300-610 DCID certification exam.
Prerequisites
To fully benefit from this course, participants should have:
- Experience with data center networking, including LAN and SAN
- Knowledge of data center storage concepts
- Familiarity with data center virtualisation technologies
- Understanding of Cisco UCS implementation
- Experience with data center automation and orchestration using Cisco ACI and Cisco UCS Director
- Awareness of Cisco Nexus and MDS product families
Recommended Cisco courses:
- Understanding Cisco Data Center Foundations (DCFNDU)
- Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR)
Target audience
This course is designed for IT professionals with five to eight years of experience, including:
- Data center engineers
- Network designers
- Network administrators
- Network engineers
- Systems engineers
- Consulting systems engineers
- Technical solutions architects
- Server administrators
- Network managers
- Cisco integrators and partners
Objectives
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Design Layer 2 and Layer 3 forwarding solutions in a data center
- Define data center rack design, traffic patterns, and switching architecture
- Implement Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP)
- Design Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) solutions for traffic forwarding
- Apply network, compute, and storage virtualisation best practices
- Compare fabric extenders and Cisco Adapter FEX with Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV)
- Implement security strategies for data center environments
- Deploy management and orchestration solutions for data centers
- Design Fibre Channel storage networks and redundancy solutions
- Configure Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)
- Define security measures for storage networking
- Implement automation and management tools in data centers
- Configure Cisco UCS servers, service profiles, and role-based access control (RBAC)
Outline
Describing High Availability on Layer 2
- Redundancy models for Layer 2 networks
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and alternative solutions
- Virtual Port Channel (vPC) architecture
Designing Layer 3 Connectivity
- Routing protocol design for data centers
- Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)
- Route summarisation and policy-based routing
Designing Data Center Topologies
- Spine-and-leaf architecture
- Data center switching layers: access, aggregation, and core
- Traffic flow patterns in a data center
Designing Data Center Interconnects with Cisco OTV
- Overview of Cisco Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV)
- Data center extension solutions
- OTV deployment models and use cases
Describing Locator/ID Separation Protocol
- Introduction to LISP
- LISP for multihomed data centers
- Traffic engineering using LISP
Describing VXLAN Overlay Networks
- Overview of VXLAN and its benefits
- VXLAN control plane options
- VXLAN implementation best practices
Describing Hardware and Device Virtualisation
- Server virtualisation technologies
- Hypervisors and their impact on data center design
- Network virtualisation and software-defined networking (SDN)
Describing Cisco FEX Options
- Introduction to Cisco Fabric Extenders (FEX)
- Deployment options and use cases
- Cisco Adapter FEX and its advantages
Describing Basic Data Center Security
- Common security threats in data centers
- Network segmentation and microsegmentation
- Security best practices for data center infrastructure
Describing Advanced Data Center Security
- Advanced security solutions for data centers
- Cisco TrustSec and MACsec implementation
- Secure multitenancy in data centers
Describing Management and Orchestration
- Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM)
- Cisco UCS Manager and Cisco UCS Director
- Network automation and telemetry
Describing Storage and RAID Options
- Storage architectures in data centers
- RAID levels and performance considerations
- Storage redundancy and fault tolerance
Describing Fibre Channel Concepts
- Overview of Fibre Channel technology
- Fibre Channel topologies and terms
- Zoning and Logical Unit Number (LUN) management
Describing Fibre Channel Topologies
- Single fabric vs. dual fabric designs
- Fibre Channel redundancy options
- Path selection in Fibre Channel networks
Describing FCoE
- Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) fundamentals
- Lossless Ethernet for FCoE
- Deployment considerations for FCoE networks
Describing Storage Security
- Storage encryption techniques
- Access control in storage environments
- Secure SAN design considerations
Describing SAN Management and Orchestration
- SAN monitoring and troubleshooting
- Automation tools for SAN management
- Best practices for SAN deployment
Describing Cisco UCS Servers and Use Cases
- Overview of Cisco UCS B-Series and C-Series servers
- Workload optimisation strategies
- Cisco UCS deployment models
Describing Fabric Interconnect Connectivity
- Southbound and northbound connectivity options
- Integration with storage and networking components
- High availability and failover configurations
Describing Hyperconverged and Integrated Systems
- Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) concepts
- Cisco HyperFlex overview
- Converged infrastructure vs. HCI
Describing Cisco UCS Manager Systemwide Parameters
- Global policies and configurations
- Best practices for UCS domain setup
- UCS firmware and upgrade strategies
Describing Cisco UCS RBAC
- Role-Based Access Control in Cisco UCS
- Integrating UCS Manager with directory services
- Custom role creation and privilege assignment
Describing Pools for Service Profiles
- Server, MAC, and WWPN pool configurations
- Resource allocation using service profiles
- Service profile template best practices
Describing Policies for Service Profiles
- Policy-based management in UCS
- Network, storage, and BIOS policies
- Maintenance and firmware policies
Describing Network-Specific Adapters and Policies
- Cisco UCS network adapter options
- Ethernet and Fibre Channel interface policies
- QoS and traffic shaping configurations
Describing Templates in Cisco UCS Manager
- Benefits of using templates
- Initial templates vs. updated templates
- UCS Manager template best practices
Designing Data Center Automation
- Automation tools for data center management
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for data centers
- Cisco ACI and network automation frameworks
Exams and assessments
This course prepares learners for the 300-610 DCID exam but does not include a formal exam. Interactive labs and knowledge assessments reinforce key learning objectives.
The cost of the exam is not included with this course. Please speak to your account manager to add it to your order.
Hands-on learning
This course includes:
- Interactive labs on Cisco UCS, Nexus, and storage technologies
- Real-world network design scenarios and case studies
- Practical exercises for implementing automation and orchestration
What's included
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