DCID: Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure (300-610)

About the DCID Exam

Design a modern Cisco data center for both traditional and AI/ML workloads — network, compute, storage, and automation

The 300-610 DCID (Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure, exam topics v1.2) is a CCNP concentration exam — pair it with the DCCOR 350-601 core for CCNP Data Center. Passing also earns the Cisco Certified Specialist - Data Center Design credential. The v1.2 update reshaped the exam for traditional and AI/ML workloads. It validates your ability to design a Cisco data center across four areas: network design (AI/ML workload profiles — training versus inference, GPUs/DPUs/SmartNICs; high-performance and AI networking with RoCEv2 on lossless Ethernet using PFC/ECN/DCQCN, plus InfiniBand and RDMA as design alternatives; Layer 2 with vPC and LACP; Layer 3 with graceful restart, NSF, and VRF-lite; QoS for lossless Ethernet; Data Center Interconnect with VXLAN BGP EVPN; management and redundancy with Cisco Nexus Dashboard; and segmentation with VXLAN and Cisco ACI); compute design (Cisco UCS B/C/X-Series, Fabric Interconnect switch mode versus end-host mode, oversubscription, VIC adapters and service profiles, UCS X-Series, and compute for AI/ML); storage network design (iSCSI with MPIO multipathing, Fibre Channel port types and oversubscription, VSAN and zoning, FCoE, and storage deployment options); and automation design (Cisco Intersight, NX-API, model-driven programmability, Ansible, Python, and Terraform; service-profile, vNIC, and vHBA templates; Intersight Cloud Orchestrator; and Nexus Dashboard automation). Original practice questions. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sourced from Cisco Systems certification exams.

Who Should Take This Exam?

DCID is designed for data center design engineers, network and compute architects, and solutions architects who design Cisco data center infrastructure built on Nexus switches, Cisco UCS, MDS SAN, Cisco Intersight, and Nexus Dashboard — increasingly for AI/ML workloads. It suits candidates pursuing CCNP Data Center. Cisco recommends 3-5 years of data center design experience across network, compute, storage, and automation. You should be comfortable evaluating design options and tradeoffs: choosing RoCEv2 Ethernet versus InfiniBand for a GPU training cluster, selecting a Fabric Interconnect operation mode for an upstream-LAN constraint, sizing Fibre Channel oversubscription, planning iSCSI multipathing and isolation, choosing VXLAN EVPN versus ACI for multi-tenancy, and picking the right automation approach (Intersight, NX-API, Ansible, Terraform, or Nexus Dashboard) for a requirement.

Typical study time: 6-10 weeks of focused study

Exam Quick Facts

Exam Domains & Weights

The DCID exam covers 4 domains. Focus your study time based on the weights below — higher-weighted domains have more exam questions.

💡 Study tip: Network Design is by far the heaviest domain at 35% — start there, and make sure you can compare the AI/ML networking options: RoCEv2 on lossless Ethernet (PFC + ECN + DCQCN) versus InfiniBand, and why training clusters need non-blocking, low-latency fabrics. Compute Design (25%) hinges on the Fabric Interconnect switch mode versus end-host mode decision and service profiles; Storage Network Design (20%) turns on Fibre Channel port types (N/F/E/TE/NP) and oversubscription; and Automation Design (20%) is about choosing the right tool — Intersight, NX-API, Ansible, Terraform, or Nexus Dashboard — for the requirement.

Practice Exam — 250 Questions

Prepare for the DCID with our 250-question practice exam covering all 4 exam domains. Every question is an original real-world Cisco data center design scenario with detailed explanations and maps to the official exam topics (v1.2, current Cisco terminology — Nexus, UCS X-Series, Cisco Intersight, Nexus Dashboard, RoCEv2/InfiniBand).

What you get:

• ✅ Exam simulation mode with timer
• ✅ Spaced repetition for weak areas
• ✅ Detailed explanations for every question
• ✅ Progress tracking across domains
• ✅ 20 free questions — no account needed

Cisco Certification Path

DCID is a concentration exam. For CCNP Data Center, pass the DCCOR 350-601 core plus one concentration — 300-610 DCID (data center design) is one of four concentration choices alongside DCACI 300-620, DCIT 300-615, and DCNAUTO 300-635. Cisco’s track runs: Associate (CCNA) → Professional (CCNP) → Expert (CCIE).

Related Cisco Certifications

If you’re studying for the DCID, you might also be interested in these Cisco certifications:

• DCCOR: Implementing Cisco Data Center Core (350-601) — the CCNP Data Center core that DCID pairs with — 250 practice questions
• DCACI: Implementing Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (300-620) — the ACI implementation concentration — 250 practice questions
• DCNAUTO: Automating Cisco Data Center Networking Solutions (300-635) — the data center automation concentration — 250 practice questions
• CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate (200-301) — the associate foundation — 250 practice questions

Study Tips

1. Start with Network Design — at 35% it is the largest slice, and the AI/ML networking topics (RoCEv2 vs InfiniBand, lossless Ethernet, non-blocking fabrics) are the newest and most heavily emphasized in v1.2
2. Think like a designer, not an operator — DCID tests design decisions and tradeoffs (which option fits this constraint and why), not CLI syntax
3. Master the Fabric Interconnect modes — Ethernet end-host mode vs switch mode, and FC end-host (NPV) vs FC switch mode, are classic Compute Design traps
4. Know your Fibre Channel port types cold — N, F, E, TE, and NP ports, plus ISL and oversubscription math, drive most Storage Network Design questions
5. Use our practice exam — try the 20 free questions first to gauge your readiness
6. Match the automation tool to the job — Intersight, NX-API, model-driven programmability, Ansible, Python, Terraform, and Nexus Dashboard each fit different requirements
7. Simulate exam conditions — use the timed exam mode to practice under pressure