February 25, 2009 at 02:15Cisco: Certification Ways Crazy
I decided to write my first article about what every novice Cisco engineer involuntarily thinks about: Salary . Just kidding, of course, about self-study and certification .
The company Cisco offers a huge selection of different certification programs and exams. But today we will touch only on the basic, the so-called " General Certifications ".
Each Cisco certification path consists of 4 levels: Entry , Associate , Professional , and Expert :
In total, Cisco offers 7 certification paths:
Let's consider each of them in a little more detail (each direction is characterized by its own levels, so it’s difficult to say something in common):
Routing & Switching: This certification path is the most popular among Cisco engineers. Probably some of you have seen your bosses / leaders, about whom a wooden frame with a similar inscription flaunted behind the wall:
This direction of certification confirms that you can implement modern complex converged networks and identify faults in them.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA-> CCNP-> CCIE Routing & Switching
Design: Confirms your skills in building, designing and supporting the ever-growing complex networks of global corporations.
The certification path has the following form:
CCENT-> CCNA / CCDA-> CCDP-> CCDE
Network Security: Confirms your skills in working with various security protocols, ensuring their interaction with routing protocols and building end-to-end secure networks.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA Security-> CCSP-> CCIE Security
Service Provider: Confirms your skills in building networks Service providers (for example, Internet providers). The emphasis is on quality of service and various Internet-level routing protocols.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA-> CCIP-> CCIE Service Provider
Storage Networking:It confirms your skills in building and supporting data center networks, data centers, which provide the work of many major organizations.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA-> CCNP-> CCIE Storage Networking
Voice: Confirms your skills in building and supporting VoIP services in enterprises and in production. This direction is gaining momentum and now the market is experiencing a shortage of specialists in this class. This applies not only to Cisco products, but to all VoIP products in general.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA Voice-> CCVP-> CCIE Voice
Wireless:It confirms your skills in building and supporting wireless networks, and most importantly in understanding the operation of wireless technologies. This is a completely new area introduced by Cisco; currently there is no Professional certification for it (CCIE was recently released). From my own experience, I can say that, using the example of Moscow and Moscow Region, I have not seen wireless networks using Cisco equipment at the district level.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA Wireless -> (not yet) -> CCIE Wireless
Now you have an idea of the directions of Cisco certification. Now you need to decide on the direction and begin moving towards the cherished goal. For this, I prepared a scheme by which you can trace the "road" to a particular certification. The scheme is divided into levels, at each of which you can see the name of the certificate for which you will need to prepare. Having received such a certificate, you can continue your development further.
That's all. Next time I’ll tell you more about CCNA , how to prepare for it, on what materials, what simulators and on what equipment.
PS:This is my first article on Habré, so I ask you to unsubscribe what you liked, what you didn’t like. Is the article ok? Perhaps some additions or tips. After discussion, it can be corrected and transferred to the Cisco blog.
PPS: Well, of course, any of your wishes for the next article =)
PPPS: Updated the shemka due to the fact that not everything will be so obvious to you, as it seems to me =) It is better to revise the shemka again.
PPPPS: Thanks to rlaovai for helping bring Cisco to the blog.
The company Cisco offers a huge selection of different certification programs and exams. But today we will touch only on the basic, the so-called " General Certifications ".
Each Cisco certification path consists of 4 levels: Entry , Associate , Professional , and Expert :
In total, Cisco offers 7 certification paths:
- Routing & switching
- Design
- Network security
- Service provider
- Storage networking
- Voice
- Wireless
Let's consider each of them in a little more detail (each direction is characterized by its own levels, so it’s difficult to say something in common):
Routing & Switching: This certification path is the most popular among Cisco engineers. Probably some of you have seen your bosses / leaders, about whom a wooden frame with a similar inscription flaunted behind the wall:
This direction of certification confirms that you can implement modern complex converged networks and identify faults in them.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA-> CCNP-> CCIE Routing & Switching
Design: Confirms your skills in building, designing and supporting the ever-growing complex networks of global corporations.
The certification path has the following form:
CCENT-> CCNA / CCDA-> CCDP-> CCDE
Network Security: Confirms your skills in working with various security protocols, ensuring their interaction with routing protocols and building end-to-end secure networks.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA Security-> CCSP-> CCIE Security
Service Provider: Confirms your skills in building networks Service providers (for example, Internet providers). The emphasis is on quality of service and various Internet-level routing protocols.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA-> CCIP-> CCIE Service Provider
Storage Networking:It confirms your skills in building and supporting data center networks, data centers, which provide the work of many major organizations.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA-> CCNP-> CCIE Storage Networking
Voice: Confirms your skills in building and supporting VoIP services in enterprises and in production. This direction is gaining momentum and now the market is experiencing a shortage of specialists in this class. This applies not only to Cisco products, but to all VoIP products in general.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA Voice-> CCVP-> CCIE Voice
Wireless:It confirms your skills in building and supporting wireless networks, and most importantly in understanding the operation of wireless technologies. This is a completely new area introduced by Cisco; currently there is no Professional certification for it (CCIE was recently released). From my own experience, I can say that, using the example of Moscow and Moscow Region, I have not seen wireless networks using Cisco equipment at the district level.
The certification path is as follows:
CCENT-> CCNA Wireless -> (not yet) -> CCIE Wireless
Now you have an idea of the directions of Cisco certification. Now you need to decide on the direction and begin moving towards the cherished goal. For this, I prepared a scheme by which you can trace the "road" to a particular certification. The scheme is divided into levels, at each of which you can see the name of the certificate for which you will need to prepare. Having received such a certificate, you can continue your development further.
That's all. Next time I’ll tell you more about CCNA , how to prepare for it, on what materials, what simulators and on what equipment.
PS:This is my first article on Habré, so I ask you to unsubscribe what you liked, what you didn’t like. Is the article ok? Perhaps some additions or tips. After discussion, it can be corrected and transferred to the Cisco blog.
PPS: Well, of course, any of your wishes for the next article =)
PPPS: Updated the shemka due to the fact that not everything will be so obvious to you, as it seems to me =) It is better to revise the shemka again.
PPPPS: Thanks to rlaovai for helping bring Cisco to the blog.