CCIE Data Center Overview
Learn more about the benefits and requirements associated with achieving a CCIE Data Center certification. (7:10 min)
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert Data Center (CCIE Data Center) certifies the expert-level skills required to plan, prepare, operate, monitor, and troubleshoot complex data center networks. Professionals who achieve CCIE Data Center certification have demonstrated their technical skills at the highest level.
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites for CCIE certification. Other professional certifications or training courses are not required. Instead, candidates must first pass a written qualification exam and then the corresponding hands-on lab exam. You are expected to have an in-depth understanding of the topics in the exam blueprints and strongly encouraged to have three to five years of job experience before attempting certification.
Step One: CCIE Data Center Written Exam
You must pass the two-hour, written qualification exam covering concepts and equipment commands related to packet-based networking infrastructure, before you are eligible to schedule the lab exam.
Step Two: CCIE Data Center Lab Exam
The eight-hour lab exam tests your ability to configure actual equipment and get a service provider network running in a timed test situation. You must make an initial attempt of the CCIE lab exam within 18-months of passing the CCIE written exam. If you do not pass the lab exam within three years of passing the written exam, you must retake the written exam before being allowed to attempt the lab exam again.
Self-Study Materials
The following resources are suggested study supplements; they are not designed to serve as a complete self-study program.
- CCIE Data Center Syllabus
- Book List
- Lab Exam Study Tips
- Lab Exam Topics
- Sample Review Questions-Written
- Training Courses
- Written Exam Topics
- Cisco Learning Network - A variety of self-study materials can be found here.
- The Essentials of Cisco Data Center Certifications Webinar
Community-Generated Content
Learning Partner Content
- Partners: Log in for Partner Education Connection (PEC) curricula.
To earn this Cisco certification, you must pass the following exam(s):
CCIE Data Center Written Exam
(350-080 CCIE DC)
The CCIE Data Center written exam validates an engineer's ability to design scalable, reliable, and intelligent Data Center Virtualization solutions.
- Learn more about the 350-080 CCIE DC exam
- Register for the exam
- Read current exam policies and requirements
CCIE Data Center Lab Exam
The eight-hour lab exam tests your ability to configure actual equipment and get a service provider network running in a timed test situation.
- Learn more about the CCIE Data Center Lab Exam
- Schedule and Pay for the Lab Exam
- Read current exam policies and requirements
- CCIE Lab Exam locations information
CCIE Data Center Overview
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