Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert Data Center (CCIE Data Center)

As one of the highest level certifications in the industry, CCIE Data Center training empowers data center engineers to independently design, implement, administer, oversee, and troubleshoot data center networks. You have the option of instructor-led or on-demand courses.

Prerequisites

To be eligible for CCIE Data Center training, you must demonstrate strong technical skills as well as complete a written exam and a hands-on lab exam. While there are no formal prerequisites for the CCIE Data Center certification, you are expected to have an in-depth understanding of the topics in the exam blueprints. Three to five years of job experience is strongly encouraged.

Who should take this certification?

Data center engineers with three to five years of job experience and a desire for more independence in the data center environment are ideal candidates for CCIE Data Center certification.

Take John, for example. John is a data center engineer working in an IT department at a large company in Raleigh, NC. After three years in that role, he wanted more responsibility and knew that CCIE data center certification was the next step. John signed up for and passed the required CCIE written exam and successfully completed the hands-on lab session to become eligible for the certification course.

Since completing the CCIE Data Center Certification course, John has been able to enjoy more autonomy on the job from his ability independently configure, implement, oversee and troubleshoot data center networks.

Exams

Step One: CCIE Data Center Written Exam
You must pass the two-hour, written qualification exam covering concepts and equipment commands related to packet-based networking infrastructure, before you are eligible to schedule the lab exam.
Step Two: CCIE Data Center Lab Exam
The eight-hour lab exam tests your ability to configure actual equipment and get a service provider network running in a timed test situation. You must make an initial attempt of the CCIE lab exam within 18-months of passing the CCIE written exam. If you do not pass the lab exam within three years of passing the written exam, you must retake the written exam before being allowed to attempt the lab exam again.