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

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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