So beyond the basics what can we do next? Well I have done some research and the best options I see are:
- CCNP Data Center (Although I can’t see anything specific in the exam topics of any of the exams around NX-OS and general Nexus stuff. When I did CCNA DC in 2014 that was more focused on the Nexus into and overview to the features etc.. Time to dig out the notes!)
- Cisco Press NX-OS Fundamentals Video Course
- NX-OS and Cisco Nexus Switching: Next-Generation Data Center Architectures, 2nd Edition Book
Cisco Press
Ok so I have stolen the table of contents from the video course, but I see it as really helpful to shape a learning path. (I don’t have access to the course, so I will build and read a documentation library)
In total there are 13 sections as follows:
Lesson 1: Introduction to NX-OS Lesson 1.1: NX-OS Overview Lesson 1.2: NX-OS Command Line and Management Lesson 1.3: NX-OS File Systems Lesson 1.4: Nexus Product Updates Lesson 1.5: Virtual Device Context (VDC) Fundamentals Lesson 1.6: VDC Advanced Topics Lesson 1.7: Troubleshooting Commands Lesson 2: Layer 2 Support and Configuration Lesson 2.1: Layer 2 Basics Lesson 2.2: Spanning Tree Lesson 2.3: Port Profiles Lesson 2.4: Port Channels Lesson 2.5: Virtual Port Channel (vPC) Basics Lesson 2.6: Configuring vPC Lesson 2.7: Advanced vPC Lesson 2.8: vPC Failure Scenarios Lesson 2.9: FabricPath Control Plane Lesson 2.10: FabricPath Data Plane Lesson 2.11: FabricPath Forwarding Lesson 2.12: FabricPath Host Connectivity and Routing Lesson 2.13: FabricPath Configuration and Troubleshooting Lesson 2.14: Dynamic Fabric Automation (DFA) Introduction Lesson 3: Layer 3 Support and Configuration Lesson 3.1: EIGRP Configuration Lesson 3.2: EIGRP Verification and Troubleshooting Lesson 3.3: OSPF Configuration Lesson 3.4: OSPF Verification and Troubleshooting Lesson 3.5: IS-IS Configuration Lesson 3.6: IS-IS Verification and Troubleshooting Lesson 3.7: Basic BGP Configuration Lesson 3.8: BGP Verification Lesson 3.9: First Hop Redundancy Protocols (FHRPs) Lesson 3.10: Redistribution and Policy-Based Routing Lesson 4: NX-OS Multicast Lesson 4.1: Multicast Basics Lesson 4.2: Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) and Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) Lesson 4.3: Basic Multicast Configuration Lesson 4.4: Rendezvous Point (RP) Redundancy Lesson 4.5: Advanced Multicast Configuration Lesson 4.6: Control Plane Policing (CoPP) and Multicast Lesson 5: NX-OS Security Lesson 5.1: NX-OS Security Basics Lesson 5.2: Access Control List (ACL) Basics Lesson 5.3: Advanced ACLs Lesson 5.4: NX-OS Data Center Encryption 802.1ae MacSec Lesson 5.5: Storm Control Lesson 5.6: Control Plane Policing (CoPP) Lesson 6: High Availability Lesson 6.1: Nexus Hardware Basics Lesson 6.2: Generic Online Diagnostics (GOLD) Lesson 6.3: NX-OS High Availability Architecture and Features Lesson 6.4: NX-OS Software Upgrades — Cold Upgrade Lesson 6.5: NX-OS Software Upgrades — ISSU Lesson 7: Embedded Services Lesson 7.1: SPAN in NX-OS Lesson 7.2: ERSPAN in NX-OS Lesson 7.3: Embedded Analyzer Lesson 7.4: Smart Call Home Lesson 7.5: Checkpoint Configuration and Rollback Lesson 7.6: NetFlow Lesson 7.7: Network Time Protocol Lesson 8: Unified Fabric Lesson 8.1: Unified Fabric Basics Lesson 8.2: FCoE Basics Lesson 8.3: N Port Virtualization Lesson 8.4: Unified Fabric Configuration - Single Hop Lesson 8.5: Unified Fabric Configuration - Multihop Lesson 9: Nexus 1000v Lesson 9.1: Nexus 1000v Basics Lesson 9.2: Nexus 1000v Multi-Hypervisor Integration Lesson 9.3: Nexus 1000v Stretched Deployment Guidelines Lesson 9.4: Nexus 1000v and VXLAN Lesson 9.5: Nexus 1000v and CTS Lesson 9.6: Nexus 1000v VSM and VEM Security Lesson 9.7: Nexus 1000v Storm Control Lesson 10: Quality of Service (QoS) Lesson 10.1: Quality of Service Fundamentals Lesson 10.2: QoS in NX-OS Lesson 10.3: QoS on Nexus 7000 Lesson 10: Quality of Service (QoS) Lesson 10.1: Quality of Service Fundamentals Lesson 10.2: QoS in NX-OS Lesson 10.3: QoS on Nexus 7000 Lesson 10.4: QoS on Nexus 5000 Lesson 10.5: QoS on Nexus 1000v Lesson 11: Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV) Lesson 11.1: OTV Basics Lesson 11.2: OTV Network Requirements and Options Lesson 11.3: OTV Multi-homing and Failure Isolation Lesson 11.4: First Hop Redundancy Protocol (FHRP) Localization and OTV Lesson 11.5: OTV Traffic Depolarization Lesson 11.6: OTV VLAN Translation Lesson 11.7: OTV Broadcast Control Lesson 11.8: OTV Integration with Fabrics Lesson 11.9: OTV and LISP Integration Whiteboard Session Lesson 12: Layer 3 Virtualization and MPLS Lesson 12.1: Virtual Routing and Forwarding Lesson 12.2: Route Import/Export Lesson 12.3: MPLS Basics Lesson 12.4: Detailed MPLS Topics Lesson 12.5: MPLS Layer 2 VPNs Lesson 12.6: MPLS Layer 2 VPN Configuration Lesson 13: Locator ID Separator Protocol (LISP) Lesson 13.1: LISP Basics Lesson 13.2: LISP Roles and Operations Lesson 13.3: IP Mobility/Host Mobility with Extended Subnets Lesson 13.4: IP Mobility Without Extended Subnets Lesson 13.5: LISP Multihop and Host Mobility Lesson 13.6: LISP Multihop Mobility Lesson 13.7: LISP Best Practices
CCIEME 