DCUFD – Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric

Prerequisites

• CCNA Data Center
• Knowledge that is covered in the Cisco Nexus product family courses
• Knowledge that is covered in the DESGN - Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions course

Course Objectives

• Evaluate the data center solution design and design process regarding contemporary data center challenges, Cisco Data Center Architecture solution, and components
• Technologies used in data centers, scalability implications, and their possible use in cloud environments
• Design data center connections and topologies in the core layer
• Design data center storage designs, solutions, and limitations of various storage technologies
• Design secure data centers that are protected from application-based threats, network security threats, and physical security threats
• Design data center infrastructure that is required to implement network-based application services
• Design data center management to facilitate monitoring, managing, and provisioning of data center equipment and applications

Module 1: Cisco Data Center Solutions

Defining the Data Center

• Categorizing general data center solution components
• Baseline technology and terminology used in data center solutions
• Analyzing business, technical, and environmental challenges
• Recognizing the cloud computing paradigm, terms, and concepts
• Recognizing the importance of virtualization technologies and solutions for data center evolution

Identifying the Cisco Data Center Solution

• Evaluating the Cisco Data Center architectural framework
• Evaluating the Cisco Data Center architectural framework network component
• Evaluating the Cisco Data Center architectural framework storage component

Designing the Cisco Data Center Solution

• Design process for the CiscData Center solution
• Assessing the deliverables of the Cisco Data Center solution
• Cisco Validated Designs

Module 2: Data Center Technologies

Designing Layer 2 and Layer 3 Switching

• Hardware-forwarding architectures
• IP addressing considerations and IP routing technologies

Virtualizing Data Center Components

• Device virtualization mechanisms
• Designing virtualized solutions using VDCs
• Designing virtualized services using contexts on firewalling and load-balancing devices
• Designing virtualized services using virtual appliances

Designing Layer 2 Multipathing Technologies

• Link virtualization technologies that allow for scaling of the network
• Designing solutions using vPCs and MEC
• Designing solutions using Cisco FabricPath

Module 3: Data Center Topologies

Designing the Data Center Core Layer Network

• Need for the data center core layer
• Designing a Layer 3 data center core layer
• Designing a Layer 2 data center core layer
• Evaluating designs using data center collapsed core

Designing the Data Center Aggregation Layer

• Classical aggregation layer designs
• Designing the aggregation layer with VDCs
• Designing the aggregation layer using Cisco Unified Fabric
• Designing the aggregation layer with IP storage-related specifics in mind

Designing the Data Center Access Layer

• Classic access layer designs and design issues
• Designing the access layer with vPC and MEC
• Designing the access layer with FEXs
• Designing the access layer with Cisco Unified Fabric

Designing the Data Center Virtualized Access Layer

• Virtual access layer
• Virtual access layer solutions within virtual machine hosts
• Designing solutions with Cisco Adapter FEX
• Designing solutions with Cisco VM-FEX
• Designing solutions with the Cisco Nexus 1000V switch

Designing High Availability

• Designing high availability for IP-based services
• Designing high availability by implementing link aggregation
• Designing high availability of services using IP routing and FHRPs
• Providing high availability with RHI
• Designing high availability of services using LISP

Designing Data Center Interconnects

• Reasons for data center interconnects
• Data center interconnect technologies
• Designing data center interconnects using Cisco OTV
• Storage replication technologies

Module 4: Data Center Storage

Introducing SAN

• Data storage and Fibre Channel basic terms
• Fibre Channel basic concepts
• Fibre Channel flow control mechanisms

Designing SAN

• Explore different storage designs and topologies
• Designing SANs using Cisco best practices and Cisco Validated Designs
• Designing scalable SANs with provisions for multitenancy

Designing Unified Fabric

• Flow control when using FCoE
• Using FIP
• Different design options with unified fabric networks
• Designing unified fabric deployments with FEXs

Designing SAN Services

• Need for SAN-based Fibre Channel services
• Designing SAN-based Fibre Channel services
• SAN replication
• Designing long-distance Fibre Channel interconnects
• Presenting design examples and use cases for various SAN long-distance acceleration solutions

Module 5: Data Center Security

Designing Data Center Application Security

• Need for data center security technologies
• Characteristics of firewalls
• Positioning security appliances within data center networks
• Designing secure communication on multiple layers

Designing Link Security Technologies and Device Hardening

• Design requirements for Cisco TrustSec
• Device-hardening technologies
• Designing secure management networks

Designing Storage Security

• Designing secure SANs
• Security solutions for data encryption
• Outline security implications for IP-based storage

Module 6: Data Center Application Services

Designing Data Center Application Architecture

• Application architecture and design
• Application tiering
• Application optimization technologies

Designing Application Services

• Server load-balancing technologies
• Adding application services to an existing data center
• Contexts
• Designing secure application load-balancing solutions

Designing Global Load Balancing

• Need for GSLB
• Designing a GSLB solution
• Protocols that are used for site selection and site monitoring
• Site selection process

Module 7: Data Center Management

Designing Data Center Management Solutions

• Need for network management
• Cisco Data Center management products
• Scalability limitations
• Secure management in multitenant environments

Labs

Case Study 1: Design a Migration to vPC
Lab 1: Explore VDCs
Lab 2: Examine vPC
Lab 3: Explore Cisco FabricPath
Lab 4: Connect Cisco FEXs
Lab 5: Interconnect Data Centers with Cisco OTV
Case Study 3: Design VLAN Extension
Case Study 4: Design Cisco Unified Fabric

• Data center designers
• Data center administrators
• System engineers
• Data center engineers and managers
• Program and project managers