After taking this course, you should be able to:

• Discover and describe the Cisco Multilayer Director Switch (MDS) platform of multilayer switches and directors. Describe the MDS hardware, Cisco NX-OS operating system, Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) management software, and key architectures of the platform, such as Fibre Channel and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)
• Describe key product features of the MDS platform, including VSANs, RBAC, NPV, port channels, zoning, device aliases, inter-VSAN routing (IVR), and fabric security
• Describe and implement state-of-the-art product features, including NX-API, slow-drain analysis, SAN Analytics and 32-GB Fibre Channel interfaces
• Configure and implement the Cisco MDS switches and platform features, such as initial configuration, building a fabric, building a SAN extension, and configuring inter-VSAN routing for that purpose
• Configure FCIP tunnels
• Resolve issues and troubleshoot Fibre Channel domains, zones and zone merges, and switch boot and firmware upgrades

To fully benefit from this course, you should have the following knowledge and skills:

• Basic understanding of data storage hardware components and protocols, including Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) and Fibre Channel
• Basic understanding of network protocols, including Ethernet and IP
• Basic routing and switching knowledge

These are the recommended Cisco courses that may help you meet these prerequisites:

• Introducing Cisco Data Center Networking (DCICN)
• Introducing Cisco Data Center Technologies (DCICT)

• Data center systems engineers
• Data center field engineers
• Data center architects
• Technical decision makers
• Network architects
• Cisco integrators and partners