CCDP for Not Yet Techies

"Computer Careers: This Cisco Certification is Your Second Certification If Your High Tech Jobs Goal Is To Become an Expert at Designing Networks Using Cisco Hardware"

by Richard Stooker, President Info Ring Press and author of Secrets of Changing to a Computer Career

CCDP Background:

Cisco certifications such as the CCDP -- Cisco Certified Design Professional -- are the premier certifications for networking hardware. Microsoft's MCSE certification concentrates more on the software, naturally since that is Microsoft's business. CCDP advances your computer career.

But Cisco makes the hardware that carries the software, whether by Microsoft, Novell, Linux or any other. Cisco routers and switchers hold the Internet together. At least 70% of all routers used are made by Cisco, so CCDP is a valuable certification.

Type of CCDP certifications for computer careers:

Vendor

Cisco CCDP certification worth it?

Standard disclaimer:

Whether or not any certification is "worth it" is an individual decision. You alone must decide what your career goals and needs are.

Look at certifications from a cost/benefit or Return On Investment (ROI) basis. If they help you get a better paying job or make more money at your current job, they are obviously "worth it."

The problem is, there is no real way of measuring how much you can expect your income to go up as a result of any given certification. It also depends on non-related job search skills such as how well you network.

Cisco's certification system looks a little complicated at first, but there is a logic to it. Besides, if you can't figure out the certification system itself, you sure can't pass the CCDP tests anyway:)

They have two basic tracks:

Network Design
Network Support

OK, logical enough, right? If you want to be the one called in by a business when they need to design a network, you go for the Network Design track. If you want to keep working there running the network once it's in place, you go for the Network Support track. Of course, a lot of knowledge and skills overlap. Logic tells us that in the long run there will be a lot more job demand for network support specialists.

Within each track, there are three tiers of expertise. Naturally, you start out at the lowest tier and work your way up.

The CCDP Cisco Certified Design Professional is the second tier certification for the Network Design track. According to Cisco, the CCDP indicates "an advanced or journeyman knowledge of network design."

A CCDP can handle not only designing LAN, WAN and dialed access networks of under 100 nodes for small businesses, they can design routed and switched networks for businesses of 100 to 500 nodes.

To attain the CCDP, you must pass four tests:

640-503 Routing
640-504 Switching
640-505 Remote Access
640-025 Design

Note: The first 3 tests are required for passing the CCNP certification. Therefore, it would make sense for everyone who is getting the CCNP certification anyway, to go ahead and take 640-025, to add CCNP to their resume as well.

After you pass the test, your CCDP Cisco Certification Design Professional is good for three years. After that, you must retake the test, unless you've already moved up to the next level, which I recommend if you have any ambition in you at all, or any greed to support your family in comfort and have a financially comfortable retirement.

Before you move up, however, you can also specialize. Right now, you can take the 640-457 SNAMI exam to certify yourself in the specialty of SNA/IP integration. This focuses on translating complex SNA networking requirement into network designs.

A Network Design track specialist can also choose to specialize in the WAN switching specialty by taking and passing the CCDP/WAN Switching track instead.

This similarly does indicated advanced journeyman knowledge of network design. A CCDP/WAN Switching specialist can:

Design and implement ATM networks (with CBR, ABR and VBR traffic)
Design and implement a Frame Relay network (with CIR and MIR traffic parameters)
Troubleshoot a WAN switched network
Manage traffic and voice technologies

The two prerequisites for this CCDP/WAN Switching certification are:

CCNA WAN certification
CCNP WAN certification

Once you have those, you must then pass one additional exam, 640-413 DSWVS. That stands for Designing Switched WAN and Voice Solutions.

Cisco has tested a CCIE Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert certification beta version for the Network Design track, but as of this writing it's not being offered. Check back with Cisco once you have your CCDP.

Those are the basics for the two CCDP Cisco Certified Design Professional certification.

Next: CCNP certification

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