DCASD v2.0 - Designing Cisco Data Center Application Services

5-Day Hands-on Lab & Lecture Course

Course Description

DCASD is a 5-day, instructor-led, lecture / lab course. You will learn how to deploy and configure intelligent network services using the Cisco ACE Products, Catalyst 6500 Application Control Engine (ACE) 4710 . This course covers all of the key features of the ACE products, including resource virtualization and management, server load balancing (Layer 2-4 and Layer 7), SSL termination and offload, and security features like application-layer inspection and fixups. The focus is on enabling the student to properly position the ACE products in the network for optimizing data center components and network resources.

Course Objectives

• Describe IP application delivery with the ACE module.
• Describe the configuration tasks necessary to successfully deploy an ACE module.
• Describe the structure and function of the Modular Policy CLI statements used to configure ACE features.
• Describe the capabilities and configuration of the ACE features used to provide load balancing of IP-based applications.
• Identify the layer 7 processing options used to provide advanced application networking.
• Describe ACE support for SSL protocol processing.
• Describe the ACE features that provide IP application-based security.
• Describe the high-availability features of the ACE module which are used to provide reliable application networking services.
• Describe a methodology used to design and configure multiple ACE features.

Intended Audience

The primary audience for this course is as follows:

• Systems Engineers and Network Architects responsible for the analysis and design of ACE based solutions.

The secondary audience for this course is as follows:

• Network Administrators and Network Engineers responsible for the analysis and design of ACE based solutions.

Prerequisites

• Cisco CCNA® or Equivalent knowledge
• Familiarity with TCP/IP protocol suite
• Knowledge of HTTP and SSL protocols
• Basic understanding of n-tier application architecture
• Basic understanding of server load-balancing concepts

Course Outline

Module 1: Data Center Application Services Overview.

• Lesson 1: IP-Based Data Center Applications
• Lesson 2: Introducing Cisco ACE Family Solutions
• Lesson 3: Deploying the ACE Appliance and Service Module

Module 2: Designing Server Load Balancing Solutions.

• Lesson 1: Modular Policy CLI
• Lesson 2: Managing the ACE Appliance and Service Module
• Lesson 3: Security Features
• Lesson 4: Layer 4 Load Balancing
• Lesson 5: Health Monitoring
• Lesson 6: Layer 7 Protocol Processing
• Lesson 7: Processing Secure Connections
• Lesson 8: Migrating From CSS and CSM
• Lesson 9: Web Application Acceleration Overview

Module 3: Designing Site-to-Site Load-Balancing Solutions

• Lesson 1: Deploying the Cisco GSS
• Lesson 2: Managing the Cisco GSS
• Lesson 3: Designing Global Server Load Balancing

Module 4: Optimizing the DCAS Solution

• Lesson 1: High Availability
• Lesson 2: WAN Optimization
• Lesson 3: Designing Application Services

Course Labs

• Lab Topology
• Hardware and Software Requirements
• Lab Equipment Configuration
• Lab 1-0: Initializing the Lab (Preconfigured)
• Lab 1-1: Upgrading and Installing Licenses
• Lab 1-2: Implementing Virtualization
• Lab 2-1: Configuring Server Load Balancing
• Lab 2-2: Implementing Health Monitoring
• Lab 2-3: Configuring Layer 7 Load Balancing
• Lab 2-4: Configuring SSL Termination
• Lab 2-5: Enabling HTTP Optimizations
• Lab 3-1: Implementing Global Server Load Balancing
• Lab 4-1: Challenge Lab: Implementing Data Center Application Services
• Lab Activity Solutions