CCNP Data Center Bundle

Exam Information

The CCNP Data Center certification validates the professional-level Cisco data center proficiency required of business services architects, technology architects, pre-sales engineers, design engineers, and implementation engineers who have three to five years of experience working in a Data Center. It endorses your solid foundation in installing, configuring, and maintaining Cisco data centers.

Attaining CCNP Data Center certification enables data center professionals to save time and money on data center equipment design, installation, and maintenance and to maximize the data center network's value.

To achieve CCNP Data Center certification, you must pass four exams out of six exams available within CCNP Data Center track: implementation exams and either design or troubleshooting exams.

The 642-999 (DCUCI v5.0) Implementing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing exam authenticates a candidate's knowledge of implementing Cisco data center unified computing, including the setup of a computing environment in a standalone and rack-mountable configuration, provisioning of storage resources, backup, management functions, and deployment of a virtualized network.

This is a closed book exam with no outside reference materials allowed.

This exam covers following major topics:

1. Implement C-Series Standalone
2. Configure Cisco UCS B-Series Connectivity
3. Manage Cisco UCS B-Series
4. Provision Cisco UCS Compute Resources
5. Implement Cisco UCS Server Virtualization Features

The duration of the exam is 75 minutes (65-75 questions - multiple choice, multiple answer, drag/drop and fill-in the blanks) and the candidates must achieve a passing score of 825 out of 1000.

The second exam required is the 642-997 (DCUFI v5.0) Implementing Cisco Data Center Unified fabric. This exam tests your skills and knowledge of implementing cisco data center unified fabric architecture including virtualization, high availability, management and security in the network.

This exam is also closed book with no references or outside materials allowed.

This exam covers the following major topics:

1. Describe the Cisco Unified Fabric Products in a Cisco Data Center Network Architecture
2. Implement Security on Cisco Unified Fabric Products in a Cisco Data Center Architecture
3. Manage the Unified Fabric in a Cisco Data Center Architecture
4. Implement High Availability Features on Cisco Unified Fabric Products in a Cisco Data Center Architecture
5. Implement Cisco Unified Fabric Network Features and Functionality in a Cisco Data Center Environment
6. Implementing Network Virtualization in Cisco Data Center Environment
7. Implement Storage features in a Cisco Data Center environment

The duration of the exam is 90 minutes (65-75 questions - multiple choice, multiple answer, drag/drop and fill-in the blanks) and the candidates must achieve a passing score of 825 out of 1000.

The third exam is 642-998 (DCUCD v5.0) Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing. This exam validates your ability to design a cisco data center unified computing environment. You will be tested for designing concepts in a server virtualization environment, scalability and reliability, performances and management.

This exam is also closed book with no references or outside materials allowed.

This exam covers the following major topics:

1. Describe the Design Methodology
2. Describe Data Center Structure and Modularity
3. Describe the Technologies Used within the Data Center
4. Design the Access Layer of a Data Center
5. Design Virtualization Solutions using Cisco UCS
6. Design Network Management Considerations into a Data Center

The duration of the exam is 90 minutes (65-75 questions - multiple choice, multiple answer, drag/drop and fill-in the blanks) and the candidates must achieve a passing score of 825 out of 1000.

The fourth exam is 642-996 (DCUFD v5.0) Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric. This exam endorses your knowledge of designing Cisco Data Center unified fabric solution along with reference network topologies, traffic design concepts, routing protocols, storage and storage networking architectures, scalability, availability, and security and management architectures.

This exam is also closed book with no references or outside materials allowed.

This exam covers the following major topics:

1. Describe the Design Methodology
2. Describe Data Center Structure and Modularity
3. Troubleshooting Storage Area Network in a Cisco Data Center
4. Design the Core Layer of a Data Center
5. Design the Aggregation Layer of a Data Center
6. Design the Access Layer of a Data Center
7. Design Storage and SAN Solution
8. Design Security Considerations into a Data Center
9. Design Network Management Considerations into a Data Center

The duration of the exam is 90 minutes (65-75 questions - multiple choice, multiple answer, drag/drop and fill-in the blanks) and the candidates must achieve a passing score of 825 out of 1000.

The 642-035 (DCUCT v5.0) Troubleshooting Cisco Data Center Unified Computing exam quizzes a candidate's proficieny in troubleshooting a virtualized computing environment based on the Cisco Unified Computing System platform, focusing on storage and network connectivity, installation, memory issues, booting issues, drivers, BIOS, and adapter connectivity issues.

This exam is also closed book with no references or outside materials allowed.

This exam covers the following major topics:

1. Troubleshooting UCS Architecture and System Internals
2. Troubleshooting UCS Installation, Configuration, and Startup
3. Troubleshooting UCS SAN/LAN/VLAN Connectivity
4. UCS Compute Troubleshooting
5. UCS C-Series Standalone Troubleshooting

The duration of the exam is 90 minutes (65-75 questions - multiple choice, multiple answer, drag/drop and fill-in the blanks) and the candidates must achieve a passing score of 825 out of 1000.

The 642-980 (DCUFT v5.0) Troubleshooting Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric exam authenticates a candidate's troubleshooting skills in the unified fabric domain, including troubleshooting connectivity issues, convergent I/O, storage issues, and issues related to specific features like Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV).

This exam is also closed book with no references or outside materials allowed.

This exam covers the following major topics:

1. Troubleshooting Layer 2 Connectivity Issues in a Cisco Data Center Network
2. Troubleshooting FCoe Issues in a Cisco Data Center Network
3. Troubleshooting Storage Area Network in a Cisco Data Center
4. Troubleshooting DCI Issues in a Cisco Data Center Network
5. Troubleshooting Platform Specific Issues in a Cisco Data Center Network

The duration of the exam is 90 minutes (65-75 questions - multiple choice, multiple answer, drag/drop and fill-in the blanks) and the candidates must achieve a passing score of 825 out of 1000.

CCNP Data Center track is valid for three years. Pass any one of the following exam before the certification expiration date to recertify yourself:

• Pass any current 642-XXX Professional-level exam, or
• Pass any current CCIE Written Exam, or
• Pass the current CCDE Written Exam OR current CCDE Practical Exam, or
• Pass the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview AND the CCAr board review to extend lower certifications

When using a higher level of certification to extend other certifications, the expiration date of other certifications will extend to the expiration date of the higher certification (i.e.: If you have one year left on your CCNA certification and you earn a CCIE certification (which has a two-year certification life) then both your CCIE certification and your CCNA certification will expire two years from the date you achieved the CCIE certification).

Valid Cisco CCNA Data Center certification or any Cisco CCIE certification can act as a prerequisite for CCNP Data Center track.

The courses and exams cover advanced data center concepts within the areas of unified computing and unified fabric. The certification benefits data center professionals who want to save time and money on data center equipment design, installation, and maintenance. The CCNP Data Center certification program allows you to maximize your investment in your education and increase the value of your data center network. The certification provides a solid foundation for your career in installing, configuring, and maintaining data centers. You can further expand your expertise in data centers with the CCIE Data Center certification and grow your career. Base salary starts from $75000 up to $87000 annually.

Expert Review

This is indeed one of the most difficult exams to pass. Once you manage to pass all the exams in CCNP Data center track, you will be regarded as the most knowledgeable professional in Data center networks. The amount of respect and career advancement opportunitiesthat you can get is phenomenal.

ShoaibBarlas - Senior Network Engineer - EnCom Data Systems Inc.