Cisco Catalyst Center: Unlock the Power of Network Automation & Assurance

Considering the increasing complexity of enterprise networks, it has never been more important to have efficient management, automation, and real-time assurance. The Cisco Catalyst Center has emerged as a leading solution for network automation and intelligent operations – enabling IT teams to work more effectively, faster, and with fewer errors.

The Cisco Catalyst Center has emerged as a leading solution for network automation and intelligent operations – enabling IT teams to work more effectively, faster, and with fewer errors.

Who should attend?

This course is designed for network engineers, systems engineers, and IT professionals who are responsible for designing, deploying, and managing enterprise network environments. This training would be of particular interest if you would like to enhance your proficiency with Cisco’s most advanced management tools.

Prerequisites:

Participants are expected to have Cisco CCNA-level knowledge, including:

  • Foundations of networking
  • Network access control and configurations
  • Security basics
  • Programmability and automation concepts

With this foundation, learners can quickly absorb advanced topics and fully engage in labs.

Curriculum: An Inside Look

NIL-CNAA training is a three-day course that combines guided instruction, theory, and real-world practical exercises. Each of the five core modules in this program has its own specific focus and is designed to build expertise progressively in automation and assurance.

Day 1: Laying the Foundation

Module 1: Introduction to Cisco Catalyst Center

The course begins with an overview of Catalyst Center’s architecture, interface, and key features. The purpose of this is to facilitate deeper exploration by providing learners with an understanding of the role that Catalyst Center plays in a modern network ecosystem.

Module 2: Enhancing efficiency through automation

A discussion of automation principles is then conducted using Cisco Catalyst Center. To achieve this, it is necessary to understand how to streamline network provisioning, enforce consistent configurations, and reduce operational overhead.

Students will be guided through the following hands-on labs:

  • Design and configure Catalyst Center components
  • Automate network provisioning and policy enforcement

Leverage APIs for advanced programmability

Day 2: SD-Access & Network Segmentation

Module 3: SD-Access architecture

Software-Defined Access (SD-Access) is Cisco’s architecture for secure segmentation and simplified network operation. The participants will examine how SD-Access integrates with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), supports zero-trust strategies, and provides centralized control over access policies.

The practical labs include:

  • Integration of Catalyst Center and ISE
  • Implement wired access with segmentation
  • Host onboarding
  • Implement fabric-enabled wireless access across the network

Through this module, participants will learn how to rethink the management of access and identity in distributed networks.

Day 3: Network Analytics and Assurance

Module 4: Learning Cisco Catalyst Center Assurance

Networks generate vast quantities of telemetry data, making it imperative to have tools that help you turn data into insight. In this module, participants learn about the Assurance features available in Catalyst Center, which provide real-time insights into network health, performance, and usage.

Module 5: Intelligence and Troubleshooting

As the course concludes, it focuses on troubleshooting techniques, insights, and trends that can be used to prevent downtime and improve response times. It is intended to provide participants with an understanding of how to interpret dashboards, understand performance anomalies, and use AI-powered analytics to diagnose and resolve issues within a short period of time.

Among the labs are:

  • Examine assurance dashboards and AI-based analytics
  • Examine the device configuration archive feature
  • Achieve optimal visibility through assurance settings customization

Theory to practice

For organizations who wish to operate at scale, adapt quickly, and secure their infrastructure, automation and assurance are no longer optional. Engineers who complete this course will be able to:

  • Plan and design networks that are scalable and policy-driven
  • Automate the configuration and monitoring process
  • Analyze network behavior and trends in depth
  • Troubleshoot and resolve issues quickly before they affect users
  • Integrate Cisco Catalyst Center with enterprise tools and platforms

This training provides the knowledge and hands-on experience necessary to lead with confidence, whether you are looking to modernize your current infrastructure or planning a complete digital transformation.

Final Thoughts: Enhance Your Network Engineering Skills

Taking the Cisco Catalyst Center for Network Automation and Assurance ((NIL-CNAA) course is more than just a training course – it is a career accelerator. This course provides engineers with a deeper understanding of technology, real-world lab scenarios, and expert-led instruction to help them take full control of their networks.

You can use this course as a launching point for transforming the way that your organization manages, automates, and ensures network performance.