ARCH Exam Topics v2.1 (Blueprint)

Exam Description

The Designing Cisco Network Service Architectures (ARCH) exam is the exam associated with the CCDP certification. This exam tests a candidate’s knowledge of the latest development in network design and technologies, including network infrastructure, intelligent network services and converged network solutions. Candidates can prepare for this exam by taking the ARCH Designing Cisco Network Service Architectures course.

Exam Topics

The following topics are general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam. In order to better reflect the contents of the exam and for clarity purposes, the guidelines below may change at any time without notice.

Design advanced enterprise campus networks
  • Design for High Availability in enterprise networks

  • Design Layer 2 and Layer 3 campus Infrastructures using best practices

  • Describe enterprise network virtualization considerations

  • Design for infrastructure services including voice, video, and QoS

  • Identify Network Management Capabilities in Cisco IOS Software

Design advanced IP addressing and routing solutions for enterprise networks
  • Create summarizable and structured addressing designs

  • Describe IPv6 for campus design considerations

  • Create stable and scalable routing designs for EIGRP for IPv4

  • Describe IPv4 multicast routing
  • Create IPv4 multicast services and security designs
  • Create stable and scalable routing designs for OSPF for IPv4
  • Create stable and scalable routing designs for BGP for IPv4
Design WAN services for enterprise networks
  • Describe Layer 1 – 3 WAN connectivity options including optical networking, MetroEthernet, VPLS, and MPLS VPNs

  • Describe IPsec VPN technology options

  • Evaluate WAN service provider design considerations including features, SLAs, and WAN backup

  • Create site-to-site VPNs designs with appropriate technologies, scaling, and topologies
Design an enterprise data center
  • Describe data center network infrastructure best practices
  • Describe the components and technologies of a SAN network
  • Describe integrated fabric designs using Nexus technology
  • Describe network and server virtualization technologies  for the data center
  • Create an effective E-Commerce design
  • Design a high availability data center network that is modular and flexible
Design security services
  • Create firewall designs
  • Create NAC appliance designs
  • Create IPS/IDS designs
  • Create remote access VPN designs for the teleworker

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