Cisco Coaching Bootcamps had been at the scene for a pair years now. Probably the most issues that makes them so well-liked is their depth and real-world software. We sat down with Matter Subject Mavens (SMEs) John Capobianco, Bootcamp Developer Recommend, Joe Rinehart, Engineering Chief, and Palmer Pattern, Instrument Engineering Technical Chief, to determine what makes Cisco Coaching Bootcamps so particular. 

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

Why are Cisco Coaching Bootcamps so well-liked? 

John: I feel it’s the best way they align with marketplace traits. Enterprises world wide are searching for techniques to undertake community automation and get the utmost price out in their Cisco investments. A Cisco Coaching Bootcamp supplies an immediate trail towards cultural adjustments, serving to organizations undertake automation and programmability. 

Joe: Additionally they cope with important trade and technical wishes like automation and sophisticated product competence. The educating method is well-suited to fast finding out and creating talents that engineers can practice now, no longer handiest someday. Having two finding out occasions shut in combination (the Trainer-led Coaching [ILT] categories and the deep dive labs) amplifies the educational at each and every stage. It’s just like the expression, ‘one-two punch.’

Palmer: I feel other people like our bootcamps as a result of they solution the query, “Now what?” Lately’s aggressive trade surroundings calls for agile networks that may adapt to challenge goals with out impacting stakeholders. As our consumers deploy fashionable infrastructure, they to find that the issue isn’t that the era is just too complicated however that it’s other from what we’ve all labored with for such a lot of a long time.  

We’ve heard:  

• “We have now deployed Instrument-Outlined Get entry to…” 
• “We’re operating ACI however have no longer moved to an application-centric mannequin…” 
• “Our workforce must embody NetDevOps rules and be told 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 Instrument-Outlined Campus and Knowledge Middle Answers, or an Automation Bootcamp, our consumers depart with the boldness they wish to turn into community operations and give a contribution to their workforce’s luck. 

You guys are in the easiest place to understand what consumers want. What are you listening to from the entrance strains? What automation wishes do consumers imagine those Coaching Bootcamps may remedy? 

Joe: Shoppers wish to remedy issues now, which is why the hands-on part of the enjoy is so important. The Bootcamps no longer handiest inspire scholars to be told ideas and configuration, however additionally they give you the crucial for college kids to use them instantly of their environments. 

Palmer: Whilst consumers are desperate to automate, they face not unusual demanding situations, similar to making sure their groups can talk a not unusual language, which automation era they will have to make a selection, and possibly most significantly, what they are able to in truth do with automation. A Cisco Coaching Bootcamp addresses those demanding situations with a singular educating layout. The 5-day coaching covers a huge vary of prerequisite wisdom to verify scholars acquire a not unusual skillset. The actual-world use circumstances and deep-dive labs display what consumers can do with community automation. Those labs are designed to growth from the fundamentals, similar to finding out Git, to well-liked gear, together with REST API Shoppers and Python. In any case, maximum finding out tracks culminate with a CI/CD pipeline. After the Bootcamp, consumers take care of get entry to to code they are able to instantly use once they go back to the workplace. The total enjoy calls for focal point and teamwork, however the buyer reaction has been overwhelmingly certain. 

John: A few of our former scholars keep in contact with us for over a 12 months after their Automation Coaching Bootcamp! The dimensions and complexity of the fashionable community can not be operated manually. Automation isn’t just about pace and shifting rapid; it’s about safety, repeatability, checking out and validation, and creating CI/CD pipelines as entire answers. In the long run, maximum consumers are searching for a spot to begin with self assurance. Cisco Coaching Bootcamps supply them the ones preliminary stepping stones towards luck. 

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 paintings in accordance with genuine eventualities and situations. Scholars in truth observe what they’ve realized all over the 5-day ILT with precise apparatus and genuine issues to resolve. There are a selection of ‘spice ranges’ (issue ranges) to problem even probably the most complex pupil. As an example, they be told such things as version and supply regulate with Git and Ansible playbooks and how one can automate answers with Ansible, Python and Cisco pyATS, and CI/CD pipelines. 

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

Palmer: I feel the depth lies in the quantity of content material we duvet in this kind of brief time period. Coupled with the labs, which get gradually more difficult, it’s so much to be told—particularly for college kids who’re rather new to the era observe they’ve decided on. The excellent news is they have got a devoted workforce of instructors to enhance their finding out enjoy. In flip, we’ve spotted our categories regularly embody a workforce mindset, serving to every different be triumphant. Sure, the enjoy is intense, nevertheless it’s no longer unattainable! On the finish of the deep-dive lab week, scholars are exhausted however impressed to proceed their adventure. 

Between the 2 sorts 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 cope with other wishes. Some consumers to find the Ops and Troubleshooting Bootcamps more effective for his or her present daily wishes, whilst others are forward-looking, seeking to turn into the ones operations into totally computerized answers.  

Joe: Every has their area of interest, with automation and product Bootcamps regularly operating round the similar selection of instances. Whilst we offered the DevNet Automation Bootcamps first, the Operations & Troubleshooting tracks got here alongside later and stay wildly well-liked. 

Palmer: It is dependent. Some consumers have a devoted workforce managing infrastructure, whilst some other specializes in automation. Some consumers are simply deploying a era similar to Instrument-Outlined Get entry to. In the meantime, others have learned that automation is right here to stick, so that they wish to upskill. 

The Bootcamps additionally supplement every different and supply a trail for our consumers to conform as their necessities alternate. For instance, a buyer new to ACI would have the benefit of the Operations and Troubleshooting Bootcamp. Then, they are able to amplify their wisdom via taking the Cisco DevNet Automation for ACI once they transfer to a NetDevOps mannequin. 

May you let us know extra in regards to the new Cisco Coaching Bootcamp for Endeavor Networking (EN)?  

John: I’m in point of fact thinking about this bootcamp! Whilst we do have an SDA Bootcamp for the ones with Catalyst Middle and a controller-based means, the EN Bootcamp will allow the ones consumers with out SDN to totally embody automation and programmability. We discover applied sciences like Ansible and Cisco pyATS, and construct towards a complete CI/CD pipeline resolution that scholars construct over the process the DDL. And did I point out the lab is IPv6-based round OSPFv3?!  

Palmer: The Cisco DevNet Automation Bootcamp for Endeavor Networking, or as we name it, ‘EN-A,’ is within the ultimate levels of checking out. It’s in accordance with Cisco IOS XE utility, which is found in switches, routers, and wi-fi units and is the spine of our consumers’ undertaking networks. 

After the 5-day instructor-led coaching, scholars start the Deep-Dive Lab (DDL) with a topology consisting of Cisco Catalyst 8000V Edge units, which can be handiest configured with control interface connectivity. After being offered to NetDevOps and Git, scholars will use quite a lot of fashionable tips on how to incrementally configure the simulated department topology. They acquire hands-on enjoy with test-driven automation, Ansible, Python, Cisco’s pyATS automation framework, REST API shoppers, YANG fashions, model-driven programmability, streaming telemetry, and CI/CD pipelines. On the finish of the Bootcamp, the simulated department can be totally configured and IPv6-enabled, with OSPFv3 and BGP within the combine for additonal pleasure. We will’t wait to proportion the enjoy! 

What’s the preferred Coaching Bootcamp thus far? Why? 

Joe: Cisco ACI has emerged as probably the most well-liked matter spaces. First, the automation bootcamp, adopted via the operations and troubleshooting bootcamp. Naturally, there are fluctuations about which observe is the preferred, however those two are just about all the time on the best. 

John: Persons are interested in ACI and software-defined networking usually, basically for simplicity, scale, and automation functions. ACI was once constructed from the bottom up with APIs and programmability in thoughts, however it is usually a departure from vintage undertaking networking. There’s a little bit of a finding out curve as issues are finished another way. 

What’s the good thing about Coaching Bootcamps for people? 

John: I feel it’s the talents they’ll achieve with real-world examples and the brand new appreciation for a way out there and simple it’s to get began with community automation. It’s additionally the Cisco Proceeding Training (CE) credit they’ll obtain upon a hit final touch. 

Joe: Many purchasers don’t have 12 engineers devoted to the applied sciences coated in Cisco bootcamps. The Coaching Bootcamps for people provides the versatility of accommodating smaller numbers of scholars. As well as, we regularly listen that having all the workforce out for coaching can have an effect on trade productiveness, so sending the workforce in waves can mitigate that factor. 

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

John: The workforce Bootcamps (aka closed enrollments) be offering a non-public surroundings for workforce individuals from organizations to take the Bootcamp in combination. Probably the most herbal facet advantages of those enrollments is the workforce development that is going on over the process the week. Teammates from organizations transform nearer as they be told those new talents and applied sciences. They be told, fight, fail, and be triumphant in combination.

Particular person Cisco Coaching Bootcamps have their very own allure, as a variety of people come in combination to reach the similar targets. Folks from world wide be told in combination and make buddies. It’s somewhat exceptional. 

Joe: Bootcamps for Groups are structured on a per-class foundation, from pricing to undertaking control and tailoring. Those Bootcamps will have the content material and labs adapted in particular to a unmarried buyer, which we don’t supply for the Bootcamps for Folks, a.okay.a. open enrollment. 

The place do you notice Cisco Coaching Bootcamps going within the subsequent 12 months? 

John: I’m very thinking about the EN providing in addition to the continuing hobby in ACI, NSO, SDA, and Meraki. I’m hoping call for is going up. I’m hoping our workforce grows. We’re having a tangible have an effect on at the trade, and I feel our days as Cisco’s best-kept secret are numbered. 

Joe: We’re freeing a brand new observe known as Cisco DevNet Automation for Endeavor Networks, that may be a mouthful, nevertheless it addresses the most important put in base of put in units—particularly, those who run the IOS-XE working gadget. This has been somewhat the endeavor, nevertheless it hits a related space of focal point that just about each and every buyer wishes. Past that, we’re all the time shopping at updates and enhancements to present content material and labs and increasing into new content material spaces. 

Palmer: It’s going to be a hectic 12 months, evidently. I look ahead to that the Endeavor Networking Automation Bootcamps can be very talked-about, and now we have plenty of returning consumers shopping to amplify their talents and educate new groups. We’ll even be reviewing our present Bootcamps to spot alternatives so as to add new content material and show off new applied sciences and functions. Not anything on this trade ever stands nonetheless, and we search for “drive multipliers” to include into the content material so our consumers keep aggressive. Additionally, our workforce is continuously authorised to give at occasions similar to Cisco Are living! That’s a ravishing alternative to satisfy former and long term scholars in individual. 

Let us know extra about this upcoming webinar: What can consumers be expecting all over the development? 

John: We’ll duvet all six Bootcamps. Shoppers gets to understand us as instructors in the event that they haven’t met us but. They’ll get to understand our distinct ‘Edutainer’ kinds. We will be able to be protecting every Bootcamp for roughly 5 mins every to come up with a way of the fabric coated. You’ll have a possibility to invite us any questions alongside the best way. 

Palmer: We’ll additionally duvet the Endeavor Networking Automation Bootcamp, which is within the ultimate levels of checking out. We look ahead to answering questions that arise. 

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