The Cisco 300-620 or Implementing Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure confirms if a student is familiar with Cisco switches in ACI mode. In particular, it covers the fabric infrastructure of ACI, its packet forwarding, external network connectivity, integrations, management, and finally, ACI anywhere. Also, this is the test that candidates pass to obtain the CCNP Data Center and Cisco Certified Specialist - Data Center ACI Implementation certifications.

Subsequent Certification Path

The CCNP Data Center certification is intended to certify IT specialists with a solid understanding of data center networking solutions. This is a detailed training path at the professional level that requires success in two tests. These include the core exam, 350-601, and a concentration evaluation that you will pick from these options: 300-610, 300-615, 300-620, 300-625, 300-630, and 300-635.

Main Exam Details: Cisco 300-620

Like the other concentration exams, the Cisco 300-620 costs $300 per attempt and can be taken online or from specific testing centers. What is more, it has a seat time of 90 minutes and candidates will only write it in English.

Reviewing 300-620 Test Objectives

As mentioned above, the 300-620 exam covers 6 primary domains relating to implementing Cisco application-centric infrastructure. Consequently, you should ensure you are familiar with all the tasks before taking the official exam. In more detail, the tested topics are as follows:

• Domain 1: ACI Fabric Infrastructure (20%)

  Here, the major emphasis will be placed on describing ACI hardware and topology, defining the ACI object model, and outlining fabric discovery. Also, it will address the skills related to implementing ACI policies and logical constructs. It should be mentioned that aspiring candidates should as well ensure they are familiar with the fabric, access, tenant, bridge domain, VRF, and application profile before taking this exam.

• Domain 2: ACI Packet Forwarding (15%)

  ACI packet forwarding, in particular, will test the learner’s knowledge of describing endpoint learning and implementing the configuration of the bridge domain like the flooding of ARP and the routing of unicasts.

• Domain 3: External Network Connectivity (20%)

  Here, the students will be tested on implementing Layer 2 out and Layer 3 out. These include the basics of STP/MCP and may exclude transit routing and VRF route leaking.

• Domain 4: Integrations (15%)

  The topic of integrations is built around the skills of implementing VMware vCenter DVS integration, describing resolution immediacy as it relates to VMM, and executing service graphs.

• Domain 5: ACI Management (20%)

  ACI management in the actual Cisco 300-620 test covers the knowledge of implementing in-band and out-of-band, utilizing SNMP and Syslog services, and putting into practice configuration backup. Also tested is the student’s knowledge of implementing RBAC and AAA and configuring an upgrade.

• Domain 6: ACI Anywhere (10%)

  Finally, the Cisco 300-620 exam will test the knowledge of describing multipod and multisite.

Career Opportunities

To begin with, PayScale.com offers a helpful insight into the role of CCNP Data Center certified IT professionals. It also outlines a detailed salary guide which indicates that the average annual salary for a typical IT professional with the CCNP Data Center designation is $96,501. And when it comes to the well-known jobs relating to this certificate, they are as follows:

• Data Center Technician

  A data center technician is exclusively involved in installing and maintaining network equipment and data servers. S/he monitors the everyday operation of servers, maintains an optimal server environment, and troubleshoots network as well as server issues. In some cases, these specialists may be called upon to protect company data by securing the components of a functional data center, diagnose hardware systems, and document the essential processes. Also, if you are going to work as a data center technician, you should focus on acquiring top-notch interpersonal skills to help you collaborate with software and network engineers to guarantee network efficiency and cybersecurity. According to the latest salary information on the official PayScale.com website, a typical data center technician at the beginning of his/her career is sure to earn an average salary of $57,098 per year.

• Network Engineer

  As a network engineer, you will set up, develop, and maintain computer networks for your organization. You will then provide professional support to clients as well as staff and troubleshoot network issues at a more advanced level. Ideally, a network engineer works with a clear goal of maintaining system integrity to optimize user experience at any given time. More so, these professionals may work as part of a broader IT department or an external expert serving several organizations to optimize performance. In general, a network engineer will work with several network types including WANs, LANs, MANs, WLANs, SAN, VoIP, and DAN, just to mention a few. And in the end, they are sure to make an average income of $75,168 per year according to the salary data from the PayScale official website.

• Systems Engineer

  As the name suggests, systems engineers not only manage but also monitor the organization’s infrastructure and systems. This is in a bid to ensure every component aligns with the company’s primary guidelines and long-term objectives. Overall, these are skilled professionals who install, test, configure, and maintain operating systems and application software, ensure the availability of infrastructure and systems, and write custom scripts. Also, companies and the general IT staff may look up to these individuals to get 2nd or 3rd level support and get professionally written custom scripts to optimize system performance. While many systems engineers will have a college degree in computer engineering or computer science, getting the CCNP Data Center certification marks the perfect first step in building a career around this track. On that note, PayScale states that a typical system engineer earns an average salary of $80,445 annually.

Certification Path

As you may be aware, the Cisco certifications assume a chronological order starting with the Entry-level certificates to Associate, Professional, and Expert. So, the next step that follows the CCNP Data Center validation is the CCIE Data Center. This is advanced-level training that will portray you as a leader in managing data center technologies. To get it, you must pass the core exam, the Cisco 350-601 by code, and a lab test, known as the CCIE Data Center v3.0.