Administering and Troubleshooting Cisco Catalyst Center - Assurance

Objective

• Introduction to Cisco Catalyst Center (DNAC) 
• Catalyst Center Design 
• Discovery and Provisioning of Catalyst Center 
• Monitoring Devices, Clients, and Application Health 
• Application Visibility and Catalyst Center-Umbrella Integration 
• Troubleshooting Issues, Observing Insights, and Trends 
• Troubleshooting Using Cisco DNA Center Assurance Tools 
• Catalyst Center and Thousand Eyes 
• AI Analytics and ML on Catalyst Center 
• Catalyst Center Maintenance 
• Compliance Audit for Network Devices 
• SWIM (Software Image Management) 
• Cisco Catalyst Center RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)  
• Cisco Prime to Cisco Catalyst Center Migration 

How you’ll benefit

• Learn how to Setup and Manage a Catalyst Center Solution
• Cisco Software-Defined Access solution, its components and features
• Learn how to Setup and Manage a Wired SDA Infrastructure
• Learn how to Setup and Manage a Wireless SDA Infrastructure
• Manage and Troubleshoot Catalyst Center Deployment

Audience

The primary audience for this course is as follows: 

• WAN Administrators
• WAN Engineers
• Security Administrators
• Security Engineers
• Network Administrators
• Network Engineers
• Helpdesk Support Administrators and Engineers
• NOC Support Administrators and Engineers
• IT Staff and Managers

Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Cisco Catalyst Center (DNAC) 

• Introduction to Cisco Catalyst Center: Overview of Cisco Catalyst Center, its role in network automation, and how it simplifies network management.
• System Architecture: Detailed examination of the Catalyst Center system architecture, including the components, their interactions, and how they contribute to network automation.
• Key Features and Use Cases: In-depth discussion of Catalyst Center's key features like automation, analytics, security, and their applications in real-world scenarios.
• CCC Licensing: Explanation of the licensing models available for Cisco Catalyst Center, including their features and pricing.
• Introduction to Cisco ISE and Catalyst Center-ISE Integration: Overview of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and its integration with Catalyst Center for enhanced security and policy enforcement.
• Lab 1: Installation of Catalyst Center from Scratch: Hands-on installation of Catalyst Center, including configuring various adapters. This lab is instructor-led and demonstrates the setup process from start to finish.
• Lab 2: Catalyst Center Cluster Configuration: Instructor-led demonstration of configuring Catalyst Center clusters, focusing on redundancy and high availability.
• Lab 3: Navigate the Catalyst Center GUI: Students will explore the Catalyst Center GUI, understanding its layout, key tabs, and features.
• Lab 4: Integrate Cisco ISE with Catalyst Center: Instructor-led integration of Cisco ISE with Catalyst Center, showcasing the setup and configuration processes.

Module 2: Catalyst Center Design 

• Network Design Options: This section provides an overview of different network design strategies within Catalyst Center, tailored to various organizational needs.
• Sites: Explanation of the concept of 'Sites' in Catalyst Center, including how they organize and manage network resources.
• Creating Enterprise and Site Hierarchy: This is a step-by-step guide to creating and managing hierarchical structures for enterprises and sites in Catalyst Center.
• Configuring General Network Settings: This section covers fundamental network settings such as DNS, DHCP, NTP, and AAA.
• Loading Maps into the GUI: Guide on importing and managing network topology maps within Catalyst Center.
• IP Address Management: Managing IP address pools and allocations within Catalyst Center.
• Software Image Management: Managing software images for network devices, including distribution and updates.
• Network Device Profiles: Creating and managing profiles that define configurations for network devices.
• AAA: Configuring Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) services within Catalyst Center.
• SNMP: Configuring Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) for device monitoring.
• Syslog: Setting up and managing Syslog for network event logging.
• IP Address Pools: Managing IP address pools for various network segments.
• Creating Enterprise and Guest SSIDs: Configuration of SSIDs for both corporate and guest access.

1. Creating the Wireless RF Profile: Configuring wireless Radio Frequency (RF) profiles to optimize network performance.
2. Creating the Guest Portal for the Guest SSIDs: Setting up a guest portal for guest network access, including authentication mechanisms.

• Network Profiles: Detailed explanation of network profiles in Catalyst Center and their use in simplifying device configuration.
• Authentication Templates: Creating and managing authentication templates for consistent security across the network.
• Lab 5: Design the Network Hierarchy and Configure Network Settings: Students will create a network hierarchy and configure various settings, including DNS, DHCP, AAA, and NTP.

Module 3: Discovery and Provisioning of Catalyst Center 

• Device Discovery and Protocols: This section provides an overview of the protocols used for discovering devices within Catalyst Center, such as SNMP, CDP, and LLDP.
• Plug and Play: This is an introduction to the Plug and Play (PnP) feature, which enables automated device onboarding.
• Devices Onboarding: Step-by-step process for onboarding devices in Catalyst Center, including assigning devices to sites and provisioning them with appropriate profiles.

1. Assigning Devices to a Site: Detailed guide on assigning discovered devices to the correct site hierarchy.
2. Provisioning Devices with Profiles: Configuring and applying device profiles during the onboarding process.

• Templates: Introduction to templates in Catalyst Center, used for consistent device configuration.

1. Templates for Day 0: Creating and applying templates for initial device configuration (Day 0).
2. Templates for Day N Operations: Developing templates for ongoing device management and operations (Day N).

• Lab 6: Discover Wired Device Manually in the Inventory, Assign to Site, and Provision: Students will manually discover a distribution switch, assign it to the correct site, and provision it.
• Lab 7: Discover Wired Device Using Plug and Play (PnP) Using Template Editor: Students will onboard an access switch using the PnP feature and the Template Editor, comparing manual and automated methods.
• Lab 8: Discover and Provision C9800 WLC, Configure Wireless SSIDs and Network Profiles: Students will discover a C9800 Wireless LAN Controller (WLC), automatically onboard Access Points (APs), and configure a corporate SSID with 802.1X authentication and a guest SSID with WebAuth.
• Lab 9: Configure C9800 WLC Using Template Editor: Students will create and apply configuration templates for a C9800 WLC.

Module 4: Monitoring Devices, Clients, and Application Health 

• Catalyst Center Telemetry: Introduction to Catalyst Center telemetry and its role in providing realtime network insights.
• Monitoring Network Device Health and Performance: Techniques for monitoring the health and performance of network devices using Catalyst Center.
• Monitoring Wired and Wireless Client Health and Performance: Monitoring the health and performance of wired and wireless clients within Catalyst Center.
• Monitoring Application Health and Performance: Ensuring application performance through monitoring and analysis within Catalyst Center.
• Lab 10: Configure Cisco Catalyst Center Assurance Telemetry Profiles and Apply to Devices: Students will configure telemetry settings and apply them to devices for monitoring purposes.
• Lab 11: Generate and Monitor Application Traffic on Catalyst Center for Clients: Students will generate application traffic and observe the results within Catalyst Center 's assurance section.

Module 5: Application Visibility and Catalyst Center-Umbrella Integration 

• Monitoring Application Visibility on Catalyst Center: Techniques for monitoring application visibility and performance within Catalyst Center.
• Umbrella Introduction: Overview of Cisco Umbrella, its features, and its integration with Catalyst Center.
• Catalyst Center Umbrella Integration and Use Cases: Use cases for integrating Catalyst Center with Cisco Umbrella, focusing on enhanced security and visibility.
• Lab 12: Application Visibility and Generate Client Traffic to Monitor Top Applications on Catalyst Center: Students will enable CBAR on the C9800 controller, create and monitor custom applications, and observe traffic visibility within Catalyst Center.
• Lab 13: Catalyst Center Umbrella Integration for DNS or SIG (Secure Internet Gateway): Students will integrate Catalyst Center with Umbrella, configure DNS policies, and push policies to block certain application traffic.

Module 6: Troubleshooting Issues, Observing Insights, and Trends 

• Detect Issues, Insights, and Trends in the Network: Utilizing Catalyst Center's capabilities to detect and analyze network issues, insights, and trends.
• Catalyst Center Integration with Other Tools for Monitoring Purposes: Integrating Catalyst Center with external tools like Syslog servers for comprehensive network monitoring.
• Lab 14: Assurance Dashboards – Health, Issues, and WiFi 6 on Catalyst Center: Students will explore Catalyst Center's assurance dashboards, reproduce issues, and analyze the resulting data. Integration with a Syslog server will also be covered.

Module 7: Troubleshooting Using Cisco DNA Center Assurance Tools 

• Catalyst Center Assurance Troubleshooting Tools: Overview of the tools available within Catalyst Center for troubleshooting network issues.
• Using Sensor Tests: Employing sensor tests to identify and resolve network problems.
• Using Intelligent Capture: Leveraging intelligent packet capture for in-depth network analysis.
• Spectrum Analyzer: Using Catalyst Center's spectrum analyzer to monitor wireless environments.
• Lab 15: Intelligent Packet Capture and Spectrum Analysis: Students will perform intelligent packet captures and conduct spectrum analysis within Catalyst Center.
• Lab 16: 1800s AP as Sensor: Students will configure an 1800s AP as a sensor, setting up various network and application tests.

Module 8: Catalyst Center and Thousand Eyes 

• Introduction to Thousand Eyes: Overview of Thousand Eyes, its capabilities, and how it integrates with Catalyst Center.
• Thousand Eyes Use Cases: Real-world examples of Thousand Eyes use cases, focusing on enhancing network visibility and performance.
• Catalyst Center Thousand Eyes Integration: Step-by-step guide to integrating Thousand Eyes with Catalyst Center.
• Lab 17: Application Visibility with Thousand Eyes and Catalyst Center: Students will install a Thousand Eyes enterprise agent on a 9300 switch via Catalyst Center, create network and HTTP server tests, and analyze the results.

Module 9: AI Analytics and ML on Catalyst Center 

• Overview of AI Analytics and ML (Machine Learning): Introduction to AI and ML, and their role in network automation and analytics.
• Catalyst Center AI and ML Use Cases: Practical examples of AI and ML applications within Catalyst Center.
• Lab 18: AI Endpoint Analytics on Catalyst Center: Students will explore Catalyst Center's advanced AI/ML features, including endpoint analytics through ISE integration.

Module 9: AI Analytics and ML on Catalyst Center

• Overview of WIPS (Wireless Intrusion Prevention System): Introduction to WIPS and its role in preventing wireless threats.
• Catalyst Center Rogue and aWIPS Features: Exploring Catalyst Center's capabilities for detecting and mitigating rogue devices and threats.
• Lab 19: Rogue Detection Lab: Students will simulate rogue AP scenarios and use Catalyst Center to detect and mitigate these threats.

Module 11: Catalyst Center Maintenance 

• Catalyst Center Backup and Restore: Best practices for backing up and restoring Catalyst Center configurations.
• Catalyst Center Reports: Generating and interpreting various reports within Catalyst Center for network analysis.
• Lab 20: Reporting on Cisco Catalyst Center: Students will generate and analyze reports on network performance and health.
• Lab 21: Catalyst Center Configuration Backup on External Server: Students will perform Catalyst Center configuration backups to an external server.

Module 12: Compliance Audit for Network Devices 

• Compliance Overview: Introduction to network compliance, its importance, and how Catalyst Center ensures devices adhere to policies.
• Manual Compliance Run: Performing manual compliance checks within Catalyst Center.
• View Compliance Summary: Understanding and interpreting compliance summaries within Catalyst Center.
• Types of Compliance: Overview of different compliance types (e.g., security, operational) and their significance.
• Compliance Behavior After Device Upgrade: How compliance status is affected by device upgrades, and best practices for maintaining compliance.
• Lab 22: Configure Standard Template for Devices: Students will configure standard templates for devices to ensure consistent compliance.
• Lab 23: Compliance Check on CCC: Students will perform compliance checks on devices managed by Cisco Catalyst Center.

Module 13: SWIM (Software Image Management) 

• Introduction to Cisco Catalyst Center Image Repository: Overview of the image repository in Catalyst Center and its role in managing device software.
• Defining the Golden Image: Establishing a golden image for consistent device software versions across the network.
• Deploying the Golden Image: Best practices for deploying and maintaining the golden image across devices.
• Lab 24: IOS-XE Device Upgrade/Downgrade Using SWIM via Catalyst Center: Students will upgrade or downgrade an IOS-XE device using Catalyst Center's SWIM feature.

Module 14: Cisco Catalyst Center RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)  

• User Profiles and Roles: Understanding RBAC in Catalyst Center, including user profiles and roles.
• Create, Edit, Delete, and Reset an Internal User: Managing internal user accounts within Catalyst Center.
• Configure Role-Based Access Control: Configuring RBAC settings to control user permissions and access.
• Configure External Authentication: Integrating external authentication services with Catalyst Center.
• Two-Factor Authentication: Enhancing security through two-factor authentication within Catalyst Center.
• Lab 25: Configure User, User Profile, and Roles: Students will configure user profiles, roles, and permissions within Catalyst Center.
• Lab 26: Configure RBAC to Manage Cisco Catalyst Center: Students will set up RBAC for managing Cisco Catalyst Center, ensuring secure access control.

Module 15: Cisco Prime to Cisco Catalyst Center Migration 

• Prime Data Migration Tool: Overview of the Cisco Prime Data Migration Tool, including its features and capabilities.
• Prerequisites for Prime Data Migration Tool: Understanding the prerequisites for successful data migration from Cisco Prime to Catalyst Center.
• Migration from Prime to Cisco Catalyst Center: Step-by-step guide to migrating network data from Cisco Prime to Cisco Catalyst Center.
• Lab 27: Prime to Cisco Catalyst Center Migration: Students will perform a data migration from Cisco Prime to Cisco Catalyst Center, learning the process and troubleshooting common issues