500-490 Designing Cisco Enterprise Networks (ENDESIGN) exam Questions and Answers

Integrating Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD-Access) into an existing brownfield environment can be complex and risky, given the existing network's configurations and operations. Adopting a "one switch at a time" approach provides two significant advantages:

Involves the least risk of all approaches (Option C):This method minimizes the impact on the existing network because changes are applied incrementally rather than all at once. By limiting the scope of changes to one switch at a time, network administrators can carefully monitor the effects and address any issues immediately. This approach reduces the risk of widespread network disruptions, making it a safer option compared to more aggressive migration strategies.

Allows simplified roll back (Option D):If any issues arise during the integration of a single switch, it is easier to revert to the previous state without affecting the entire network. This rollback capability is critical in maintaining network stability and ensuring that the operations of the existing network continue uninterrupted. The granularity of changes and the ease of reverting them back to a known good state provide a safety net that is crucial in complex environments.

References:

Cisco SD-Access Deployment Guide

Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA) Center User Guide

 Cisco SD-Access is a solution within Cisco DNA, which is built on intent-based networking principles. Cisco SD-Access provides visibility-based, automated end-to-end segmentation to separate user, device, and application traffic without redesigning the underlying physical network1. Cisco SD-Access also enables programmable overlays that allow network virtualization across the campus,branch, data center, and cloud2. Cisco SD-Access has two main components: the fabric and the policy3.

The fabric is the network overlay that consists of interconnected nodes that provide a consistent and scalable way of delivering network services and functions. The fabric nodes are classified into four types: edge nodes, border nodes, control plane nodes, and intermediate nodes. The edge nodes are the access switches or wireless controllers that connect to the end devices. The border nodes are the routers or switches that connect the fabric to external networks, such as the Internet, WAN, or data center. The control plane nodes are the routers or switches that maintain the mapping between the endpoint identifiers and the network locators. The intermediate nodes are the routers or switches that provide transit services within the fabric3.

The policy is the network configuration that defines the network behavior and outcomes, based on the business intent and requirements. The policy is composed of three elements: the endpoint groups, the contracts, and the virtual networks. The endpoint groups are the logical containers that group the endpoints based on their attributes, such as user identity, device type, or application. The contracts are the rules that specify the allowed interactions between the endpoint groups, such as the protocols, ports, and quality of service. The virtual networks are the logical partitions that isolate the endpoint groups and contracts from each other, based on the network scope and security3.

Cisco SD-Access addresses the following challenges and benefits:

It simplifies the network design and management, as it reduces the complexity and variability of the network elements and interfaces.

It enhances the network security and compliance, as it enforces granular and dynamic policies based on the endpoint identity and context, rather than the network topology and IP addresses.

It improves the network performance and user experience, as it optimizes the network path, load balancing, and traffic engineering based on the network conditions and application requirements.

It enables the network agility and scalability, as it supports the rapid deployment and integration of new devices, applications, and services, without affecting the existing network operations.

References:

Cisco Software-Defined Access - Cisco Software-Defined Access Solution Overview

What Is Software-Defined Access? - SD-Access - Cisco

Cisco SD-Access Architecture Overview

 The discovery process is a critical phase in the sales cycle, where the SE gathers information about the customer’s network environment, business goals, challenges, and needs. The discovery process helps the SE to understand the customer’s pain points, identify opportunities, and propose solutions that align with the customer’s objectives and address their problems. The discovery process also helps the SE to establish credibility, trust, and rapport with the customer, and to map Cisco innovation to the customer’s needs.

Some of the activities that should occur during the SE’s discovery process are:

Gathering information about the current state of the customer’s network environment. This includes collecting data about the network topology, devices, protocols, applications, performance, security, availability, scalability, and management. The SE can use various tools and methods to gather this information, such as interviews, questionnaires, surveys, audits, assessments, and network analysis tools. Gathering information about the current state helps the SE to understand the customer’s existing network capabilities, limitations, and gaps, and to benchmark the network against best practices and industry standards12

Mapping Cisco innovation to the customer’s needs. This involves identifying how Cisco products, solutions, and services can help the customer achieve their desired outcomes, address their challenges, and overcome their pain points. The SE can use various tools and methods to map Cisco innovation to the customer’s needs, such as value proposition, business case, return on investment (ROI) analysis, proof of value (POV), proof of concept (POC), and demonstrations. Mapping Cisco innovation to the customer’s needs helps the SE to show the value and benefits of Cisco solutions, differentiate Cisco from competitors, and influence the customer’s decision making34

References:

1: Cisco Discovery Service 2: Cisco Network Assessment Services 3: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Demos 4: Cisco Business Critical Services

The three focus areas for reinventing the WAN are:

Secure Elastic Connectivity: This refers to the ability to provide secure and flexible connectivity to any application, anywhere, and anytime. Secure elastic connectivity enables the network to adapt to the changing business needs and user demands, while maintaining security and performance. Secure elastic connectivity leverages SD-WAN technologies, such as Cloud OnRamp, SASE, and ThousandEyes, to optimize the network path, encrypt the traffic, and monitor the end-to-end visibility across the WAN12.

Application Quality of Experience: This refers to the ability to ensure optimal and consistent user experience for any application, regardless of the network conditions. Application quality of experience uses SD-WAN technologies, such as vAnalytics, to measure and improve the application performance, availability, and reliability across the WAN3. Application quality of experience also uses intelligent policies and real-time analytics to prioritize the critical applications and steer the traffic to the best-performing path4.

Cloud First: This refers to the ability to embrace the cloud as the primary platform for delivering applications and services to the users. Cloud first enables the network to support the multicloud strategy and accelerate the cloud adoption. Cloud first leverages SD-WAN technologies, such as Cloud OnRamp, to simplify and automate the connectivity to the public cloud, SaaS, and cloud interconnect providers4. Cloud first also enables the network to operate as a cloud-native WAN overlay, using software-defined automation and orchestration tools5.

References:

Cisco SD-WAN Architecture Overview

SD-WAN and SASE: The new landscape of networking

Under the vAnalytics Hood: Enabling Total Network Visibility, Total Network Control

SD-WAN Capabilities - The New Landscape of Networking

Software-defined WAN (SD-WAN): the new landscape of networking

The 4 Focus areas for reinventing the WAN are:

• Secure Elastic Connectivity

• Cloud First

• Application Quality of Experience

• Agile Operations

https://salesconnect.cisco.com/sc/s/learning-activity-from-plan?ltui__urlRecordId=a0c8c00000P3hKMAAZ <ui__urlRedirect=learning-activity-from-plan<ui__parentUrl=learning-activity-from-plan

 = A business case is an option that will help build your customers platform during the discovery phase. A business case is a document that outlines the rationale, objectives, benefits, costs, risks, and alternatives of a proposed project or solution. A business case helps to justify the investment and align the stakeholders on the value proposition of the project or solution12.

During the discovery phase, the goal is to understand the problem that needs to be solved, the user needs and context, the constraints and opportunities, and the underlying policy intent. A business case can help to achieve this goal by providing a clear and concise summary of the problem statement, the desired outcomes, the potential solutions, and the evaluation criteria34. A business case can also help to communicate the vision and scope of the project or solution to the customers and other stakeholders, and to secure their buy-in and support56.

A business case is not the same as a POV report, a detailed design, a high-level design, or a PO. A POV report is a document that summarizes the findings and recommendations from a proof of value (POV) exercise, which is a short-term trial of a solution to demonstrate its feasibility and benefits7. A detailed design is a document that specifies the technical and functional requirements, architecture, and configuration of a solution8. A high-level design is a document that provides an overview of the solution, such as the main components, interfaces, and interactions9. A PO is a purchase order, which is a document that authorizes a purchase transaction between a buyer and a seller.

References :=

What is a business case? Definition and examples

Business Case - Project Management Knowledge

How the discovery phase works - Service Manual - GOV.UK

Discovery Phase – Service Design – The Beginner’s Guide

How to Write a Business Case ― 4 Steps to a Perfect Business Case Template

How to Write a Business Case: 4 Steps to a Perfect Business Case Template

What is a Proof of Value (POV)?

What is a Detailed Design Document (DDD)?

What is a High-Level Design Document?

[What is a Purchase Order (PO)?]

https://salesconnect.cisco.com/sc/s/learning-activity-from-plan?ltui__urlRecordId=a0c8c00000P3hKMAAZ <ui__urlRedirect=learning-activity-from-plan<ui__parentUrl=learning-activity-from-plan

Cisco ISE incorporated Cisco ACS (Cisco Secure Access Control System) between ISE releases 2.0 and 2.3. Cisco ACS was a network access policy platform that provided authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) services for network devices and users. Cisco ACS was discontinued in 2017 and replaced by Cisco ISE, which offers more advanced features and capabilities for identity-based network access control. Cisco ISE provides a migration tool that allows customers to migrate their data and configurations from Cisco ACS to Cisco ISE. The migration tool supports Cisco ACS versions 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, and 5.8 and Cisco ISE versions 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3.

References:

Cisco Secure Access Control System End-of-Life Announcement [Cisco Secure Access Control System]

Cisco Secure ACS to Cisco ISE Migration Tool [Cisco Identity Services Engine]

Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide, Release 2.3 - Cisco Secure ACS to Cisco ISE Migration [Cisco Identity Services Engine]

Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide, Release 2.3 - Manage Migration [Cisco Identity Services Engine]

[Cisco Identity Services Engine Migration Guide, Release 2.3 [Cisco Identity Services Engine]]

[Designing Cisco Enterprise Networks (ENDESIGN) Exam Topics [Cisco]]

[Cisco Validated Design Guides [Cisco]]

ISE 2.3 includes the final suite of capabilities designed to reach feature parity with Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS), allowing all existing ACS customers to migrate their deployment to ISE. New features include TACACS+-based device administration for IPv6, import and export capabilities for TACACS+-based command sets, policy export scheduling, IP range support in all octets, and more. See the ACS vs ISE Comparison for feature comparisons with every release of ISE