What are the Top CCNA Skills for 2020?
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is an iconic certification that is known for setting the standards for associate-level performance in network management and administration. Cisco Systems has been known as a leader in creating and deploying the technology that runs the internet. Cisco certification courses are meant for validating and directing the career paths of the internet’s most influential and administrators by helping them in defining relevant roles and skill sets for each level of expertise in network operations.
CCNA is an excellent platform for those who want to expand their career in the field of network operations. Undoubtedly, the technology keeps on changing, so as the pattern and requirement of CCNA courses. This makes CCNA a bit complex course to complete.
Till 24 February 2020, CCNA used to conduct a single exam certification course consisting of each of the following skill clusters. But, from February 2020 onwards, CCNA has decided to conduct a single exam that has all the skills in one exam without any cluster formation. It is known as CCNA 200-301. These skill clusters are:
1. Collaboration: It helps engineers (IP telephony, video, and IP network developers) to develop their skill sets with the reference to collaboration tools. Collaboration specialists help their parent organizations to scope up smoothly with the changing technology over the period.
2. Cloud: this component plays a major role in helping the cloud engineers/administrators, and other network engineers to develop, enhance and validate their skills sets in terms of cloud computing
3. Industrial networking: Every industry is responsible and capable of preparing its network which is used to handle major industrial operations. This includes the contribution of plant administrators, network engineers, and control system engineers in the manufacturing process by using IT networks overlapping with industrial networks. It also prepares the industry to implement and troubleshoot the network that has been built on industry-standard protocol.
4. Data Center: Data centers are full of wires and computers. They are also becoming competitive across all the other enterprises due to their rapid application deployment and extremely elastic infrastructure. These data center components prepare us to install, configure, maintain, and manage all the data center technology.
5. Security: CCNA security training highlights the core security concerns, security technologies, troubleshooting, installing, and monitoring network devices in Cisco Security technologies. Their main objective is to deal with the recognition and mitigation of cybersecurity threats and developing a cybersecurity infrastructure to deal with those threats.
6. Design Methodology: Network performance is very much dependent upon its design. To deal with this area, the CCNA exam covers the following component:
- Addressing protocols
- Routing protocols
- Design methodologies and objectives
- Network expansion
7. Wireless: wireless networks put a special burden on network professions. That’s why it becomes very important for the professionals to have thorough information about wireless networking so that configuration, monitoring, troubleshooting, and maintenance of a wireless LAN becomes easier.
8. Routing and Switching: Routing and switching are described as the foundation of all networks. They are the building blocks of all types of internet activities. If you learn about routing and switching for your CCNA course, you will acquire basic knowledge about network technologies.
9. Service provider: Cisco Systems also have well-established service providers which help in configuring and operating the communication network services offered by them. They have their services extended to both mobile networks to data and automation centers. These services prepare the engineers and administrators to deploy and manage carrier-grade network infrastructure.
This is all about the areas you will cover in your CCNA preparation. You can start your preparation anytime when you feel confident. All you have to do is to find the perfect timing for enrollment and a training center which can train you for the exam. If you are a resident of Pune, you will find many CCNA training centers. CCNA training in Pune is known for its high-quality training programs. But make sure to go through the feedback before enrolling in any institution of CCNA.