A great way to start the Cisco Certified Network Professional Data Center (DCUCD) preparation is to begin by properly appreciating the role that syllabus and study guide play in the Cisco 642-998 certification exam. This study guide is an instrument to get you on the same page with Cisco and understand the nature of the Cisco CCNP Data Center exam.
Our team of experts has composed this Cisco 642-998 exam preparation guide to provide the overview about Cisco Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing exam, study material, sample questions, practice exam and ways to interpret the exam objectives to help you assess your readiness for the Cisco DCUCD exam by identifying prerequisite areas of knowledge. We recommend you to refer the simulation questions and practice test listed in this guide to determine what type of questions will be asked and the level of difficulty that could be tested in the Cisco CCNP Data Center certification exam.
Cisco 642-998 Exam Overview:
|
Exam Name
|
Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing |
| Exam Number | 642-998 DCUCD |
| Exam Price | $300 USD |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Number of Questions | 65-75 |
| Passing Score | Variable (750-850 / 1000 Approx.) |
| Recommended Training | Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing (DCUCD v5.0) |
| Exam Registration | PEARSON VUE |
| Sample Questions | Cisco 642-998 Sample Questions |
| Practice Exam | Cisco Certified Network Professional Data Center Practice Test |
Cisco 642-998 Exam Topics:
| Section | Weight | Objectives |
|---|---|---|
| Describe the Design Methodology | 13% |
1 Describe developing business trends
2 Identify business requirements driving the data center design
3 Determine the requirements needed to create a data center solution
4 Describe the tools/process to characterize an existing data center
5 Describe the top down approach to network design
|
| Describe Data Center Structure and Modularity | 17% |
1 Describe network architectures for the data center
a) LAN
b) SAN
2 Describe the modular approach in network design
3 Describe the data center core layer
4 Describe the data center aggregation layer
5 Describe the data center access layer
6 Identify design considerations for connectivity between data centers
7 Identify the environments that use a Cisco data center virtualization solution
8 Identify the migration plan from existing to new infrastructure
|
| Describe the Technologies Used within the Data Center | 17% |
1 Describe switching protocols used in a data center network
2 Describe IPv4/IPv6 Addressing
3 Identify routing protocol considerations in a data center
4 Describe how various data center protocols impact the design of a data center network
5 Describe data center server deployment topologies
6 Describe how traffic flows may impact the design of a data center network
7 Describe methods for deploying an energy efficient data center
8 Describe data center virtualization technologies
9 Determine when to use each technology within a data center solution
10 Describe high availability design in the data center
|
| Design the Access Layer of a Data Center | 17% |
1 Select appropriate platforms and modules in the data center access layer
2 Identify scalability, availability, performance, and connectivity requirements in the data center access layer
3 Design for traffic flows in the data center access layer
4 Design a cabling plan and topology for the data center access layer
5 Design virtualization into the data center access layer
|
| Design Virtualization Solution using Cisco UCS | 13% |
1 Gather historical performance characteristics for the network, compute and storage components of the data center.
2 Given a particular set of data center applications and servers, identify the number of physical machines necessary to create a Cisco virtualized data center solution
3 Given a particular set of data center applications and servers, identify the networking requirements to create a Cisco virtualized data center solution
4 Describe the deployment of pass-thru switching (PTS) and integration with vCenter
5 Specify the infrastructure needed to deploy a specified Cisco data center virtualization solution
6 Deploy operating systems
7 Specify the UCS components of solution design
8 Identify Cisco technologies to mitigate security vulnerabilities
9 Secure data center network connectivity
10 Secure the data center infrastructure
|
| Design Network Management Considerations into a Data Center | 23% |
1 Describe the common industry and Cisco-specific data center network management tools
2 Design a network data collection strategy for a data center
|
Cisco DCUCD Exam Description:
The 642-998 (DCUCD v5.0) Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing exam tests and validates a candidate's knowledge of designing a Cisco data center unified computing environment. Concepts tested include design concepts in a server virtualization environment, solution for scalability and reliability , performances, and management. Candidates can prepare for this exam by taking the Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing (DCUCD v5.0) course.