Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP) Certification Guide

About a decade ago, Cisco put together a certification which was intended to be focused more on the design of computer networks than the operation of them.

This was originally put together with a pair of certifications including the associate level CCDA (Cisco Certified Design Associate) and the professional level CCDP (Cisco Certified Design Professional). This was accompanied this last year with the introduction of the expert level CCDE (Cisco Certified Design Expert).

For those of you familiar with the CCNP certification, the CCDP certification is quite familiar as three of the five tests required for certification overlap with the CCNP requirements.

Why Get CCDP Certified?

Now the real question that I have heard asked most is why you would get a CCDP. Well the CCNP and the CCDP are very similar in technical knowledge but focus on different phases in the network process.

The CCNP is focused towards the operation of a network while the CCDP is focused on the design of the network. Whether you are a network engineer or a network designer you still require similar skill sets.

The CCDP adds to the core routing and switching material covered in the ROUTE and SWITCH exams by focusing on network design and the different methodologies that go with designing a good network.

So the real question you should be asking yourself is whether you are more interested in network design or network operations. Speaking for myself I have both a CCNP and CCDP and think that the skills of both complement each other, and this makes me better at performing jobs in both subject areas.

How to Become CCDP Certified

In order to become CCDP certified you must first be a current CCNA and CCDA certification holder or have a current CCIE certification.

The exams required for the CCDP are:

• Implementing Cisco IP Routing (ROUTE) Exam 642-902
• Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks (SWITCH) Exam 642-813
• Designing Cisco Network Service Architectures (ARCH) Exam 642-873

Both the ROUTE and SWITCH exams overlap with the CCNP requirements.

All of the exams detailed in this article can be taken through Pearson-Vue.

Now let’s take a closer look at each of the exams.

Implementing Cisco IP Routing (ROUTE) Exam 642-902

The ROUTE exam is an in-depth test requiring a thorough knowledge of everything from basic routing protocol concepts to specific routing command requirements. Make sure when taking this test to be well prepared.

Implement an EIGRP based solution, given a network design and a set of requirements

• Determine network resources needed for implementing EIGRP on a network
• Create an EIGRP implementation plan
• Create an EIGRP verification plan
• Configure EIGRP routing
• Verify EIGRP solution was implemented properly using show and debug commands
• Document results of EIGRP implementation and verification

Implement a multi-area OSPF Network, given a network design and a set of requirements

• Determine network resources needed for implementing OSPF on a network
• Create an OSPF implementation plan
• Create an OSPF verification plan
• Configure OSPF routing
• Verify OSPF solution was implemented properly using show and debug commands
• Document results of OSPF implementation and verification plan

Implement an eBGP based solution, given a network design and a set of requirements

• Determine network resources needed for implementing eBGP on a network
• Create an eBGP implementation plan
• Create an eBGP verification plan
• Configure eBGP routing
• Verify eBGP solution was implemented properly using show and debug commands
• Document results of eBGP implementation and verification plan

Implement an IPv6 based solution, given a network design and a set of requirements

• Determine network resources needed for implementing IPv6 on a network
• Create an IPv6 implementation plan
• Create an IPv6 verification plan
• Configure IPv6 routing
• Configure IPv6 interoperation with IPv4
• Verify IPv6 solution was implemented properly using show and debug commands
• Document results of IPv6 implementation and verification plan

Implement an IPv4 or IPv6 based redistribution solution, given a network design and a set of requirements

• Create a redistribution implementation plan based upon the results of the redistribution analysis
• Create a redistribution verification plan
• Configure a redistribution solution
• Verify that a redistribution was implemented
• Document results of a redistribution implementation and verification plan
• Identify the differences between implementing an IPv4 and IPv6 redistribution solution

Implement Layer 3 Path Control Solution

• Create a Layer 3 path control implementation plan based upon the results of the redistribution analysis
• Create a Layer 3 path control verification plan
• Configure Layer 3 path control
• Verify that a Layer 3 path control was implemented
• Document results of a Layer 3 path control implementation and verification plan
• Implement basic teleworker and branch services
• Describe broadband technologies
• Configure basic broadband connections
• Describe basic VPN technologies
• Configure GRE
• Describe branch access technologies

Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks (SWITCH) Exam 642-813

The SWITCH exam is the companion exam to the ROUTE exam with just as much material being covered but specific to the switching platforms.

The catch to this is that modern switches are able to do many routing functions within the switch platform including routing. This exam focuses on those abilities which are specific to the switch platform as well as more typical switching material.

Implement VLAN based solution, given a network design and a set of requirements

• Determine network resources needed for implementing a VLAN based solution on a network
• Create a VLAN based implementation plan
• Create a VLAN based verification plan
• Configure switch-to-switch connectivity for the VLAN based solution
• Configure loop prevention for the VLAN based solution
• Configure Access Ports for the VLAN based solution
• Verify the VLAN based solution was implemented properly using show and debug commands
• Document results of VLAN implementation and verification

Implement a Security Extension of a Layer 2 solution, given a network design and a set of requirements

• Determine network resources needed for implementing a Security solution
• Create an implementation plan for the Security solution
• Create a verification plan for the Security solution
• Configure port security features
• Configure general switch security features
• Configure private VLANs Configure VACL and PACL
• Verify the Security based solution was implemented properly using show and debug commands
• Document results of Security implementation and verification

Implement Switch based Layer 3 services, given a network design and a set of requirements

• Determine network resources needed for implementing a Switch based Layer 3 solution
• Create an implementation plan for the Switch based Layer 3 solution
• Create a verification plan for the Switch based Layer 3 solution
• Configure routing interfaces Configure Layer 3 Security
• Verify the Switch based Layer 3 solution was implemented properly using show and debug commands
• Document results of Switch based Layer 3 implementation and verification

Prepare infrastructure to support advanced services

• Implement a Wireless Extension of a Layer 2 solution
• Implement a VoIP support solution
• Implement video support solution

Implement High Availability, given a network design and a set of requirements

• Determine network resources needed for implementing High Availability on a network
• Create a High Availability implementation plan
• Create a High Availability verification plan
• Implement first hop redundancy protocols
• Implement switch supervisor redundancy
• Verify High Availability solution was implemented properly using show and debug commands
• Document results of High Availability implementation and verification

Designing Cisco Network Service Architectures (ARCH) Exam 642-873

From the following you will think that the ARCH test is simple as there are few topics. Don’t make this mistake, while many of us are very familiar with the day-to-day material that is tested on the ROUTE and SWITCH exams, we are not as familiar with the design concepts and methodologies which are used in network design.

If you are looking at this article before taking the Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (DESGN) exam for CCDA than make sure that the material from that test is well covered, just because it may not be asked on the CCDA test does not mean that same material will not be covered in the ARCH test.

Design advanced core enterprise networks

• Design campus Infrastructure using best practices
• Design a High Availability enterprise network
• Design a high availability WAN
• Design network management services
• Design IP multicast services
• Describe enterprise VoWLAN design considerations

Design an enterprise data center

• Design a high availability data center network that is modular, flexible and meets standards
• Describe the components and technologies of a SAN network
• Design an effective E-Commerce module

Design security services

• Utilize firewalls
• Utilize the NAC appliance
• Utilize IPsec VPNs

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