DCFNDU: Understanding Cisco Data Center Foundations

The Understanding Cisco Data Center Foundations (DCFNDU) course helps you prepare for entry-level data center roles. In this course, you will learn the foundational knowledge and skills you need to configure Cisco®data center technologies including: networking, virtualization, storage area networking, and unified computing. You will get anintroduction to Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI), automation and cloud computing. You will get hands-on experience with configuring features on Cisco Nexus Operating System (Cisco NX-OS) and Cisco Unified Computing System (Cisco UCS).

This course does not lead directly to a certification exam, but it does cover foundational knowledge that can help you prepare for several CCNP and other professional-level data center courses and exams.

This course will help you:

• Prepare for entry-level job roles in the high-demand area of data center environments
• Prepare for courses that support the Cisco Certified Network Professional Data Center certification exams
• Gain knowledge and hands-on skills through Cisco’s unique combination of lessons and hands-on practice using enterprise-grade Cisco learning technologies, data center equipment, and software

What's Included

• Official Cisco courseware and lab access

Prerequisites

Before taking this course, you should be able to:

• Good understanding of networking protocols
• Good understanding of the VMware environment
• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Windows operating systems

Course Objectives

After taking this course, you should be able to:

• Describe the foundations of data center networking
• Describe Cisco Nexus products and explain the basic Cisco NX-OS functionalities and tools
• Describe Layer 3 first-hop redundancy
• Describe Cisco FEX connectivity
• Describe Ethernet port channels and vPCs
• Introduce switch virtualization, machine virtualization, and describe network virtualization
• Compare storage connectivity options in the data center
• Describe Fibre Channel communication between the initiator server and the target storage
• Describe Fibre Channel zone types and their uses
• Describe NPV and NPIV
• Describe data center Ethernet enhancements that provide a lossless fabric
• Describe FCoE
• Describe data center server connectivity
• Describe Cisco UCS Manager
• Describe the purpose and advantages of APIs
• Describe Cisco ACI
• Describe the basic concepts of cloud computing

Course Outline

Module 1: Describing the Data Center Network Architectures

• Cisco Data Center Architecture Overview
• Three-Tier Network: Core, Aggregation, and Access
• Spine-and-Leaf Network
• Two-Tier Storage Network

Module 2: Describing the Cisco Nexus Family and Cisco NX-OS Software

• Cisco Nexus Data Center Product Overview
• Cisco NX-OS Software Architecture
• Cisco NX-OS Software CLI Tools
• Cisco NX-OS Virtual Routing and Forwarding

Module 3: Describing Layer 3 First-Hop Redundancy

• Default Gateway Redundancy
• Hot Standby Router Protocol
• Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol
• Gateway Load Balancing Protocol

Module 4: Describing Cisco FEX

• Server Deployment Models
• Cisco FEX Technology
• Cisco FEX Traffic Forwarding
• Cisco Adapter FEX

Module 5: Describing Port Channels and VPCs

• Ethernet Port Channels
• Virtual Port Channels
• Supported VPC Topologies

Module 6: Describing Switch Virtualization

• Cisco Nexus Switch Basic Components
• Virtual Routing and Forwarding
• Cisco Nexus 7000 Virtual Device Contexts (VDCs)
• VDC Types
• VDC Resource Allocation
• VDC Management

Module 7: Describing Machine Virtualization

• Virtual Machines
• Hypervisor
• VM Manager

Module 8: Describing Network Virtualization

• Overlay Network Protocols
• Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) Overlay
• VXLAN Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Ethernet VPN (EVPN) Control Plane
• VXLAN Data Plane
• Cisco Nexus 1000VE Series Virtual Switch
• VMware vSphere Virtual Switches

Module 9: Introducing Basic Data Center Storage Concepts

• Storage Connectivity Options in the Data Center
• Fibre Channel Storage Networking
• Virtual Storage Area Network (VSAN) Configuration and Verification

Module 10: Describing Fibre Channel Communication Between the Initiator Server and the Target Storage

• Fibre Channel Layered Model
• Fabric Login (FLOGI) Process
• Fibre Channel Flow Control

Module 11: Describing Fibre Channel Zone Types and Their Uses

• Fibre Channel Zoning
• Zoning Configuration
• Zoning Management

Module 12: Describing Cisco NPV Mode and NPIV

• Cisco NPV Mode
• NPIV Mode

Module 13: Describing Data Center Ethernet Enhancements

• Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Data Center Bridging
• Priority Flow Control
• Enhanced Transmission Selection
• Data Center Bridging Exchange (DCBX) Protocol
• Congestion Notification

Module 14: Describing FCoE

• Cisco Unified Fabric
• FCoE Architecture
• FCoE Initialization Protocol
• FCoE Adapters

Module 15: Describing Cisco UCS Components

• Physical Cisco UCS Components
• Cisco Fabric Interconnect Product Overview
• Cisco I/O Module (IOM) Product Overview
• Cisco UCS Mini
• Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) Supervisor
• Cisco Intersight™

Module 16: Describing Cisco UCS Manager

• Cisco UCS Manager Overview
• Identity and Resource Pools for Hardware Abstraction
• Service Profiles and Service Profile Templates
• Cisco UCS Central Overview
• Cisco HyperFlex™ Overview

Module 17: Using APIs

• Common Programmability Protocols and Methods
• How to Choose Models and Processes

Module 18: Describing Cisco ACI

• Cisco ACI Overview
• Multitier Applications in Cisco ACI
• Cisco ACI Features
• VXLAN in Cisco ACI
• Unicast Traffic in Cisco ACI
• Multicast Traffic in Cisco ACI
• Cisco ACI Programmability
• Common Programming Tools and Orchestration Options

Module 19: Describing Cloud Computing

• Cloud Computing Overview
• Cloud Deployment Models
• Cloud Computing Services

Labs

• Explore the Cisco NX-OS CLI
• Explore Topology Discovery
• Configure Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP)
• Configure the Cisco Nexus 2000 FEX
• Configure VPCs
• Configure VPCs with Cisco FEX
• Configure Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF)
• Explore the Virtual Device Contexts (VDC) Elements
• Install VMware Elastic Sky X Integrated (ESXi) and vCenter
• Configure VSANs
• Validate FLOGI and FCNS
• Configure Zoning
• Configure Unified Ports on a Cisco Nexus Switch and Implement FCoE
• Explore the Cisco UCS Server Environment
• Configure a Cisco UCS Server Profile
• Configure Cisco NX-OS with APIs
• Explore the Cisco UCS Manager XML API Management Information Tree