Designing modern data centres requires mastery of systems thinking, not just component knowledge. This course develops strategic design capabilities using Cisco technologies across compute, storage, networking, and automation. Participants will analyse trade-offs, high availability, and performance considerations through case-driven design work.
Learning Outcomes:
Design Layer 2/3 data centre architectures including VXLAN and OTV
Architect secure SANs using Fibre Channel and FCoE
Integrate Cisco UCS components and virtualisation strategies
Develop scalable, policy-based infrastructure using Cisco management tools
Evaluate redundancy, performance, and automation requirements
Key Topics:
High-availability Layer 2/3 topologies and protocols
Cisco UCS platform integration and service profile design
SAN architecture, security, and FCoE design
Data centre virtualisation and hardware abstraction
Automation and orchestration tools (DCNM, Intersight, UCS Director)
Exam Details
This course is designed to build participants’ understanding of key concepts and domains covered in the 300-610 Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure (DCID) certification.
The certification assesses participants on their ability to design data center solutions including networking, compute, storage network, automation, and security. Topics include Layer 2 and Layer 3 data center technologies, overlay networks like VXLAN and OTV, Cisco UCS solutions, orchestration, and Fibre Channel.
While this course contributes significantly to exam readiness, successful certification also requires additional review of Cisco documentation and dedicated preparation aligned to the official exam guide.
To maximise success, participants are strongly encouraged to complement the course with additional self-study, revision of course materials, and dedicated practice before attempting the exam.
Course Outlines
- Describing High Availability on Layer 2
- Overview of Layer 2 High-Availability Mechanisms
- Virtual Port Channels
- Cisco Fabric Path
- Virtual Port Channel+
- Designing Layer 3 Connectivity
- First Hop Redundancy Protocols
- Improve Routing Protocol Performance and Security
- Enhance Layer 3 Scalability and Robustness
- Designing Data Center Topologies
- Data Center Traffic Flows
- Cabling Challenges
- Access Layer
- Aggregation Layer
- Core Layer
- Spine-and-Leaf Topology
- Redundancy Options
- Designing Data Center Interconnects with Cisco OTV
- Cisco OTV Overview
- Cisco OTV Control and Data Planes
- Failure Isolation
- Cisco OTV Features
- Optimize Cisco OTV
- Evaluate Cisco OTV
- Describing Locator/ID Separation Protocol
- Locator/ID Separation Protocol
- Location Identifier Separation Protocol (LISP) Virtual Machine (VM) Mobility
- LISP Extended Subnet Mode (ESM) Multihop Mobility
- LISP VPN Virtualization
- Describing VXLAN Overlay Networks
- Describe VXLAN Benefits over VLAN
- Layer 2 and Layer 3 VXLAN Overlay
- Multiprotocol Border Gateway Protocol (MP-BGP) Ethernet VPN (EVPN) Control Plane Overview
- VXLAN Data Plane
- Describing Hardware and Device Virtualization
- Hardware-Based High Availability
- Device Virtualization
- Cisco UCS Hardware Virtualization
- Server Virtualization
- SAN Virtualization
- N-Port ID Virtualization
- Describing Cisco FEX Options
- Cisco Adapter FEX
- Access Layer with Cisco FEX
- Cisco FEX Topologies
- Virtualization-Aware Networking
- Single Root I/O Virtualization
- Cisco FEX Evaluation
- Describing Basic Data Center Security
- Threat Mitigation
- Attack and Countermeasure Examples
- Secure the Management Plane
- Protect the Control Plane
- RBAC and Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA)
- Describing Advanced Data Center Security
- Cisco TrustSec in Cisco Secure Enclaves Architecture
- Cisco TrustSec Operation
- Firewalling
- Positioning the Firewall Within Data Center Networks
- Cisco Firepower® Portfolio
- Firewall Virtualization
- Design for Threat Mitigation
- Describing Management and Orchestration
- Network and License Management
- Cisco UCS Manager
- Cisco UCS Director
- Cisco Intersight
- Cisco DCNM Overview
- Describing Storage and RAID Options
- Position DAS in Storage Technologies
- Network-Attached Storage
- Fibre Channel, FCoE, and Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI)
- Evaluate Storage Technologies
- Describing Fibre Channel Concepts
- Fibre Channel Connections, Layers, and Addresses
- Fibre Channel Communication
- Virtualization in Fibre Channel SAN
- Describing Fibre Channel Topologies
- SAN Parameterization
- SAN Design Options
- Choosing a Fibre Channel Design Solution
- Describing FCoE
- FCoE Protocol Characteristics
- FCoE Communication
- Data Center Bridging
- FCoE Initialization Protocol
- FCoE Design Options
- Describing Storage Security
- Common SAN Security Features
- Zones
- SAN Security Enhancements
- Cryptography in SAN
- Describing SAN Management and Orchestration
- Cisco DCNM for SAN
- Cisco DCNM Analytics and Streaming T
Lab Outlines
- Design Virtual Port Channels
- Design First Hop Redundancy Protocol (FHRP)
- Design Routing Protocols
- Design Data Center Topology for a Customer
- Design Data Center Interconnect Using Cisco OTV
- Design Your VXLAN Network
- Create a Cisco FEX Design
- Design Management and Orchestration in a Cisco UCS Solution
- Design a Fibre Channel Network
- Design and Integrate an FCoE Solution
- Design a Secure SAN
- Design Cisco UCS Director for Storage Networking
- Design a Cisco UCS Domain and Fabric Interconnect Cabling
- Design a Cisco UCS C-Series Server Implementation
- Design Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnect Network and Storage Connectivity
- Design System wide Parameters in a Cisco UCS Solution
- Design an LDAP Integration with a Cisco UCS Domain
- Design Pools for Service Profiles in a Cisco UCS Solution
- Design Network-Specific Adapters and Policies in a Cisco UCS Solution
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