Cisco Coaching Bootcamps have been on the scene for a pair years now. One of many issues that makes them so well-liked is their depth and real-world utility. We sat down with Topic Matter Consultants (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 well-liked?
John: I believe it’s the way in which they align with market developments. Enterprises world wide are searching 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 adjustments, serving to organizations undertake automation and programmability.
Joe: Additionally they deal with important enterprise and technical wants like automation and sophisticated product competence. The educating methodology is well-suited to speedy studying and growing abilities that engineers can apply now, not solely sooner or later. Having two studying occasions shut collectively (the Teacher-led Coaching (ILT) courses and the deep dive labs) amplifies the training at each stage. 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?” As we speak’s aggressive enterprise atmosphere requires agile networks that may adapt to mission goals with out impacting stakeholders. As our clients deploy fashionable infrastructure, they discover that the issue shouldn’t be that the expertise is just too complicated however that it’s totally different from what we’ve all labored with for thus many many years.
We’ve heard:
- “Now we have deployed Software program-Outlined Entry…”
- “We’re working ACI however haven’t moved to an application-centric mannequin…”
- “Our workforce must embrace NetDevOps ideas and study automation…”
Now what?
Cisco Coaching Bootcamps take away complexity and concentrate on what’s essential. Whether or not it’s an Operations and Troubleshooting Bootcamp for Software program-Outlined Campus and Information Heart Options, or an Automation Bootcamp, our clients go away with the arrogance they should rework community operations and contribute to their workforce’s success.
You guys are within the good place to know what clients want. What are you listening to from the entrance traces? What automation wants do clients imagine these Coaching Bootcamps would possibly resolve?
Joe: Prospects want to resolve issues now, which is why the hands-on part of the expertise is so very 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 clients are desperate to automate, they face widespread challenges, akin to guaranteeing their groups can converse a standard language, which automation expertise they need to select, and maybe most significantly, what they will really do with automation. A Cisco Coaching Bootcamp addresses these challenges with a novel educating format. The 5-day coaching covers a broad vary of prerequisite information to make sure college students acquire a standard skillset. The true-world use instances and deep-dive labs present what clients can do with community automation. These labs are designed to progress from the fundamentals, akin to studying Git, to well-liked instruments, together with REST API Shoppers and Python. Lastly, most studying tracks culminate with a CI/CD pipeline. After the Bootcamp, clients preserve entry to code they will instantly use once they return to the workplace. The general expertise requires focus and teamwork, however the buyer response has been overwhelmingly optimistic.
John: A few of our former college students keep in contact with us for over a yr after their Automation Coaching Bootcamp! The dimensions and complexity of the fashionable community can now not be operated manually. Automation is not only about velocity and shifting quick; it’s about safety, repeatability, testing and validation, and growing CI/CD pipelines as full options. Finally, most clients are searching 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 based mostly on actual conditions and eventualities. College students really apply what they’ve discovered through the 5-day ILT with precise gear and actual issues to resolve. There are a number of ‘spice ranges’ (issue ranges) to problem even essentially the most superior pupil. As an illustration, 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 rather a lot to study—particularly for college kids who’re comparatively new to the expertise observe they’ve chosen. The excellent news is that they have a devoted workforce of instructors to help their studying expertise. In flip, we’ve observed our courses typically embrace a workforce mindset, serving to one another succeed. Sure, the expertise is intense, but it surely’s not unimaginable! 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 extremely popular and deal with totally different wants. Some clients discover the Ops and Troubleshooting Bootcamps extra sensible for his or her present day-to-day wants, whereas others are forward-looking, making an attempt to rework these operations into totally automated options.
Joe: Every has their area of interest, with automation and product Bootcamps typically working across the identical variety of occasions. Whereas we launched the DevNet Automation Bootcamps first, the Operations & Troubleshooting tracks got here alongside later and stay wildly well-liked.
Palmer: It relies upon. Some clients have a devoted workforce managing infrastructure, whereas one other focuses on automation. Some clients are simply deploying a expertise akin to 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 clients to evolve as their necessities change. For instance, a buyer new to ACI would profit from the Operations and Troubleshooting Bootcamp. Then, they will increase their information 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 clients 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 resolution 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 closing levels of testing. It’s based mostly on Cisco IOS XE software program, which is current in switches, routers, and wi-fi gadgets and is the spine of our clients’ 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 a wide range of fashionable 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 will probably 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 preferred Coaching Bootcamp to this point? Why?
Joe: Cisco ACI has emerged as probably the most well-liked matter areas. First, the automation bootcamp, adopted by the operations and troubleshooting bootcamp. Naturally, there are fluctuations about which observe is the preferred, however these two are almost all the time on the prime.
John: Individuals are drawn to ACI and software-defined networking typically, primarily for simplicity, scale, and automation capabilities. ACI was constructed from the bottom up with APIs and programmability in thoughts, however additionally it is a departure from traditional enterprise networking. There’s a little bit of a studying curve as issues are finished otherwise.
What’s the benefit of Coaching Bootcamps for people?
John: I believe it’s the talents they’ll purchase with real-world examples and the brand new appreciation for the way accessible and simple it’s to get began with community automation. It’s additionally the Cisco Persevering with Schooling (CE) credit they’ll obtain upon profitable completion.
Joe: Many shoppers shouldn’t have 12 engineers devoted to the applied sciences coated in Cisco bootcamps. The Coaching Bootcamps for people gives the flexibleness of accommodating smaller numbers of scholars. As well as, we frequently hear that having your complete workforce out for coaching can affect enterprise productiveness, so sending the workforce in waves can mitigate that difficulty.
And the way is a person Bootcamp totally different from the Cisco Coaching Bootcamps for groups?
John: The workforce Bootcamps (aka closed enrollments) provide a personal setting for workforce members from organizations to take the Bootcamp collectively. One of many pure facet advantages of those enrollments is the workforce constructing that goes on over the course of the week. Teammates from organizations grow to be nearer as they study these new abilities and applied sciences. They study, battle, fail, and succeed collectively.
Particular person Cisco Coaching Bootcamps have their very own appeal, as a variety of people come collectively to attain the identical targets. Folks from world wide study collectively and make associates. It’s fairly exceptional.
Joe: Bootcamps for Groups are structured on a per-class foundation, from pricing to venture 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 workforce grows. We’re having a tangible affect on the business, and I believe our days as Cisco’s best-kept secret are numbered.
Joe: We’re releasing a brand new observe known as Cisco DevNet Automation for Enterprise Networks, which can be a mouthful, but it surely addresses the most important put in base of put in gadgets—particularly, those who run the IOS-XE working system. This has been fairly the endeavor, but it surely 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 certain. I anticipate that the Enterprise Networking Automation Bootcamps will probably be extremely popular, and we’ve a lot of returning clients trying to increase their abilities and practice new groups. We’ll even be reviewing our present Bootcamps to determine 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 clients keep aggressive. Additionally, our workforce is often accepted to current at occasions akin to Cisco Stay! That’s an exquisite alternative to satisfy former and future college students in individual.
Inform us extra about this upcoming webinar: What can clients 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’ kinds. We will probably be protecting every Bootcamp for about 5 minutes every to present 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 closing levels of testing. We sit up for answering questions that come up.
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