Cisco Coaching Bootcamps: Get the Scoop from Topic Matter Specialists

Cisco Coaching Bootcamps have been on the scene for a pair years now. One of many issues that makes them so common is their depth and real-world utility. We sat down with Topic Matter Specialists (SMEs) John Capobianco, Bootcamp Developer Advocate, Joe Rinehart, Engineering Chief, and Palmer Pattern, Software program Engineering Technical Chief, to search out out what makes Cisco Coaching Bootcamps so particular.

Plus, we bought a sneak peek at what they’ll cowl within the upcoming Cisco Coaching Bootcamp webinar on December 13, 2023, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

Why are Cisco Coaching Bootcamps so common?

John: I believe it’s the way in which they align with market developments. Enterprises world wide are on the lookout for methods to undertake community automation and get the utmost worth out of their Cisco investments. A Cisco Coaching Bootcamp gives a direct path towards cultural modifications, serving to organizations undertake automation and programmability.

Joe: In addition they deal with important enterprise and technical wants like automation and complicated product competence. The educating methodology is well-suited to speedy studying and creating expertise that engineers can apply now, not solely sooner or later. Having two studying occasions shut collectively (the Teacher-led Coaching [ILT] lessons and the deep dive labs) amplifies the training at each degree. It’s just like the expression, ‘one-two punch.’

Palmer: I believe individuals like our bootcamps as a result of they reply the query, “Now what?” Right now’s aggressive enterprise setting requires agile networks that may adapt to mission goals with out impacting stakeholders. As our prospects deploy trendy infrastructure, they discover that the issue shouldn’t be that the know-how is simply too advanced however that it’s totally different from what we’ve all labored with for thus many many years.

We’ve heard:

“We have now deployed Software program-Outlined Entry…”
“We’re working ACI however haven’t moved to an application-centric mannequin…”
“Our group must embrace NetDevOps rules and study automation…”

Now what?

Cisco Coaching Bootcamps take away complexity and concentrate on what’s necessary. Whether or not it’s an Operations and Troubleshooting Bootcamp for Software program-Outlined Campus and Information Heart Options, or an Automation Bootcamp, our prospects go away with the arrogance they should rework community operations and contribute to their group’s success.

You guys are within the good place to know what prospects want. What are you listening to from the entrance strains? What automation wants do prospects consider these Coaching Bootcamps may remedy?

Joe: Prospects want to resolve issues now, which is why the hands-on part of the expertise is so important. The Bootcamps not solely encourage college students to study ideas and configuration, however additionally they present the crucial for college kids to use them instantly of their environments.

Palmer: Whereas prospects are desperate to automate, they face frequent challenges, resembling guaranteeing their groups can converse a standard language, which automation know-how they need to select, and maybe most significantly, what they’ll truly do with automation. A Cisco Coaching Bootcamp addresses these challenges with a singular educating format. The 5-day coaching covers a broad vary of prerequisite data to make sure college students acquire a standard skillset. The true-world use instances and deep-dive labs present what prospects can do with community automation. These labs are designed to progress from the fundamentals, resembling studying Git, to common instruments, together with REST API Shoppers and Python. Lastly, most studying tracks culminate with a CI/CD pipeline. After the Bootcamp, prospects keep entry to code they’ll instantly use once they return to the workplace. The general expertise requires focus and teamwork, however the buyer response has been overwhelmingly constructive.

John: A few of our former college students keep in contact with us for over a yr after their Automation Coaching Bootcamp! The size and complexity of the fashionable community can now not be operated manually. Automation is not only about pace and transferring quick; it’s about safety, repeatability, testing and validation, and creating CI/CD pipelines as full options. In the end, most prospects are on the lookout for a spot to start out with confidence. Cisco Coaching Bootcamps present them these preliminary stepping stones towards success.

What are the weather of a Bootcamp that make it so intense?

John: The labs! Within the 4-day, deep-dive lab portion, 80 p.c of the category is lab work primarily based on actual conditions and eventualities. College students truly apply what they’ve discovered through the 5-day ILT with precise tools and actual issues to resolve. There are a selection of ‘spice ranges’ (issue ranges) to problem even probably the most superior scholar. As an example, they study issues like version and supply management with Git and Ansible playbooks and how one can automate options with Ansible, Python and Cisco pyATS, and CI/CD pipelines.

Joe: The Deep Dive Labs (DDLs) are all about utilizing the instruments, writing code, and making issues occur. The labs are action-oriented, and the ratio of lecture versus lab within the DDL is about 20 p.c lecture, leaving 80 p.c for labs.

Palmer: I believe the depth lies in the quantity of content material we cowl in such a brief time period. Coupled with the labs, which get progressively tougher, it’s quite a bit to study—particularly for college kids who’re comparatively new to the know-how monitor they’ve chosen. The excellent news is that they have a devoted group of instructors to assist their studying expertise. In flip, we’ve seen our lessons typically embrace a group mindset, serving to one another succeed. Sure, the expertise is intense, however it’s not not possible! On the finish of the deep-dive lab week, college students are exhausted however impressed to proceed their journey.

Between the 2 kinds of Cisco Coaching Bootcamps, automation and product (operations and troubleshooting), what are you discovering hottest and helpful?

John: Each tracks are very talked-about and deal with totally different wants. Some prospects discover the Ops and Troubleshooting Bootcamps extra sensible for his or her present day-to-day wants, whereas others are forward-looking, attempting to rework these operations into totally automated options.

Joe: Every has their area of interest, with automation and product Bootcamps typically working across the similar variety of occasions. Whereas we launched the DevNet Automation Bootcamps first, the Operations & Troubleshooting tracks got here alongside later and stay wildly common.

Palmer: It relies upon. Some prospects have a devoted group managing infrastructure, whereas one other focuses on automation. Some prospects are simply deploying a know-how resembling Software program-Outlined Entry. In the meantime, others have realized that automation is right here to remain, so they should upskill.

The Bootcamps additionally complement one another and supply a path for our prospects to evolve as their necessities change. For instance, a buyer new to ACI would profit from the Operations and Troubleshooting Bootcamp. Then, they’ll broaden their data by taking the Cisco DevNet Automation for ACI once they transfer to a NetDevOps mannequin.

Might you inform us extra concerning the new Cisco Coaching Bootcamp for Enterprise Networking (EN)?

John: I’m actually enthusiastic about this bootcamp! Whereas we do have an SDA Bootcamp for these with Catalyst Heart and a controller-based strategy, the EN Bootcamp will allow these prospects with out SDN to completely embrace automation and programmability. We discover applied sciences like Ansible and Cisco pyATS, and construct towards a full CI/CD pipeline answer that college students construct over the course of the DDL. And did I point out the lab is IPv6-based round OSPFv3?!

Palmer: The Cisco DevNet Automation Bootcamp for Enterprise Networking, or as we name it, ‘EN-A,’ is within the remaining levels of testing. It’s primarily based on Cisco IOS XE software program, which is current in switches, routers, and wi-fi gadgets and is the spine of our prospects’ enterprise networks.

After the 5-day instructor-led coaching, college students start the Deep-Dive Lab (DDL) with a topology consisting of Cisco Catalyst 8000V Edge gadgets, that are solely configured with administration interface connectivity. After being launched to NetDevOps and Git, college students will use quite a lot of trendy strategies to incrementally configure the simulated department topology. They acquire hands-on expertise with test-driven automation, Ansible, Python, Cisco’s pyATS automation framework, REST API purchasers, YANG fashions, model-driven programmability, streaming telemetry, and CI/CD pipelines. On the finish of the Bootcamp, the simulated department might be totally configured and IPv6-enabled, with OSPFv3 and BGP within the combine for added pleasure. We will’t wait to share the expertise!

What’s the most well-liked Coaching Bootcamp to this point? Why?

Joe: Cisco ACI has emerged as some of the common matter areas. First, the automation bootcamp, adopted by the operations and troubleshooting bootcamp. Naturally, there are fluctuations about which monitor is the most well-liked, however these two are almost all the time on the prime.

John: Individuals are drawn to ACI and software-defined networking generally, primarily for simplicity, scale, and automation capabilities. ACI was constructed from the bottom up with APIs and programmability in thoughts, however it is usually a departure from traditional enterprise networking. There’s a little bit of a studying curve as issues are performed in a different way.

What’s the benefit of Coaching Bootcamps for people?

John: I believe it’s the talents they may purchase with real-world examples and the brand new appreciation for the way accessible and straightforward it’s to get began with community automation. It’s additionally the Cisco Persevering with Schooling (CE) credit they may obtain upon profitable completion.

Joe: Many purchasers would not have 12 engineers devoted to the applied sciences coated in Cisco bootcamps. The Coaching Bootcamps for people affords the flexibleness of accommodating smaller numbers of scholars. As well as, we frequently hear that having your entire group out for coaching can impression enterprise productiveness, so sending the group in waves can mitigate that difficulty.

And the way is a person Bootcamp totally different from the Cisco Coaching Bootcamps for groups?

John: The group Bootcamps (aka closed enrollments) supply a personal setting for group members from organizations to take the Bootcamp collectively. One of many pure facet advantages of those enrollments is the group constructing that goes on over the course of the week. Teammates from organizations develop into nearer as they study these new expertise and applied sciences. They study, wrestle, fail, and succeed collectively.

Particular person Cisco Coaching Bootcamps have their very own attraction, as a variety of people come collectively to realize the identical objectives. Individuals from world wide study collectively and make buddies. It’s fairly outstanding.

Joe: Bootcamps for Groups are structured on a per-class foundation, from pricing to challenge administration and tailoring. These Bootcamps can have the content material and labs tailor-made particularly to a single buyer, which we don’t present for the Bootcamps for People, a.okay.a. open enrollment.

The place do you see Cisco Coaching Bootcamps going within the subsequent yr?

John: I’m very excited concerning the EN providing in addition to the continued curiosity in ACI, NSO, SDA, and Meraki. I hope demand goes up. I hope our group grows. We’re having a tangible impression on the business, and I believe our days as Cisco’s best-kept secret are numbered.

Joe: We’re releasing a brand new monitor known as Cisco DevNet Automation for Enterprise Networks, which can be a mouthful, however it addresses the biggest put in base of put in gadgets—specifically, those who run the IOS-XE working system. This has been fairly the endeavor, however it hits a related space of focus that just about each buyer wants. Past that, we’re all the time updates and enhancements to present content material and labs and increasing into new content material areas.

Palmer: It’s going to be a busy yr, for positive. I anticipate that the Enterprise Networking Automation Bootcamps might be very talked-about, and we’ve numerous returning prospects seeking to broaden their expertise and practice new groups. We’ll even be reviewing our present Bootcamps to establish alternatives so as to add new content material and showcase new applied sciences and capabilities. Nothing on this business ever stands nonetheless, and we search for “drive multipliers” to include into the content material so our prospects keep aggressive. Additionally, our group is steadily accepted to current at occasions resembling Cisco Stay! That’s an exquisite alternative to satisfy former and future college students in particular person.

Inform us extra about this upcoming webinar: What can prospects anticipate through the occasion?

John: We’ll cowl all six Bootcamps. Prospects will get to know us as instructors in the event that they haven’t met us but. They’ll get to know our distinct ‘Edutainer’ types. We might be overlaying every Bootcamp for about 5 minutes every to offer you a way of the fabric coated. You’ll have an opportunity to ask us any questions alongside the way in which.

Palmer: We’ll additionally cowl the Enterprise Networking Automation Bootcamp, which is within the remaining levels of testing. We sit up for answering questions that come up.