Cisco CCNP Enterprise ENCOR (350-401)

Explore device virtualization, comparing type 1 bare metal hypervisors like ESXi with type 2 hypervisors such as VMware Fusion, and working with virtual machines and virtual switching.

Learn how virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) enables layer 3 segmentation and path virtualization, including VRF configuration, interface assignment, and VRF-specific OSPF verification.

Explore GRE tunnels for path virtualization of non-directly connected routers with no encryption. Use loopbacks as tunnel sources and avoid running routing protocols over the tunnel, with bgp peering examples.

Discover how to configure a basic ipsec tunnel between two routers for path virtualization, covering isakmp policy, preshared key, transform set, crypto map, and debug verification.

Explore how VRFs are used across C, CE, PE, and P routers in MPLS. Understand GRE/IPsec path virtualization, fragmentation, MTU, PMTUD, MSS, and how DF and ICMP influence tunneling.

Discover how Lisp separates locator and id to enable scalable sd access, using an underlay routing protocol like is-is and a dns-like overlay for fast host mobility.

Explore the Lisp architecture components, including endpoint identifiers (EIDs), Lisp sites, ITRs and ETRs, proxy ingress/egress tunnel routers, RLOCs, and mapping servers/resolvers.

Explore how VXLAN expands beyond 4096 VLANs by mapping VLANs to VXLAN networks, pushing layer three to the edge with VTEPs in a spine-leaf fabric, and using multicast for broadcasts.

Explore the VLAN trunking protocol (VTP) concepts, including server, client, transparent, and off modes; pruning; domain naming; revision numbers; and safeguards like passwords and MD5 checks.

Troubleshoot 802.1Q trunking with show interfaces trunk and switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q, configuring static or dynamic trunks while verifying native VLAN and interface integrity.

Troubleshoot etherchannel by validating twin physical interfaces, choosing layer 2 or layer 3 bundling, and applying static or dynamic configurations with LACP or PAGP using show commands.

Explore rapid spanning tree protocol (RSTP) and rapid PVST configuration, verification, and convergence, compare with classic STP, and learn per VLAN RSTP and route bridge concepts.

Explore how multiple spanning tree protocol (MST) handles many VLAN topologies by mapping VLANs to instances, enabling load balancing, and verifying with show spanning tree MST commands.

Explore EIGRP and OSPF routing concepts, including load balancing, unequal-cost paths with variance, DUAL vs SPF, and how cost is calculated and manipulated.

Explore OSPF LSAs and the backbone area 0, learn how type 1 and type 2 LSAs shape adjacencies and view router state with show ip ospf neighbor and dr/bdr roles.

Explore how OSPF areas, especially area zero, enable scalable backbone routing with ABRs and inter-area type 3 LSAs, ASBR use, and type 5 domain-wide LSAs.

Explore advanced OSPF features, including summarization with area range, default information originate, and filtering, using prefix and distribute lists to control backbone routes.

Learn to troubleshoot OSPF by verifying neighbor formation, matching router IDs, area IDs, MTU, network types, and DR/BDR roles, using show ip ospf and related commands.

Explore how eBGP peerings differ from iBGP within and between autonomous systems. Learn to configure loopback-based eBGP with update-source, multi-hop, and MD5, and verify with show ip bgp summary.

Explore BGP neighbor states from idle to established, idle, active, open sent, and open confirm, and use debug ip bgp ipv4 unicast and show ip bgp summary for troubleshooting.

Explore how to advertise prefixes into BGP using the network command and redistribution, including the requirement for a matching routing table entry and correct masks, with practical IBGP considerations.

Explore how the BGP path selection uses weight, local preference, and as-path to choose the route. See how route maps and as-path prepending manipulate paths, and why documentation matters.

Review eBGP fundamentals, including loopback multi-hop peering, rib-failure insights, and administrative distance effects on iBGP vs eBGP, with practical commands for prefix advertisement.

Build a solid layer 1 foundation for wireless LANs by examining 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, non-overlapping channels, interference sources, RSSI, SNR, EIRP, and CCX implications.

Explore Cisco WLAN access points in autonomous and lightweight modes, CAPWAP, and WLC discovery. Compare omnidirectional and directional antennas and modes like local and monitor for coverage.

Explore wireless roaming across enterprise networks, from autonomous to lightweight APs, and how intracontroller and intercontroller handoffs with WLCs enable seamless, authenticated transitions using 802.11r and 802.1x.

Diagnose enterprise wireless issues by verifying RF range, AP association and DHCP pool health, using WLC client status, ping tests, event logs, and packet captures, including FlexConnect considerations.

Discover why synchronized time matters for logs and security, and configure an NTP master as the authoritative time source with an NTP server, then verify synchronization with NTP status.

Explore how NAT and PAT translate inside local addresses to inside global addresses using access lists and overload, with testing and terminology such as inside/outside local/global.

Explains first hop redundancy protocols (FHRP), including HSRP, VRRP, and GLBP, and demonstrates VIP and virtual MAC concepts, AVG and AVF roles, and how preemption and interface tracking ensure resilience.

Explore how multicast replaces broadcast in IPv6 and IPv4 for efficient delivery, enabling selective receivers via IGMP and PIM sparse mode, with rendezvous points, pruning, grafting, and IGMP snooping.

Explore classic troubleshooting tools in Cisco iOS, including ping, extended ping with source and trace route, and safe debugging alongside SNMP v2c and v3 configurations.

Learn how to configure and verify syslog and netflow on Cisco devices, including logging levels and buffers, logging hosts, time synchronization, and classic and flexible netflow exporting to collectors.

Learn how SPAN, RSPAN, and ERSPAN enable switch port analysis by mirroring traffic locally and remotely, including ERSPAN over layer 3 with a VLAN and monitor sessions.

Explore ip sla for real-time network performance, from icmp echo tests to advanced tests, with scheduling, responders, and show ip sla statistics.

Cisco DNA Center centralizes device lifecycle management, from design and provision to policy and assurance, via APIs for automation and orchestration across Cisco devices.

Explore netconf and restconf for network automation, using yang models and xml or json configurations secured by ssh or tls over ports 830 and 443.

Explore device access control with AAA, enable secret hardening, and password encryption, then implement AAA authentication with RADIUS and TACACS+ with local fallback using Cisco ICE for layered security.

Explore how access control lists and control plane policing protect network devices, classify traffic with class maps, policy maps, and service policy, and test with precise icmp rules.

Explain REST API security for northbound and southbound APIs, using token-based authentication, OAuth, HTTP status codes, JSON, and practical examples.

Explore how wireless security evolved from open networks to WEP, WPA2, and WPA3, with personal and enterprise modes and EAP variants.

Explore Cisco's new security features for CCNP ENCOR, including firepower next-gen IPS and AMP for endpoints, plus Talus security intelligence and FMC.

Explore Cisco TrustSec, MACsec, and NAC concepts, including security group tags, the TrustSec policy matrix, and how 802.1X, MAB, and web authentication secure network access.

Discover how Python, JSON, and YANG enable automation and descriptive data models for network devices, accessed via APIs such as NETCONF and RESTCONF and usable from Python.

Explore the embedded event manager on Cisco devices to automate tasks using event detectors such as snmp and syslog, via applets and Tcl scripts that trigger actions.

Explore orchestration tools, compare Puppet, Chef, SaltStack, and Ansible, and learn about playbooks, idempotent tasks, and push-pull models.