Cisco Data Center Certifications
Learning@Cisco
Article
Data centers are rich and complex in nature, and require the individuals operating them to stretch beyond their
comfort zone to fully understand them and exploit the potential of virtualization and the cloud. Server, network and
storage administrators and engineers have all been pushed to adapt to significant technological advances in the data
center field. In addition, those in adjacent technology silos have had to expand their skill sets as well to accommodate
data center’s new importance to their work.
The cross-pollination of technologies, competencies, and perspectives that has occurred with data centers has led to
a powerful data center architecture, one that fulfills the needs of modern enterprise and service providers. While this
has not taken place without some effort, it has at the same time presented an opportunity. Those individuals who
have been able to reach across job role boundaries have positioned themselves well for career advancement, as well
as allowing their companies to take fuller advantage of the new technology.
Given the rapid developments in this field, certifications represent a concrete way to prove competency in hiring
managers’ minds. An industry-relevant certification attests to clear standards that an individual has reached in a
particular field such as data center. With certifications, hiring managers can be confident that a candidate’s
preparation reflects industry best practices and is aligned with technology as it has currently evolved.
Cisco, a major IT innovator during the past 25+ years, has been a primary player in the data center space,
culminating with the introduction of the Cisco Nexus 1000V Series Switches, which have enabled connectivity
between virtualized servers and virtualized network. As part of this product innovation, Cisco has been evolving its
training to guide and support partners and customers through the data center journey, aligning the data center
curriculum to the major technology pillars of Cisco Unified Data Center architecture, Unified Computing, and Unified
Fabric.
This process has now reached maturity with the release of a full Data Center career certification path, from associate
level to expert level via a very rich professional level, supported by a full library of product training for a deep dive at
the single product level and by a brand new set of Specialist certifications to support channel programs and
customers in their path toward excellence in embracing the new technologies.
The CCNA Data Center certification is a two-exam certification, valid for three years. Each exam is focused on one of
the two areas in which most professionals are currently excelling: IP connectivity (targeted toward the data center
environment and product lines) and virtualization technologies. Certification candidates will need to pass both.
© 2013 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public.
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Cisco Data Center Certifications
Learning@Cisco
Article
The CCNP Data Center certification comprises four exams as part of a customizable curriculum. Each candidate
needs to pass two data center implementation exams, one focusing on the Unified Computing technology pillar and
the other on Unified Fabric. In addition, the candidate has a choice of taking either two design or two troubleshooting
exams within the same pillar. The customizable aspect of this certification allows candidates to perfect and
demonstrate their competency as a pre-sales design engineer or a post-sales implementation engineer.
The CCIE Data Center certification is the most comprehensive demonstration of ability and skills in both the Unified
Computing and Unified Fabric technology pillars, covering design and complex troubleshooting scenarios. This
certification lets candidates prove the highest level of understanding and hands-on experience in the full spectrum of
data center technologies. Several years of on-the-job experience are recommended before embarking on this
certification. The CCNP Data Center professional-level training is an excellent study environment to prepare for the
CCIE certification.
Specialist certifications leverage the same exam set built for the career certifications but do not require the same
depth, focusing on only one role (pre- or post-sales) and only one technology pillar. Because of the alignment with the
career certifications, they constitute an excellent stepping-stone toward achievement of the full career certification.
The product training library, covering the entire Cisco Nexus family, as well as the Cisco UCS product and the Cisco
MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switches, is there to support certification candidates in filling specific gaps that they may
have with these products.
The right choice of certification level and technology focus will allow candidates to meet their specific needs and
prove to hiring managers and to their company that they have mastered complex and very relevant technologies, and
will put the companies hiring those individuals in an advantageous position versus the competition, as they invest in
and prove the ability of their work force.
For more information on Cisco’s data center certification programs, visit the following sites:
CCNA Data Center: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/certifications/associate/ccna_datacenter/index.html
CCNP Data Center: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/certifications/professional/ccnp_datacenter/index.html
CCIE Data Center: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/certifications/expert/ccie_dc/index.html
Cisco Data Center Specialist certifications:
http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/certifications/specialist/index.html#datacenter
Printed in USA
01/13
© 2013 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public.
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