Before we get to the real stuff, let’s acquire some basic knowledge about the CCIE Data Center Certification:
CCIE Data Center Certification:
CCIE Data Center certification is going to validate that the candidates are having expert-level skills which would be required for planning, implementing, designing and troubleshooting today’s complex infrastructure of CCIE Data Center.
So as to acquire the CCIE Data Center Certification, you need to go through two exams.
1. CCIE Data Center Written Exam:
The candidates are required to pass the two-hour, written qualification exam prior to scheduling the CCIE Data Center Lab exam. The Written exam is going to tests the candidates on their knowledge of data center requirements, about how different data center components are going to interoperate, and their ability to translate it into the configurations of devices. It is a two-hour test consisting of 90 to110 questions. It would be certifying that the professionals are having the expertise to design, implement, diagnose, and troubleshoot complex Data Center technologies.
2. CCIE Data Center Lab Exam:
The Cisco CCIE Data Center Lab exam is going to be an eight-hour affair, which would be a hands-on exam which requires a candidate to diagnose, configure, and troubleshoot a series of multifaceted Data Center scenarios for a given specification. Knowledge of troubleshooting is considered to be an important skill and candidates are expected to diagnose and solve the issues which are considered to be a part of the CCIE Lab exam. You should pass the Lab exam within three years of clearing the written exam in order to achieve certification. Your first Lab exam attempt should be made within 18 months of clearing the written exam.
Lab Exam Overview
Knowledge of configuration and troubleshooting, which are considered to be important skills and candidates which would be expected to configure and troubleshoot issues as part of the CCIE Data Center Lab exam. The Lab Exam would be consisting of two parts to the eight-hour lab exam which is to be taken in sequence during the day of the exam starting with Part 1, pursued by Part 2 are:
Part 1: Diagnostic module (written)
The candidates are provided with various pieces of information similar to information that would be provided to a Data Center support engineer which would be supporting a customer to find the root cause of an issue, and similar to information that would be provided by someone who is stuck in troubleshooting an issue. No device would be granted to access is in this module.
Part 2: Configuration & Troubleshooting module (hands-on)
The Configuration and Troubleshooting module is going to test the hands-on practical competence. It would be consisting of various scenarios which would be based on one topology. At the beginning of the module, the candidate would have a full overview of the entire module; and could make a preference that to work on items in a sequence or not. Candidates are not permitted to go back and forth between the modules while the exam is commencing.
Lab Equipment
• APIC Cluster
• Cisco Catalyst Switch 3750
• Cisco 2911/K9 Terminal Server
• Dual Attached JBOD
• Nexus 9336 ACI Spine
• Nexus 9372
• Nexus 7004
o Sup2E
o 48 Port 10Gb (F3 Module)
• Nexus 5672
• Nexus 2348
• Nexus 1000v
• UCS C220 M4 Series Rack Server
o VIC card for C-Series
• UCS-6248 Fabric Interconnects
• UCS-4308 M-Series Chassis
o UCS M142 Computer Cartridge
• UCS-5108 B-Series Chassis
o B-200 M4 Series Blades
o Palo mezzanine card
o VIC 1340 Card for B-Series
So, now you have the knowledge about which equipment’s you are going to face in the CCIE Data Center examination. If you need to practice, you could build your labor have rack rentals, or you could join a good training institute, like SPOTO and get trained with them.