
What Is CCNP Service Provider?
CCNP stands for Cisco Certified Network Professional. The Service Provider track sits between CCNA (associate) and CCIE Service Provider (expert) in Cisco's certification ladder. It targets the technologies that differentiate a carrier network from an enterprise network: large-scale IGP and BGP design, MPLS and segment routing, Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPN services, quality of service, high availability, multicast, and model-driven automation.
Cisco's own description of the skills a CCNP Service Provider holder demonstrates includes:
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Troubleshooting routing protocols at scale
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Implementing high availability
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Implementing MPLS
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Implementing multicast and QoS services
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Automating network configuration
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Implementing routing policy language (RPL) and route maps
Unlike older Cisco tracks, every exam you pass on the way to CCNP Service Provider also earns you a standalone Cisco Certified Specialist badge. Pass SPCOR and you immediately hold Cisco Certified Specialist – Service Provider Core, even before you sit the concentration exam.