Chapter 1 of 6 · Cisco CCNP 350-401 ENCOR
Architecture
Enterprise design models, high availability, Catalyst SD-WAN, SD-Access and reading QoS configurations.
- 5topics
- 25 minfast track
- 3diagrams and exhibits
- 15%of the exam
Topics in this chapter
Take them in order, or jump to the one you need.
- 1Enterprise Network Design ModelsCompare two tier, three tier, fabric and cloud designs for the enterprise network, and learn which layer does what and when each…Diagram5 min
- 2High Availability, FHRP and SSOLearn high availability for ENCOR: redundant devices and links, first hop redundancy protocols, and SSO stateful switchover on…5 min
- 3Cisco Catalyst SD-WANUnderstand Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN: control and data planes, the Manager, Controller and Validator roles, OMP, TLOCs, plus benefits…Diagram5 min
- 4Cisco SD-Access FabricLearn how Cisco SD-Access builds a campus fabric with a LISP control plane and VXLAN data plane, what fabric nodes do, and campus…Diagram5 min
- 5Interpreting QoS ConfigurationsRead Cisco QoS configs built with the Modular QoS CLI: class maps, policy maps, DSCP marking, policing, shaping, queuing and…5 min
About this chapter
What this chapter covers
Architecture is about the big picture of an enterprise network: how it is laid out, how it stays up and how it is managed.
It starts with the classic campus models and the redundancy that keeps them running. It then looks at the two Cisco software defined solutions, one for the wide area and one for the campus. It ends with Quality of Service, which decides how traffic is treated when a link is busy.
The chapter follows the Architecture domain of the CCNP 350-401 ENCOR outline. It has four outline topics, and they are spread across five pages.
How the topics fit together
The pages move from physical design to software defined design, and then to traffic treatment.
- Design models give you the vocabulary of access, distribution, core, fabric and cloud.
- High availability shows how each layer survives a failure.
- Catalyst SD-WAN applies central control to the wide area.
- SD-Access applies central control, automation and segmentation to the campus.
- QoS applies to every one of these designs, because any link can be congested.
Both software defined solutions share one idea. A controller holds the policy, and devices in the data plane carry the traffic. Keep the control plane and data plane separate in your mind and the two solutions are easier to compare.
SD-WAN and SD-Access appear together in many questions, so practise telling their components apart.
How to use these pages
Each topic page has the same shape, so you can skim for what you need.
- What it is: the idea in plain words.
- How it works: the mechanism, with diagrams and example commands.
- What to remember for the exam: the facts to memorise.
- Common mistakes: the classic traps.
- Check yourself: three questions to test your understanding.
Read the design and high availability pages first, since later chapters assume that vocabulary. For SD-WAN and SD-Access, learn the component names and what each one does. For QoS, practise reading a policy map from the interface backwards.
Ready for more practice?
The full Cisco CCNP 350-401 ENCOR question bank has 854 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.
This study guide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cisco. Vendor names, certification names and exam codes are trademarks of their respective owners and are used for identification only.