The Cisco 300-630 or Implementing Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure-Advanced exam testifies that a student has a high-level understanding of switches of Cisco in ACI mode. These include management, troubleshooting, implementation, and configuration. In particular, this test is part of the 6 concentration exams available within the CCNP Data Center certification path. Also, success in such an exam alone will help you attain the Cisco Certified Specialist - ACI Advanced Implementation certificate.

About CCNP Data Center Certification

This is a professional-level certificate that confirms if you are adept at managing data center networking solutions. The attainment of this designation requires excellence in two exams, a core evaluation known as the Cisco 350-601 and one of the 6 concentration exams including 300-610, 300-615, 300-620, 300-625, 300-630, and 300-635. Principally, the core test is intended to validate the primary skills related to data center infrastructure and is also the same test that qualifies students for the CCIE Data Center certification. The concentration exams, on the other hand, cover emerging IT trends using industry-specific objectives.

300-630 Details

The Cisco 300-630 test has a seat time of 90 minutes and can be taken in the English language alone. What is more, registering for this exam costs $300 and the vendor allows for physical testing from designated locations or the online version, which saves you from the hassles of visiting a physical location.

Cisco 300-630 Exam Objectives

While there are no prerequisites tied to the CCNP Data Center certification, Cisco recommends that students should be well-conversant with all the tested objectives to have a better chance of passing the related exams. When it comes to the 300-630 exam, here’s a sound understanding of the 5 tested domains as discussed below:

1. Packet Forwarding of ACI (20%)

The topic of Packet Forwarding of ACI will test the knowledge of describing packet forwarding for different leafs (VxLAN), implementing optimizations for server endpoint learning, and executing server NIC teaming using ACI.

2. High-Level Policies & Integrations of ACI (25%)

Here, the exam-takers should be willing to demonstrate their understanding of implementing Layer 3 out routing for transit, utilizing basic tenants, implementing VRF leaking of routes, and Layer 3 out VRF route leaking. Also tested is the student’s knowledge of implementing contracts and Layer 4 via Layer 7 PBR.

3. Multipod (20%)

In a nutshell, multipod in the official 300-630 exam will focus on IPN implementation, a description of packet flow for different pods, a definition of the load balancer and firewall design using multipod, and service graph implementation using multipod.

4. Multisite (20%)

Under such a category, much emphasis will be on the implementation of the orchestrator of the multi-site, ISN implementation, and the description of options for stretched components. Also covered is the definition of communication for different sites.

5. Conventional Network with ACI (15%)

To conclude, this exam will cover a description of application-centered and network-centered designs, a definition of STP BPDU operating in ACI, and an outline of considerations for migration.

Career Opportunities

Passing the 300-630 exam and earning the affiliated certifications will help you qualify for these job roles:

• Senior Network Engineer

  From the name, a senior network engineer leads the workflow for maintaining an organization’s enterprise networks. In particular, s/he designs and implements the organization’s network infrastructure, resolves high-level technical issues, and manages the entire network engineering staff at the junior level. If you want to thrive in this role, you should also be willing to demonstrate that you understand how to install or configure network hardware systems, create and implement security measures for network systems, complete a wide range of tests to confirm network performance, and design comprehensive reports about the network status. As a rule, many candidates who succeed in this role will have previously worked as network engineers in one or more organizations, setting up and designing functional networks. Lastly, according to PayScale.com, a senior network engineer can expect an average salary of $101,812 per year.

• Senior Data Center Engineer

  Senior data center engineers are the recognized leaders in an organization’s data management team who develop the finest data practices. S/he commonly designs and implements new networks for data storage & management, manages hardware systems, and troubleshoots technical issues in data center platforms. Besides having a comprehensive understanding of hardware and the relevant programs, senior data center engineers should be willing to guide the junior specialists who are taking their first steps in this niche. In modern organizations, senior data center engineers must also align their skills with the company’s long-term objectives, and this means designing effective backup & safety plans just in case of unforeseeable security breaches. Also, according to ZipRecruiter, a senior data center engineer should expect an average annual salary of $114,833 in the USA.

• Network Engineer - Data Center

  This role is sometimes known as a data center network engineer and covers the tasks related to interconnecting network-centered and physical devices to the equipment used to build functional data center facilities. Besides, these individuals maintain digital connections for different nodes in data center infrastructure and work tirelessly to unify the everyday activities within Network Operations Centers (NOC). More so, data center network engineers are the perfect team players that manage a data center to ascertain that the enterprise infrastructure is functioning effectively. To give you a clear picture of what your role will entail in the current employment industry, we have listed the key roles and responsibilities of data center network engineers below:

  • Providing WLAN/LAN network design, consulting, and implementation;
  • Monitoring data center infrastructure;
  • Performing design integration for advanced systems;
  • Analyzing business requirements from the existing components;
  • Overseeing the delivery of critical networks and analyzing the basic requirements and proposals.

  Finally, according to ZipRecruiter, a typical data center network engineer earns an average salary of $94,116 per year in the USA.

Certification Path

Luckily, Cisco certifications are arranged to suit every career level. So, the next step after obtaining a professional-level certificate should be the expert-level designations, which are the highest achievable certificates within the Cisco certification track. For individuals who tread the data center career track, the next option will be the CCIE Data Center validation. This will confirm you as a distinguished leader in managing data center technologies. Primarily, you must pass a total of two exams to complete this certification. These include the Cisco 350-601, also known as the core exam, and the corresponding lab evaluation, which is the CCIE Data Center v3.0.