6. CCNP Security ($97,539)

CCNP Security certification program is aligned specifically to the job role of the Cisco Network Security Engineer responsible for Security in Routers, Switches, Networking devices and appliances, as well as choosing, deploying, supporting and troubleshooting Firewalls, VPNS, and IDS/IPS solutions for their networking environments

7.CCNP: Cisco Certified Network Professional ($97,296)

There are two tracks available at the Associate and Professional levels – Designing and Networking. The Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) demonstrates that you have the ability to plan, implement, verify and troubleshoot local and wide-area enterprise networks. A CCNP certified individual is expected to work collaboratively with other Cisco specialists on advanced security, voice, wireless and video solutions.

8.CCNA: Voice ($92,837)

There are two tracks at the Associate and Professional levels – Designing and Networking. The Cisco Certified Network Associate Voice (CCNA Voice) demonstrates that an individual possess the required associate-level knowledge and skills to administer a voice network and validates skills in VoIP technologies such as IP PBX, IP telephony, handset, call control, and voicemail solutions.

9. Cisco ASA Specialist ($86,812)

The ASA Specialist certification identifies individuals who possess in-depth expertise with implementing security technologies using the Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) technologies, especially firewall and VPN functionality. Other topics include ACL, AAA, advanced protocol handling, remote access VPN, secure socket layer VPN, site-to-site VPNs, failover, and security appliance management. Cisco ASA Specialists possess the ability to describe, configure, verify and manage the ASA products and the Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM).

10. CCNA Security ($83,101)

Cisco Certified Network Associate Security (CCNA® Security) validates associate-level knowledge and skills required to secure Cisco networks. With a CCNA Security certification, a network professional demonstrates the skills required to develop a security infrastructure, recognize threats and vulnerabilities to networks, and mitigate security threats. The CCNA Security curriculum emphasizes core security technologies, the installation, troubleshooting and monitoring of network devices to maintain integrity, confidentiality and availability of data and devices, and competency in the technologies that Cisco uses in its security structure.

1. CCIE R&S: Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert Routing & Switching ($120,008)

Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE®) certifies the expert-level skills required of network engineers to plan, prepare, operate monitor, and troubleshoot complex, converged network infrastructure. Professionals who achieve CCIE have demonstrated their technical skills at the highest level. There are no formal prerequisites for CCIE certification. Other professional certifications or training courses are not required. Instead, candidates must first pass a written qualification exam and then the corresponding hands-on lab exam. You are expected to have an in-depth understanding of the topics in the exam blueprints and strongly encouraged to have three to five years of job experience before attempting certification.

2. CCDP: Cisco Certified Design Professional ($107,878)

There are two tracks at the Associate and Professional levels – Designing and Networking. The Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP) certification demonstrates that the individual who has passed the required exams possesses advanced knowledge of Cisco network design concepts and principles. The CCDP certified individual can discuss, design, and create advanced networks.

With the CCDP certification, you can plan addressing and routing schemes, security, network management, data center, and IP multicast complex multi-layered enterprise architectures that include virtual private networking and wireless domains. The CCDP curriculum includes building scalable internetworks, building multilayer switched networks, and designing network service architecture1.

3. Cisco IP Telephony Design Specialist ($105,871)

The Cisco IP Telephony Design Specialist certification was developed for those who design IP Telephony multi-service network solutions. Cisco IP Telephony Design Specialists can design a scalable, converged network using QoS, Cisco Call Manager clustering, H.323, MGCP, or SIP signaling protocols, and assess the scope of work required to integrate legacy TDM PBXs and voice mail systems into an existing data network.

4. CCNP Voice  ($98,290)

Cisco Certified Network Professional CCNP Voice validates advance knowledge and skills required to integrate into underlying network architectures. Furthermore, this certification validates a robust set of skills in implementing, operating, configuring, and troubleshooting a converged IP network. With a CCNP Voice certification, a network professional can create a collaboration solution that is transparent, scalable, and manageable. The CCNP Voice focuses on Cisco Unified Communications Manager (formerly Unified CallManager), quality of service (QoS), gateways, gatekeepers, IP phones, voice applications, and utilities on Cisco routers and Cisco Catalyst switches. Additionally, the integration and troubleshooting of Cisco Unified Communications applications are now covered in the CCNP Voice, specifically the Cisco Unity Connection and Cisco Unified Presence applications.

5. CCDA: Cisco Certified Design Associate ($97,995)

The Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) demonstrates that the individual who has passed the required exams has the requisite knowledge, experience and understanding required to design a Cisco converged network. A CCDA certified individual has the skills to design a routed and switched network infrastructure and services involving LAN, WAN, and broadband access for businesses and organizations.

In upcoming post I will disclose rest of the five most popular Cisco Certifications.

To allocate physical interfaces to VDC from the config terminal mode type the VDC name and then allocate the physical interfaces as shown below by using the command “allocate interface”

N7000-ITKE01#configure t

N7000-ITKE01 (config)#vdc VDC-CORE1

N7000-ITKE01-DC-CORE1 (config-vdc)#allocate interface  Ethernet1/1

N7000-ITKE01-DC-CORE1 (config-vdc)#allocate interface  Ethernet1/2

N7000-ITKE01 -DC-CORE1 (config-vdc)#allocate interface  Ethernet1/3

Now let’s verify the Interface allocation to the VDC by using following command ” show vdc membership”

N7000-ITKE01-DC-CORE1# show vdc membership

vdc_id:2 vdc_name: DC-CORE1 interfaces:
        Ethernet1/1           Ethernet1/2           Ethernet1/3          
        Ethernet1/4           Ethernet1/5           Ethernet1/6          
        Ethernet1/7           Ethernet1/8           Ethernet1/9          
        Ethernet1/10          Ethernet1/11          Ethernet1/12         
        Ethernet1/13          Ethernet1/14          Ethernet1/15         
        Ethernet1/16          Ethernet1/17          Ethernet1/18         
        Ethernet1/19          Ethernet1/20          Ethernet1/21         
        Ethernet1/22          Ethernet1/23          Ethernet1/24         
        Ethernet1/25          Ethernet1/27          Ethernet1/29         
        Ethernet1/31         

N7000-ITKE01-DC-CORE1#

In addition to interfaces other physical resources such as IPv4 router memory, IPv6 router memory, port-channels, SPAN sessions can be allocated to individual VDC.

Configuring Virtual Device Contexts (VDC)   Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switch is as simple as just entering the VDC name, by following below mentioned steps we can create VDC named VDC-Admin

Step 1

Connect to Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switch using a console port.

Step 2

Create a VDC named DC-CORE1

N7000-ITKE01#configure t

N7000-ITKE01 (config)#vdc  DC-CORE1

Step 3

Verify the created VDC by using following commands “Show vdc” and “show vdc VDC-CORE1 detail” as demonstrated below.

N7000-ITKE01# sho vdc

vdc_id  vdc_name                          state               mac            
——  ——–                          —–               ———-     
1       VDC-Admin                         active              00:26:98:07:1c:c1
2       DC-CORE1                          active              00:26:98:07:1c:c2
3       DC-AGG1                           active              00:26:98:07:1c:c3

The show VDC command shows VDC id based on which VDC created first.BY default VDC id is assigned to the default VDC. In this case it is VDC-Admin.

VDC-Admin# sho vdc DC-CORE1 ?
  <CR>       
  >           Redirect it to a file
  >>          Redirect it to a file in append mode
  detail      Show detailed vdc information
  membership  Show vdc interface membership information
  resource    Show resource configuration for VDC
  |           Pipe command output to filter

In upcoming post I will show how to allocate physical interfaces to the newly created VDC.

The Virtual Device Contexts (VDC) is a new feature introduced in Cisco Nexus 7000 NX-OS, so does it happens to be the first Data Center Switch to provide Virtual Device Contexts (VDC) capabilities. The Virtual Device Contexts (VDC) allows a Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switch to be logically segmented into four different virtual switches (device contexts). The logical separation of single Nexus 7000 into multiple logical devices provides the following benefits:

• Administration and management separation
• Change and failure domain isolation from other VDSs
• Address, VLAN, VRP and vPC isolation.

When the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switch is first booted, all interfaces of all line cards in the modular switch platform are placed in the default VDC (VDC 1).  Up to four VDCs can be created including the default VDC, but an interface can only belong to one VDC.  Interfaces from different line cards can be placed in different VDCs.  Once an interface is placed into a VDC, the interface can no longer be managed in the default VDC context.

The Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switch shares some components between VDC(s), which include the following:

• A single instance of the kernel which support all of the processes and VDCs.
• Supervisor Modules
• Fabric Modules
• Power Supplies
• Fan trays
• System fan trays
• CMP
• CoPP
• Hardware SPAN resources.

When we started planning for this project lot of solutions were presented, starting from Nortel, Juniper and Cisco. We opted for the Cisco recommended solution. In the new solution we are having Cisco Nexus 7010 as our Core Switches.

Since still we are staging our Cisco Nexus 7010 switches, while doing so I figure out there are no more Giga Ethernet or Ten Giga Ethernet interfaces in the Cisco Nexus 7010 Series Switch. All interfaces are known as Ethernet ports.

VDC-Admin-DC-ITKE1(config)# interface ?

  ethernet      Ethernet IEEE 802.3z

  loopback      Loopback interface

  mgmt          Management interface

  port-channel  Port Channel interface

  vlan          Vlan interface

VDC-Admin-DC-ITKE1 (config)# interface ethernet 1/26

VDC-Admin-DC-ITKE1 (config-if)# speed ?

  10     10Mb/s

  100    100Mb/s

  1000   1Gb/s

  10000  10Gb/s

  auto   Auto negotiate speed

VDC-Admin-DC-ITKE1 (config-if)#

 But nothing to worry they will not just support 10Mb/s but even they can support 10 GB/s. This is one of key difference I found between Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series and Nexus 7000 Series Switches. As we proceed further I let you all know the major differences between Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series and Nexus 7000 Series Switches. One fact to known about Nexus 7000 Series Switches run by Cisco NX-OS software. It was specifically designed for the most mission-critical place in the network, the data center.

According to the press release on 18^th of December, Avaya says it has finally completed the acquisition of Nortel after getting as approval for the deal from the Investment Canada Act during mid December 2009.

Avaya claims the complete acquisition will result in it gaining an expanded partner ecosystem, a broader portfolio, an enhanced customer base, and a greater ability to compete globally. It will also give the IP telephony company an opportunity to extend relationships with system integrators and service providers in the enterprise market.

Avaya has to confirm about its plan for Nortel’s distribution channel. However Avaya is expected to come out with the new product portfolio by end of Jan 2010.

“Avaya and Nortel Enterprise Solutions share a common vision for the future of business communications,” stated Kevin Kennedy, president and CEO at Avaya.

“By combining our complementary technology portfolios, deep industry specific domain expertise, sales channels and customer bases, the new Avaya will redefine business communications and help customers to reduce costs, simplify operations and increase their business agility,” said Kennedy.

Approximately 6,000 Nortel employees have joined Avaya, including what the vendor calls “25 top managers”.