Cisco DevNet Associate Syllabus – New and Updated
If you are planning to take the Cisco DevNet Associate exam, then you are at the right place! If you intend to pass the exam, you must familiarize yourself with every aspect of the DevNet associate syllabus. Once the syllabus is known, you will be in a position to know what to expect from the exam as well as what you will be learning in the course of preparing for the exam. But what is DevNet Associate or CCNA DevNet? DevNet Associate is a certification exam within the Cisco DevNet program that checks your abilities in application development and management on Cisco Systems; it will also examine you on software development, design thinking for Cisco platforms, and APIs. The best way to learn these is DevNet Associate training. In this blog, we will break down the DevNet Associate syllabus into different sections as per the Cisco exam pattern, providing you with a comprehensive overview of what you need to know to succeed in the exam. Let’s now dive in and explore the CCNA DevNet syllabus. By understanding the DevNet Associate syllabus, you can focus on studying the most important areas, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and develop a study plan that works best for you. Also, the syllabus will act as DevNet Associate exam topics. CCNA DevNet syllabus is distributed into six sections. These are: Below, we have explained the CCNA DevNet syllabus in detail in a tabular form. This is the complete DevNet Associate syllabus v1.1 as of August, 2024. Yes, DevNet is a good career for anyone who wants to learn networking, programming, and automation skills that are in high demand. Both CCNA and DevNet are good. CCNA is best for networking fundamentals, and DevNet is best suited for those who like programming & automation. You can prepare for the Cisco DevNet certification by focusing on the points discussed below. There are roughly around 100 questions on the DevNet Associate exam. In the blog, we have given you complete information regarding the DevNet associate syllabus, including the specific fields of knowledge and skills needed to become an expert in network automation and programmability. Starting with the basics of Network programming and going up to advanced topics like automation and scripting, we have provided a detailed breakdown of the syllabus, which will help you understand the contents of this vast program.Introduction
DevNet Associate Syllabus Version 1.1
Section Weightage Objectives Software Development & Design 15% 1. Data Formats and Parsing
a. Compare and contrast the characteristics of XML, JSON, and YAML data formats.
b. Explain how to parse these data formats into Python data structures.
2. Software Development Fundamentals
a. Define and illustrate the principles of test-driven development.
b. Analyze and compare the strengths and weaknesses of Agile, Lean, and Waterfall software development methodologies.
3. Code Organization and Design Patterns
a. Explain the benefits of structuring code into methods/functions, classes, and modules.
b. Identify the advantages of applying common design patterns like Model-View-Controller (MVC) and Observer.
4. Version Control
a. Describe the benefits of using version control
5. Demonstrate the use of Git for common version control operations:
a. Clone
b. Add/remove
c. Commit
d. Push/pull
e. Branch
f. Merge and handle conflicts
g. DiffUnderstanding and Using APIs 20% 1. Craft REST API requests based on documentation.
2. Understand webhooks and their use patterns.
3. Identify the constraints while consuming APIs.
4. Interpret HTTP response codes associated with API issues.
5. Solve API problems by analyzing response codes, request details, and API documentation.
6. Break down HTTP responses into their components i.e., response code headers, and body.
7. Apply various authentication methods for API access including basic, custom token, and API keys.
8. Compare different API styles like REST and RPC.
9. Develop Python scripts to interact with REST APIs using the ‘requests’ library.Cisco Platforms and Development 15% 1. Build Python Scripts using Cisco SDKs
Learn to write scripts that leverage Cisco SDKs, following the provided documentation.
2. Understand Cisco Network Management Capabilities
Explore the features and APIs of key Cisco network management platforms, including Meraki, Cisco DNA Center, ACI, SD-WAN, and NSO.
3. Explore Cisco Compute Management
Delve into the capabilities of Cisco’s compute management platforms like UCS Manager and Intersight.
4. Master Cisco Collaboration Platforms
Learn about the features and APIs of Cisco’s collaboration platforms, including Webex, Webex devices, and Cisco Unified Communication Manager (AXL and UDS interfaces).
5. Dive into Cisco Security Platforms
Gain an understanding of Cisco’s security platforms and their APIs, covering XDR, Firepower, Umbrella, Secure Endpoint, ISE, and Secure Malware Analytics.
6. Work with Device Level APIs
Explore the dynamic interfaces and APIs available for IOS XE and NX-OS devices.
7. Utilize DevNet Resources Effectively
Learn to navigate and leverage various DevNet resources, including sandboxes, code repositories, support forums, learning labs, and API documentation.
8. Apply Model-Driven Programmability
Gain practical experience in applying model-driven programmability concepts like YANG, RESTCONF, and NETCONF in Cisco environments.
9. Build Scripts for Specific Tasks
Learn to create scripts that perform specific tasks, such as:
a. Listing network devices using platforms like Meraki, Cisco DNA Center, ACI, SD-WAN, or NSO.
b. Managing Webex spaces, participants, and messages.
c. Obtaining lists of clients or hosts seen on a network using Meraki or Cisco DNA Center.Application Deployment and Security 15% 1. Understanding Edge Computing
2. Identify the key characteristics of different application deployment models including private cloud, public cloud, hybrid cloud, and edge
3. Explore the attributes of different application deployment types including Virtual machines, Bare metal, Containers
4. Understand the essential components and workflows involved in constructing CI/CD pipelines for application deployments.
5. Writing Python Unit Tests
6. Gain the ability to interpret and understand the contents of Dockerfiles
7. Learn how to effectively utilize Docker images within your local development environment
8. Identify common application security vulnerabilities related to secret management, encryption (both storage and transport), and data handling.
9. Learn about the roles and functions of essential network components in application deployments: firewalls, DNS, load balancers, and reverse proxies.
10. Become familiar with the top threats identified by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), such as XSS, SQL injections, and CSRF
11. Learn to use essential Bash commands for file management, directory navigation, and environmental variable management
12. Explore the core principles and practices of DevOpsInfrastructure and Automation 20% 1. Learn how model-driven programmability revolutionizes infrastructure automation
2. Understand the differences between Controller-level and Device-Level Management
3. Discover the importance of using Network simulation and test tools which include
4. Cisco Modeling Labs and pyATS
5. Learn about the components and advantages of implementing a CI/CD pipeline for infrastructure automation
6. Explore the core principles of Infrastructure as Code
7. Understand the capabilities of popular automation tools such as Ansible, Terraform, and Cisco NSO
8. Learn to identify the workflows automated by Python scripts that utilize Cisco APIs, including ACI, Meraki, Cisco DNA Center, and RESTCONF
9. Understand how Ansible playbooks can automate tasks like managing packages, configuring user accounts, managing services, and starting/stopping services
10. Identify the workflows automated by Bash scripts, including file management, application installation, user management, and navigating directories.
11. Interpreting RESTCONF/NETCONF Queries result
12. Interpret basic YANG models
13. Interpret unified diffs
14. Explore the principles and benefits of the code review process
15. Learn to interpret sequence diagrams including API callsNetwork Fundamentals 15% 1. Understand the purpose as well as usage of VLANs and MAC addresses
2. Understand the purpose as well as usage of IP addresses, gateways, routes, and subnet mask/ prefixes.
3. Understand the function of different networking components which include switches, firewalls, load balancers, and routers.
4. Interpret diagrams of network topologies including elements routers, load balancers, firewalls, port values, and switches.
5. Explore the different functions of management, data, and control planes within network devices.
6. Understand the functionality of IP services, especially of DHCP, NAT, NTP, DNS, and SNMP.
7. Recognize the port values associated with widely used protocols such as SSH, Telnet, HTTP, HTTPS, and NETCONF.
8. Identify common causes of application connectivity issues, including NAT misconfigurations, blocked ports, proxy servers, and VPN.
9. Impacts of network constraints on applicationsFrequently Asked Questions
Q1 – Is DevNet a good career?
Q2 – Which is better CCNA or DevNet?
Q3 – How to prepare for DevNet?
Q4 – How many questions are on the DevNet Associate exam?
Conclusion
