DCAUI - Implementing Automation for Cisco Data Center Solutions

Course Description

The Implementing Automation for Cisco Data Center Solutions (DCAUI) training shows you how to implement Cisco Data Center automated solutions, including programming concepts, orchestration, and automation tools.  The goal of this 5-day training is to highlight the tools and benefits of leveraging programmability and automation in the Cisco-powered Data Center. Examined platforms include Cisco ACI (the controller-based Data Center environment), Cisco NX-OS on all Cisco Nexus platforms for device-centric automation, and Cisco UCS for Data Center compute. Their current ecosystem of APIs, software development toolkits, and relevant workflows is inspected in detail together with open industry standards, tools, and APIs, such as Python, Ansible, Git, JSON/YAML, NETCONF/RESTCONF, and YANG.

This training prepares you for the 300-635 Automating and Programming Cisco Data Center Solutions (DCAUTO) certification exam. Introducing Automation for Cisco Solutions (CSAU) is required prior to enrolling in Implementing Automation for Cisco Data Center Solutions (DCAUI) because it provides crucial foundational knowledge essential to success. This training also earns you 24 Continuing Education (CE) credits towards recertification.

How You'll Benefit

This training will teach you to implement Cisco Data Center automated solutions to:
Learn the tools and the benefits of leveraging programmability and automation in the Cisco-powered Data Center
Examine platforms include Cisco ACI (the controller-based Data Center environment), Cisco NX-OS on all Cisco Nexus platforms for device-centric automation, and Cisco UCS for Data Center compute
Inspect the current ecosystem of APIs, software development toolkits, and relevant workflows in detail together with open industry standards, tools, and APIs, such as Python, Ansible, Git, JSON/YAML, NETCONF/RESTCONF, and YANG

Who Should Enroll

Channel and Customer Engineers including Network Engineers, System Engineers, Wireless Engineers, Consulting Systems Engineers, Technical Solutions Architects, Network Administrators, Wireless Design Engineers, Network Managers, Site Reliability Engineers, and Deployment Engineers

Channel Sales Engineers
Channel Account Managers

What to Expect in the Exam

300-635 DCAUTO: Automating and Programming Cisco Data Center Solutions is a 90-minute exam associated with the Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist–Data Center Automation and Programmability certification and satisfies the concentration exam requirements for these professional-level certifications:
CCNP Data Center
Cisco Certified DevNet Professional

The multiple-choice format tests knowledge and skills related to implementing Data Center automated solutions, including:
Programming concepts
Orchestration
Automation tools

Course Objectives

Review Cisco ACI fundamental concepts, GUI workflows, and create the case for implementing automation
Introduce the Cisco ACI REST API, the tools already available on the Cisco APIC, and understand basic API interaction using Postman
Understand the functionality provided by the Python ACI libraries and write scripts that apply configuration and verify state on the Cisco ACI fabric
Understand Cisco ACI Ansible modules, build playbooks that apply Infrastructure-as-Code concepts to Cisco ACI tenant configuration, and generate a health report using Ansible
Understand Cisco ACI Apps Center integration and the benefits of integrating Kubernetes infrastructure with Cisco ACI
Understand the API types and capabilities available on Cisco Nexus product family
Understand Day 0 operations and how ZTP, POAP, and iPXE fulfill these goals with their respective tooling
Understand functionality provided by the on-box tooling on the Cisco Nexus series switches and implement simple solutions to improve daily operations
Use Python and Ansible to leverage the NX-API to implement and verify configuration state using modern workflows
Understand the paradigm shift of Model-Driven Telemetry and explore a fully set up pipeline for data collection and analysis
Understand the Cisco UCS developer tools and implement management workflows leveraging Cisco UCS APIs, Python, and Ansible modules
Review Cisco NDFC product capabilities and understand how its API can be leveraged to automate the Cisco Data Center
Understand the advantages of using Cisco Intersight and how to implement automation tasks using its REST APIs via Python and Ansible
Describe Terraform plans for Cisco ACI deployments

Course Prerequisites

Before taking this offering, you should have:
Basic knowledge of programming language concepts
Basic understanding of virtualization and VMware
Ability to use Linux and CLI tools, such as SSH and bash
CCNP level data center knowledge
Foundational understanding of Cisco ACI

Course Outline

Describing the Cisco ACI Policy Model
Describing the Cisco APIC REST API
Using Python to Interact with the Cisco ACI REST API
Using Ansible to Automate Cisco ACI
Introducing Cisco NX-OS Programmability
Describing Day-Zero Provisioning with Cisco NX-OS
Implementing On-Box Programmability and Automation with Cisco NX-OS
Implementing Off-Box Programmability and Automation with Cisco NX-OS
Automating Cisco UCS Using Developer Tools
Describing Cisco Intersight

Lab Outline

Use Cisco APCI Web GUI
Discover the Cisco APIC REST API
Use Postman with the APIC REST API
Use Python with Cisco APIC REST API
Configure and Verify Cisco ACI Using Acitoolkit
Use Cobra and Arya to Recreate a Tenant
Manage Configuration Using Ansible
Set Up a New Tenant the NetDevOps Way
Create an Infrastructure Health Report
Set Up Power On Auto Provisioning on the Cisco Nexus 9000
Use Bash and Guest Shell on Cisco NX-OS
Use Python to Enhance CLI Commands
Trigger a Python Script Using EEM
Configure and Verify Using NX-API and Python
Configure and Verify Using NETCONF and YANG
Use Ansible with Cisco NX-OS
Connect, Query, and Modify Cisco UCS Manager Objects Using Cisco UCS PowerTool
Connect, Query, and Modify Cisco UCS IMC Objects Using Cisco UCS PowerTool
Utilize Cisco UCS Python SDK
Utilize Cisco IMC Python SDK
Implement Ansible Playbooks to Modify and Verify the Configuration of Cisco UCS Manager