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.
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.
