My CCNP Data Center thread

I've moved on to start studying for my CCNP: Data Center as of the beginning of this month. I'm going to go ahead and start charting my progress here to keep myself moving and motivated. Since there are no dedicated CCNP DC resources out there, I'm utilizing the CCIE DC reading list, the INE CCIE Data Center videos, the configuration guides and the INE DC rack rentals to get me there.

Here's the reading list I own and progress I've made on each book so far:
Data Center Virtualization Fundamentals - 75% done [should be finished within the next week or two]
Data Center Fundamentals - 50% done [Reading of this book is on hold - It's very dry and I had to mix up my studying]
NX-OS and Cisco Nexus Switching - 0% [Not Started]
Cisco UCS - 0% [Not Started]
I/O Consolidation in the Data Center - 0% [Not Started]
Storage Networking Fundamentals - 0% [Not Started]

INE Videos:
CCIE Data Center: Written - 30% done [Very easy to follow]
CCIE Data Center: Unified Computing Course - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center: Unified Communications on UCS - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center: Storage Course - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center: Nexus NX-OS Primer - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center: Nexus Course - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center: Nexus 1000v on UCS - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center : Implementing Nexus - 0% [Not Started]

DC Rack Rental hours Completed (since late February): 42

It's probably going to take me forever to get through this track because I'm am going to read/watch all the books and books above but the goal is to learn as much as I can. After I'm done reading and watching the above, I'll start going through the configuration guides and play around more with the DC rack rentals. I'm not going to bother setting dates for when I am going to take these exams but rather take them when I feel comfortable with my skillset in the topics of the exam.

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SteveO86

Good point, I'll just stick with INE's videos.

Which two books do you have for UCS? I'm only aware of the one UCS book by Cisco Press (from about 4-years ago)

Very nice, yea I guess my company paid for CCIE Labs I wouldn't bother with anything else either haha.

down77

I watched the INE material when it was Live back in 2012, and have seen a few of the CBT Nuggets DCUCI videos. The INE Videos are much more in depth than the CBT Nuggets. But as Iris stated, INE is geared towards the CCIE.

I've gone over the following books that go over UCS in some form or fashion:

Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) (Data Center): A Complete Reference Guide to the Cisco Data Center Virtualization Server Architecture (Networking Technology): Silvano Gai, Tommi Salli, Roger Andersson: 9781587141935: Amazon.com: Books

Implementing Cisco UCS Solutions: Farhan Nadeem, Prasenjit Sarkar: 9781782170662: Amazon.com: Books

Amazon.com: Data Center Virtualization Fundamentals: Understanding Techniques and Designs for Highly Efficient Data Centers with Cisco Nexus, UCS, MDS, and Beyond (9781587143243): Gustavo A. A. Santana: Books

I would also recommend reading the Cisco Validated Design Guides, such as the Unified Computing System
Technology Design Guide. That one in particular does a great job of showing end to end connectivity and installation and I may or may not have been a tech reviewer on the guide

SteveO86

Thanks for the links Down77!

Funny you mention that CVD, I had loaded that CVD on my iPad Kindle App late last year!

spiderjericho

Great thread. I decided to add the Data Center Virtualization and Storage Network Fundamentals to my offline book bag in Safari.

Coming from a U.S. Marine (though these are not the views of the United States Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Navy or USMC), Iris, you're motivating. I can "see" you getting a CCIE based on the past few years.

aryan7862

Iristheangel wrote: »

I've moved on to start studying for my CCNP: Data Center as of the beginning of this month. I'm going to go ahead and start charting my progress here to keep myself moving and motivated. Since there are no dedicated CCNP DC resources out there, I'm utilizing the CCIE DC reading list, the INE CCIE Data Center videos, the configuration guides and the INE DC rack rentals to get me there.

Here's the reading list I own and progress I've made on each book so far:
Data Center Virtualization Fundamentals - 75% done [should be finished within the next week or two]
Data Center Fundamentals - 50% done [Reading of this book is on hold - It's very dry and I had to mix up my studying]
NX-OS and Cisco Nexus Switching - 0% [Not Started]
Cisco UCS - 0% [Not Started]
I/O Consolidation in the Data Center - 0% [Not Started]
Storage Networking Fundamentals - 0% [Not Started]

INE Videos:
CCIE Data Center: Written - 30% done [Very easy to follow]
CCIE Data Center: Unified Computing Course - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center: Unified Communications on UCS - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center: Storage Course - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center: Nexus NX-OS Primer - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center: Nexus Course - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center: Nexus 1000v on UCS - 0% [Not Started]
CCIE Data Center : Implementing Nexus - 0% [Not Started]

DC Rack Rental hours Completed (since late February): 42

It's probably going to take me forever to get through this track because I'm am going to read/watch all the books and books above but the goal is to learn as much as I can. After I'm done reading and watching the above, I'll start going through the configuration guides and play around more with the DC rack rentals. I'm not going to bother setting dates for when I am going to take these exams but rather take them when I feel comfortable with my skillset in the topics of the exam.

Hi can i get the pdf versions of these books plz
Cisco UCS
I/O Consolidation in the Data Center
Storage Networking Fundamentals

i cant afford them and seriously i love learning them

Iristheangel

Sorry, Can't help you out with the PDF versions. I have hard copies

Iristheangel

Busy busy week. I was taking an online class on the Nexus 9Ks this week, my SDN class from Coursera and trying to balance work. For those reasons, I didn't get as much of the CCNP DC stuff done.

I'm alone this weekend since the SO is out of town so I'm cracking down. I should be completing the INE Storage course today. I'm about halfway through the Storage Networking Fundamentals book and 3 chapters away from finishing the IBM SAN book. I'm going to aggressively read after today until both books are done. I give myself a week.

After that, I'm launching myself right into UCS. I have two UCS books, the INE UCS course, the configuration guides and the Cisco Gold Labs. Given the size of the books and video courses and making time to lab, I'm going to project taking both UCS exams in 3 months. I might be making a huge assumption by thinking that the Unified Computing Troubleshooting exam will be on par with the CCNP TSHOOT exam but I think it's totally doable to do both exams in a short amount of time. If anyone has taken these exams and want to give me feedback on 642-035, I'm all ears

Iristheangel

My weekly update:
Still pounding away. It was a slow week for studying for me because I was so wrapped up in designing stuff for work. Finally finished the IBM SAN book and still pounding away on the Cisco Press Storage Networking Fundamentals book. Hopefully I'll be be done with the Cisco Press one in the next week and a half.

JeanM

Great progress Iris.

gorebrush

I've had a slow week too and I can't afford too many. Glad someone is making progress.

Iristheangel

My update:
Done with the Storage Networking Fundamentals Book. Getting through the CCIE Data Center reading list and videos:
Data Center Fundamentals - Done (900+ pages)
Data Center Virtualization Fundamentals - Done (900+ pages)
IBM Introduction to SAN Networks - Done (300+ pages)
Storage Networking Fundamentals - Done (Almost 400 pages)
INE CCIE DC Storage Course - Done
INE CCIE DC Written Course - Done

Still to read:
Cisco Unified Computing (300 pages)
Implementing UCS Solutions (300 pages)
I/O Consolidation in the Data Center (100 pages)
NX-OS and Cisco Nexus Switching (800 pages)

Still to watch:
CCIE DC Unified Computing Course
CCIE DC Unified Communications on UCS
CCIE DC Nexus NX-OS Primer
CCIE DC Nexus Course
CCIE DC Nexus 1000v on UCS
CCIE Data Center Implementing Nexus

So far, I've read about 2500 pages and I have about 1500 to go for the CCIE DC reading list. I am going a bit above the reading list by adding the Implementing UCS Solutions and IBM SAN books but they came highly recommended.

Shooting for all this done by the end of the year and my CCNP DC completed by Novemberish. If I am feeling confident by the end of the year, I might go for the written since I'll have read all the books and watched all the INE videos. Don't know yet. I heard it's a beast of a written exam. Next year will be dedicated to labbing for 30-50 hours a week and maybe I'll try the IPExpert videos.

JeanM

Beast Mode ON!

Zartanasaurus

Did you find the Data Center Fundamentals book useful at all considering you also read the Virtualization Fundamentals book?

Iristheangel

Eh. It's full of good info but a lot of outdated info as well. You kind of have to rely on experience and just knowing better to separate the obsolete from the current. DCV was a very very very different book from DC Fundamentals in terms of content and readability.

I would say go through the DC Fundamentals book but don't spend too much time analyzing it or rereading it.

Legacy User

Iristheangel wrote: »

. I heard it's a beast of a written exam. Next year will be dedicated to labbing for 30-50 hours a week and maybe I'll try the IPExpert videos.

IPexpert seems like a good resource for the CCIE Data Center they post a guy passing the Lab almost every other day on there twitter account.

Iristheangel

I've heard good things about them. I know a lot of people have their preferences and brand loyalty (INE vs IPExpert) but I like the idea of mixing it up. Some instructors on INE are amazing to me and others put me to sleep, sometimes the material isn't explained in a way that I understand, etc. It's not a bad idea to branch out and try something else.

Legacy User

Did you check out the new website yet? They're new modo is no more death of powerpoint in the there videos. I tend to lean more to ipexpert since they've taken care of me and continue to hook me up. I can't say that about INE.

Iristheangel

I got a bit angry at INE awhile back. I signed up for AAP and paid for 2000 rack rental tokens (about $1800). I went to sign up for my first rack rental only to be told that I needed to purchase the workbook FIRST before I would be able to reserve time- something specific to only the CCIE DC racks. $500 workbook after just spending about $1800 was a bit frustrating. I called up sales and asked for any sort of discount given my previous purchases that day but the guy I got on the phone didn't like me much since he shut me down and claimed there were no discount codes at all. Thankfully, one of my buddies was able to hook me up with a discount code that got me 20% off so I begrudgingly paid.

I think INE is great training but that put a bad taste in my mouth. I wouldn't mind trying other options after I finish off my rack tokens. I like IPExpert's new site and their new subscription model looks pretty affordable. Plus I get to watch a old TE member teach me

Legacy User

I spent around that much for the IPexperts CCIE Blending Learning Solution with 200hrs rack rentals and the sales guy threw in extra video series to make the deal. He gave me a BOGO for rentals got 400 hrs of rack rentals for the cost of 200 hrs. The next month I seen the blended learning solution for $500 less I brought it up to him and he gave me another 200 hrs of rack time to make up the difference.

I heard about the guy that was a member on here is the new DC instructor. His TE handle doesn't ring a bell I think that was before my time. I may have been still working under the hood of cars when he was around.

Danielh22185

Iris I think I want to focus on this soon after I finish off NP. What reading material do you suggest atleast for the CCNADC cert?

Iristheangel

CCNA Data Center - Introducing Cisco Data Center Networking Study Guide: Exam 640-911: Todd Lammle, John Swartz: 9781118661260: Amazon.com: Books

Plus CBT Nuggets should be good.

The 640-911 exam is mindnumbingly easy. The hardest part of the 640-916 is the memorizing terminology

Danielh22185

Iristheangel wrote: »

CCNA Data Center - Introducing Cisco Data Center Networking Study Guide: Exam 640-911: Todd Lammle, John Swartz: 9781118661260: Amazon.com: Books

Plus CBT Nuggets should be good.

The 640-911 exam is mindnumbingly easy. The hardest part of the 640-916 is the memorizing terminology

Good to know. I may hammer it off quickly then after I finish NP! I also have an enterprise access to ALL CBT video training provided by my work. Thanks for the info!

Edit: Wow just read the description of the book concepts. It does seem crazy easy!

Iristheangel

I felt like 640-911 was CCENT-lite. With the CCNA, you could read through a couple chapters of Network Warrior and have enough NX-OS knowledge to pass it. There is an NX-OS simulator on Todd Lammle's site you can use

Zartanasaurus

Iristheangel wrote: »

I've heard good things about them. I know a lot of people have their preferences and brand loyalty (INE vs IPExpert) but I like the idea of mixing it up. Some instructors on INE are amazing to me and others put me to sleep, sometimes the material isn't explained in a way that I understand, etc. It's not a bad idea to branch out and try something else.

I mentioned in my thread that I think the quality of INE's workbook for DC was MUCH worse than R&S. R&S is very comprehensive and doesn't leave out a single detail. DC has entire subjects missing. IPX's workbook table of contents LOOKS better, but I've never actually seen the material. INE's videos for DC seem more lecture oriented and less command line oriented than R&S also.

TLDR, I wouldn't be surprised if IPX had much better DC material than INE. The people they have on staff were active DC bloggers before they took jobs at IPX.

Iristheangel

It's been a good study week for me. By the end of the weekend, I should have 24 out of 30 INE UCS videos done. I started the Ciscopress UCS book last week and I'm already blowing through chapter 6 out of 9 chapters. I should be done with both book and videos by the middle of next week. After that, I'm going to read this book: Implementing Cisco UCS Solutions: Farhan Nadeem, Prasenjit Sarkar: 9781782170662: Amazon.com: Books

It's a smaller book so I can't see it taking more than a week or two to read and it seems more focused on the configuration of UCSM while the Ciscopress UCS book seems more focused on the components and functions of UCS. After that, it's all about labbing in the PEC labs and going through the config guides. I think it's very realistic for me to take both CCNP DC UCS exams by early or middle of August.

Wish me luck!

bertieb

Just wanted to say that I'm really enjoying this thread. I've been asked (well, told

) to do the CCNA DC and then most likely the CCNP DC afterwards which all suits me fine for the foreseeable - and the list of resources you're using will come in very handy indeed. Good luck!

Iristheangel

Finished the INE UCS video series and the Cisco Press UCS book.

Overall, I felt like the UCS book was a gigantic waste of time. Here's what the book was about:
6 chapters focused on hardware which is mostly outdated (M1 servers and 1st generation IOMs and Fabric Interconnects).
1 chapter focused on 3rd party management tools
1 chapter focused on UCSM and what happens under the hood but it didn't go into nearly enough detail
1 chapter focused on power and cooling

The only reason I would say to not skip this book is that I heard that a lot of the content from this book is on the CCIE DC written.

As far as the INE UCS videos, they definitely had a lot of good information. The only problem is that I have a hard time focusing on Mark Snow. He is a smart guy but it's hard for me not to doze off during his videos. I'm really hoping I get a lot more out of the IP Expert videos after I start hardcore dedicating myself to the CCIE DC studying.

There were also a couple of topics I couldn't follow along with as easily with the INE UCS videos. For example, there were about 4 or 5 videos that were dedicated completely to the Nexus 1000v and I had never installed or configured one. To solve this, I put watching the videos on hold, rented a rack for a couple hours and also completed the Nexus 1000v PEC lab. After that, I continued watching and it all made a lot more sense to me.

So my game plan is that I'm going to start working my way through this book next week: Implementing Cisco UCS Solutions: Farhan Nadeem, Prasenjit Sarkar: 9781782170662: Amazon.com: Books
Since it's a fairly small book, I'm going to burn through it in a week or two easily. Then I will start labbing like crazy. My goal is to sit both CCNP DC UCS exams by the end of August so that leaves me with about 1-2 months of heavy labbing to get there.

Oh and in the spirit of all things CCIE related, I created myself a happy little blog: Late Night Cisco Musings
My goal is after all the reading is done to lab daily and write something new at least once a week about things that I learned, things I did right, and things that I did wrong.

Danielh22185

Awesome stuff Iris! I think you and I will be chatting more and more about data center related topics. My company is on the verge of making a big push towards data center virtualization / SDN. I want to get on top of this track as well and as early as I can. My goals are definetly set to hit the data center topics as soon as I finish off NP. I'll be following you closely.

Danielh22185

While I am at it.... This had me thinking...

Does the data center path cover a lot of Virtualization related or Software Defined Networking topics?

Iristheangel

Yes on virtualization. Not so much on SDN though I suspect that will change once they add N9Ks and ACI to the test in the future