Introduction to Cisco Automation and Software Defined Networks

This course is a part of Cisco CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA 200-301), a 20-course Paths series from Pluralsight.

The CCNA exam requires understanding of Cisco's Software Defined Network Product called Cisco DNA Center, as well as understanding of network automation utilities like Ansible, Chef and Puppet. In this course, Introduction to Cisco Automation and Software Defined Networks, you will cover each of the exam objectives related to Automation and Cisco's Software Defined Networks. First, you will learn the terminology around Software Defined Networks, and describe how the underlay network allows for VXLAN tunneling on the overlay network. Next, you will see how the same VLAN and Subnet can exist at opposite ends of a Layer 3 network using VXLAN, and examine how APIs are used to send information in and out of network devices. Finally, you will discover how configuration management is becoming an important component of a network and describe how we can use utilities like Ansible, Puppet, or Chef to keep configurations of devices consistent. By the end of this course, you will have gained foundational knowledge that will cover the exam objectives.