Introducing Cisco Data Center Technologies (DCICT) helps prepare the learner for a CCNA Data Center exam certification. It covers Data Center Cisco technologies, including Unified Computing / virtualization and Unified Fabric (Nexus product family and Storage Networking). Interworking with Catalyst 6500 and non-Cisco products for the virtualization of the computing environment will also be covered.

The course reflects the need to onboard a variety of learners who may be specialized in some of the Data Center technologies, but who need to be able to perform in a broader role.

Upon completing this course, you will be able to meet these overall objectives:

• Describe and verify Cisco data center fundamentals
• Describe Cisco data center virtualization
• Describe Cisco data center storage networking
• Describe Cisco data center unified fabric
• Describe and verify Cisco UCS

Module 1: Cisco Data Center Network Services

• Examining Functional Layers of the Data Center
• Traditional Isolated LAN and SAN Networks
• LAN Core, Aggregation, and Access Layers
• Core and Access Layers in a LAN Collapsed Core Design
• Core and Edge Layers in a Data Center SAN Design
• Collapsed-Core SAN Design
• Reviewing the Cisco Nexus Product Family
• Cisco Nexus Data Center Product Portfolio
• Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Chassis Options
• Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Supervisor Module
• Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Licensing Options
• Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Fabric Modules
• Cisco Nexus 7000 Series I/O Modules
• Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Power Supply Options
• Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Chassis Options
• Cisco Nexus 5010 and 5020 Switches Features
• Cisco Nexus 5010 and 5020 Expansion Modules
• Cisco Nexus 5500 Platform Switches Features
• Cisco Nexus 5500 Platform Switches Expansion Modules
• Cisco Nexus 5000 Switch Series Software Licensing
• Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders Function in the Cisco Data Center
• Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders Features
• Reviewing the Cisco MDS Product Family
• Cisco MDS 9000 Series Product Suite
• Cisco MDS 9500 Series Chassis Options
• Cisco MDS 9500 Series Supervisor Modules
• Cisco MDS 9500 Series Licensing Options
• Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switching Modules
• Cisco MDS 9500 Series Power Supply Options
• Cisco MDS 9100 Series Switches
• Cisco MDS 9222i Switch
• Monitoring the Cisco Nexus 7000 and 5000 Series Switches
• Connecting to the Console Port
• Running the Initial Setup Script
• Connecting to the Cisco Nexus 7000 CMP
• Connecting to the Switch Using SSH to Connect to the Management VRF
• Reviewing the ISSU on the Cisco Nexus Switches
• Verifying VLANs
• Examining the Operational Plane
• Reviewing Cisco NX-OS Default Control Plane Policing
• Using Important CLI Commands
• Describing vPCs and Cisco FabricPath in the Data Center
• Virtual Port Channels
• Verifying vPCs
• Cisco FabricPath
• Verifying Cisco FabricPath
• Using OTV on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
• OTV on the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
• Verifying OTV on the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches

Module 2: Cisco Data Center Virtualization

• Virtualizing Network Devices
• Describing VDCs on the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switch
• Verifying VDCs on the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switch
• Navigating Between VDCs on the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switch
• Describing NIV on Cisco Nexus 7000 and 5000 Series Switches
• Virtualizing Storage
• LUN Storage Virtualization
• Storage-System Virtualization
• Virtualizing Server Solutions
• Benefits of Server Virtualization
• Available Data Center Server Virtualization Solutions
• Using the Cisco Nexus 1000V Series Switch
• Limitations of VMware vSwitch
• Advantages of VMware vDS
• How the Cisco Nexus 1000V Series Switch Brings Network Visibility to the VM Level
• How the VSM and VEM Integrate with VMware ESX or ESXi and vCenter
• Verifying Setup and Operation of the Cisco Nexus 1000V Series Switch
• Verify the Initial Configuration and Module Status on the Cisco Nexus 1000V Series Switch
• Verifying the VEM Status on the ESX or ESXi Host
• Validating VM Port Groups

Module 3: Cisco Data Center Storage Networking

• Comparing Storage-Connectivity Options in the Data Center
• Comparing Block- and File-Based Network Storage
• NFS, Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and SCSI
• SCSI Evolution from DAS to SAN
• Describing Fibre Channel Storage Networking
• Fibre Channel SAN Topologies
• Fibre Channel Port Types
• Fibre Channel Addressing
• Fibre Channel Layered Model
• FCNS and the FLOGI process
• Fibre Channel Zoning and LUN Masking
• Verifying Fibre Channel Communications on Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switches
• Configure a Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switch from the CLI Setup Script
• Update the Cisco NX-OS on a Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switch
• Update Licensed Features on the Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switch
• Verify Initiator and Target Fabric Login
• Verify Fibre Channel Zoning on a Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switch
• Collect Technical Support Data on a Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switch

Module 4: Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric

• Describing DCB
• Unified Fabric Benefits
• IEEE Standards That Enable FCoE
• Priority Flow Control
• Enhanced Transmission Selection
• DCB Exchange
• Identifying Connectivity Options for FCoE on the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch
• SFP modules
• Cabling Requirements and Distance Limitations for Common SFP and SFP+ Transceivers
• Connecting the Cisco UCS P81E Virtual Interface Card to Cisco Nexus 5500UP Unified Fabric Switches
• Connecting the Cisco Nexus 5500UP Unified Fabric Switch to Northbound LAN and SAN Fabrics
• Describing Enhanced FCoE Scalability with Cisco Nexus 2232 10GE Fabric Extenders
• Scaling the Data Center Virtualized Access Layer with the Cisco Nexus 2232 10GE Fabric Extenders
• Cisco Nexus 2232 10GE Fabric Extender-to-Cisco Nexus 5500 Switch Connectivity
• Adapter FEX on the Cisco Nexus 2232 10GE Fabric Extender
• Verifying Adapter FEX on the Cisco Nexus 2232 10GE Fabric Extender

Module 5: Cisco UCS

• Describing the Cisco UCS B-Series Product Family
• Cisco UCS 6100 and 6200 Series Fabric Interconnects
• Cisco UCS 5108 Blade Server Chassis
• Cisco UCS B200 M3 Blade Server
• Cisco UCS B230 M2 Blade Server
• Cisco UCS B250 M2 Extended Memory Blade Server
• Cisco UCS B440 M2 High-Performance Blade Server
• Mezzanine Card Options for Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Servers
• Memory Population Guidelines for Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Servers
• Describing the Cisco UCS C-Series Product Family
• Cisco UCS C-Series Product Family
• Cisco UCS C200 M2 High-Density Rack Server
• Cisco UCS C210 M2 General-Purpose Rack Server
• Cisco UCS C220 M3 Rack Server
• Cisco UCS C240 M3 Rack Server
• Cisco UCS C250 M2 Extended-Memory Rack Server
• Cisco UCS C260 M2 Rack Server
• Cisco UCS C460 M2 High-Performance Rack Server
• PCIe Adapter Options for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers
• RAID Adapter Options for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers
• Memory Population Guidelines for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers
• Connecting Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Servers
• Chassis-to-Fabric Interconnect Physical Connectivity
• I/O Module Architectures
• Cisco Integrated Management Controller Chip on Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Servers
• Three Basic Port Personalities in the Fabric Interconnect
• Discovery Process
• Setting up an Initial Cisco UCS B-Series Cluster
• Cabling a Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnect Cluster
• Initial Setup Script for the Primary Peer
• Initial Setup Script for the Secondary Peer
• Verifying a Fabric Interconnect Cluster
• Describing Cisco UCS Manager Operations
• Cisco UCS Manager
• Layout of the Cisco UCS Manager GUI
• Navigation Window Tabs
• Device Discovery in Cisco UCS Manager
• Verifying Device Discovery in UCS Manager
• Describing Cisco UCS Manager Pools, Policies, Templates, and Service Profiles
• Benefits of Stateless Computing
• Using Identity Pools in Service Profiles
• Using Service Profile Templates to Enable Rapid Provisioning and Consistent Application of Policy
• Creation of Policies for Service Profiles and Service Profile Templates
• Chassis and Blade Power Capping

Course Labs

• Lab 1-1: Connecting to a Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switch Using SSH
• Lab 1-2: Connecting to a Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch Using SSH
• Lab 1-3: Running CLI Commands
• Lab 1-4: Configuring vPCs
• Lab 1-5: Validating Cisco FabricPath Configuration
• Lab 1-6: Validating OTV Configuration
• Lab 2-1: Verifying Current VDC Settings
• Lab 2-2: Validating a Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender Configuration
• Lab 2-3: Validating a Cisco Nexus 1000V Series Switch Configuration
• Lab 3-1: Validating a Cisco MDS 9100 Series Multilayer Fabric Switch License
• Lab 3-2: Configuring VSANs and Zoning
• Lab 3-3: Validating FLOGI and FCNS
• Lab 3-3: Viewing the tech-support Command Output
• Lab 4-1: Validating the Physical Connections for FCoE
• Lab 5-1: Exploring the Cisco UCS Manager GUI
• Lab 5-2: Creating a Service Profile from a Template and Performing VMware ESXi 5.0 SAN Boot

• Channel Partner / Reseller
• Customer
• Employee

The knowledge and skills that you should have before attending this course are as follows:

Introducing Cisco Data Center Networking (DCICN) or equivalent knowledge