Which CCNP Service Provider Concentration Exam Should You Choose?
The CCNP Service Provider certification gives individuals the up-to-date validation and proof of expertise they need to attain high-level professional jobs such as senior network engineer, senior system engineer, network designer, senior network manager, or senior network administrator. These senior-level positions can be difficult to attain without adequate certification.
If you want to be a network professional responsible for troubleshooting routing protocols in service provider environments, you should consider this Cisco certification. In this article, you will learn about the general structure and aim of the exam, including the first levels of the exam you will need to pass. Then we will uncover how the SPRI certification stands out from other CCNP service provider certifications and why you should get it.
What Is the CCNP Service Provider Exam?
An advanced-level professional certification, the CCNP Service Provider allows individual service providers to prove their proficiency in high-level configuration and maintenance of service provider networks. The certification is offered by Cisco Systems and is notably difficult to attain.
Advanced-level service providers must first show that they are proficient in implementing and working with the core technologies of the Cisco service provider network. This includes working with the core architecture, networking, automation, security, network assurance, and services that comprise the Cisco service provider network. Individual service providers must then demonstrate sophisticated mastery of one specialized area of design or administration for the service provider network.
What Does the CCNP Service Provider Exam Consist Of?
The CCNP Service Provider Exam tests a high-level IT professional’s capability to enact and maintain the infrastructure and functions of a service provider network. To test for the concentrated SPRI certification, service provider individuals must first pass the concentrated core exam.
The core exam tests your ability to implement OSPF, IS-IS, high availability, and route maps. It determines whether you are able to implement MPLS, engineer traffic, and route segments. The core exam also tests a service provider’s configuration skills, testing whether they can configure QoS, Carrier Ethernet, L3VPN, multicast, and L2VPN services. The certification candidate should also be able to automate network components and manage configurations. Candidates should be able to identify the uses of the service provider network’s core architectures, virtualization processes, and transport mediums.
Anyone can take the concentration and core exams, as they have no prerequisites. However, service providers typically have gained three to five years of experience before undertaking the challenging exam process.
The certifications are each valid for three years from the date they are initially awarded. Service provider professionals seeking to renew their certifications can do so either by earning 80 continuing education credits or by passing one professional concentration exam and earning 40 continuing education credits. They do not need to retake the core exam.
What You Need To Know About Each Service Provider Concentration Exam
Once an IT professional has passed the Operating Cisco Service Provider Network Core Technologies Exam (300-501 SPCOR), they can choose from three specific concentrations for their second exam. These options are:
Implementing Cisco Service Provider VPN Services (300-515 SPVI)
Implementing Automation for Cisco Service Provider Solutions (300-535 SPAUTO)
Implementing Cisco Service Provider Advanced Routing Solutions (300-510 SPRI)
Each service provider steers your career path towards different opportunities and allows you to acquire distinct sets of skills. Here’s what you need to know about each of the three service provider concentration exams so that you can choose which option best suits your IT career trajectory.
Implementing Cisco Service Provider VPN Services (300-515 SPVI)
By training for the implementing Cisco Service Provider VPN Services (300-515 SPVI) exam you will become skilled in reinforcing end-customer Virtual Private Network spaces (VPNs). This certification focuses on VPNs run through a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) service provider. To complete the exam, you will have to be able to manage essential components of a VPN environment, including MPLS VPN routing and data management. You will also be able to configure paths for server traffic that can help to reduce and prevent congestion within the network.
Who Should Take the VPN Services (300-515 SPVI) Exam?
This specific concentration exam is appropriate for IT professionals who know (or want to learn) how to implement, maintain, support, analyze, and oversee service provider VPN pathways that run on an MPLS backbone. Professionals who may want to take this exam concentration include:
Network engineer
Network designer
Network manager
Network administrator
Network supervisor
Network architect
Channel partner
Network Operations Center (NOC) employees
Implementing Automation for Cisco Service Provider Solutions (300-535 SPAUTO)
By training for the Implementing Automation for Cisco Service Provider Solutions (300-535 SPAUTO) exam, you will shore up your skills and expertise in scaling and streamlining service provider network infrastructures. You will use network programmability and the latest in data modeling to implement and maintain service provider network infrastructures. To prepare for this concentration exam you must have a working knowledge of how to orchestrate and program OS, work with automation, engineer and deploy automated solutions, and manage new network protocols across hundreds of servers from one central database.
You should also have a good working ability to utilize specific data models and network management protocols such as YANG (Yet Another Next Generation), NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol), and RESTCONF (Representational State Transfer Configuration Protocol). You should be able to work with automated network operations tools such as WAE (WAN Automation Engine), and other automation tools such as Ansible and NetMiko, among other specific protocols and tools.
Who Should Take the Cisco Service Provider Solutions (300-535 SPAUTO) Exam?
This specific concentration exam is appropriate for IT professionals who want to certify their skills in deploying and maintaining automation techniques in a service provider network setting, including a strong ability to use automation tools, protocols, and data modeling. Professionals who may want to take this exam concentration include:
Network engineer
Network supervisor
Network manager
Network designer
Network administrator
Network Operations Center (NOC) employee
Network architect
Implementing Cisco Service Provider Advanced Routing Solutions (300-510 SPRI)
As you prepare for the Implementing Cisco Service Provider Advanced Routing Solutions (300-510 SPRI) Exam you will learn the skills and theories to incorporate sophisticated routing technologies in the service provider core networks. You will be able to demonstrate advanced skills in policy language, MPLS (multiprotocol label switching), multicast routing, segment routing, and other routing protocols.
Who Should Take the Cisco Service Provider Advanced Routing Solutions (300-510 SPRI) Exam?
These core network service provider skills are adaptable and in high demand by many companies today. Professionals who may be interested in pursuing Implementing Cisco Service Provider Advanced Routing Solutions (300-510 SPRI) certification include:
How the SPRI Differs From the Other CCNP Service Provider Concentration Exams
Unlike the other CCNP Service Provider Concentration exams, the Implementing Cisco Service Provider Advanced Routing Solutions Exam, or SPRI, focuses on a range of specific topics designed to demonstrate an individual’s advanced level skills at routing protocols. These specific subjects include:
Quality of service (QoS)
IP multicast routing
MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching)
Optimization of service provider routing solutions
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) configuration
OSPF, IS-IS, and BGP troubleshooting
Open Shortest Path First (OSPFv2) implementation
PIM-SM protocol implementation and verification
Policy language
Routing protocols
Integration into the service provider network and other advanced-level topics
The SPRI concentration has proved to be the most popular for prospective Cisco CCNP certification candidates. Since highly qualified specialists are in short supply, the demand for senior-level employees with valid skills - and the challenging certifications to prove it - remains high.
Studies show that companies using manual processes for their standard operating procedures spend an average of 19% of their workweek just searching for information. Establishing streamlined routing protocols can reduce wasted time and energy in an organization’s overall efficiency. As more and more organizations undergo digital transformation, transferring their business file storage and dealings to remote cloud-based platforms, IT engineers are increasingly in demand.
This means that the Cisco CCNP Service Provider certification with the SPRI concentration is an extremely valuable asset for IT professionals seeking to rise in the ranks. Employees who pass the SPRI concentration exam become eligible for higher-paying salaries, more senior positions, and more attractive benefits.
Cisco CCNP Service Provider: A Professional Catalyst
For network administrators and system managers seeking to increase their viability and pursue a more lucrative position in their organization, proof of highly advanced skills is essential. Most entry-level to mid-level jobs will not require as sophisticated a certification as the Cisco CCNP Service Provider certification. However, this certification can be invaluable for higher-level employees who are ready to advance their careers.
Among the specific concentration options available to certification candidates, the Advanced Routing Solutions concentration, or SPRI, is the most valuable, as it provides engineers and other IT professionals with valid proof that they have demonstrated expertise in high-demand skills, such as maintaining and developing, implementing, and operating advanced technologies involving the Cisco service provider core networks.
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