Overview of the Automating and Programming Cisco Data Center Solutions Exam
Network engineers and cloud architects must demonstrate proficiency in implementing programmatic solutions within Cisco data center environments by leveraging APIs and orchestration frameworks. Candidates analyze NX-API, Cisco Intersight, and Cisco UCS Manager workflows to execute infrastructure-as-code deployments using Python and Ansible. The assessment mandates expertise in model-driven programmability, specifically utilizing YANG data modeling, RESTCONF, and NETCONF protocols for configuration management. Furthermore, practitioners integrate CI/CD pipelines with Nexus switches and ACI fabrics to automate deployment lifecycles. Mastery requires deep understanding of data serialization formats, specifically JSON, XML, and YAML, alongside the deployment of Docker containers and Kubernetes orchestrators within modern, software-defined data center architectures.