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Brocade Certified Fabric Admin and Professional Communication

The Brocade Certification program added areas of specialization called tracks for those that want to aim higher than individual exam credentials. These tracks consist of a series of exams building towards a greater level of competency called a Brocade Certified Professional.

Brocade certification and accreditation exam credentials do not expire. The Brocade Certified Professional track credentials must be kept current.

If you have the Brocade Certified Professional Data Center Track credential and we revise an exam within this track, you would have to re-certify on that exam within 2 years.

  • For example if you have the Brocade Certified Professional Data Center Track credential and we revise the BCFD exam June 1st, 2010 you would have until June 1st, 2012 to re-certify on the BCFD exam.

View the complete program description in our Certification Central messaging document.

The previous 8 Gbit/sec Brocade Certified Fabric Professional (BCFP) exam linked to two classes: CFP 270 Brocade 8 Gbit/sec Introduction to Administration and Theory and CFP271 Brocade 8 Gbit/sec Advanced Theory and Administration. Candidates had to be qualified in the skill sets associated with both classes in order to pass this exam.

To represent these exam changes and the inclusion of Fabric OS v6.2 and v6.3 into our courseware:

  • CFA 280 (Introduction to Fibre Channel Administration and Theory) teaches and reinforces the skills necessary to prepare for the BCFA exam.
  • CFP 380 (Advanced Fibre Channel Administration and Theory) teaches and reinforces the skills necessary to prepare for the BCFP exam.

The BCFA and BCFP Learning paths include courseware, nutshell guides, nutshell virtual classroom training (VCT) and knowledge assessments (practice tests) content:

CFP 270 --> CFA 280

The CFA 280 class updates material taught in CFP 270 by incorporating products and features added after Fabric OS v6.1.0 (up to Fabric OS v6.3):

  • Products include the DCX-4S backbone and:
    • New Blades: FS8-18 for encryption, FCOE10-24 for CEE & FCOE functionality, and FX8-24 for enhance FCIP functionality
    • New switches: Brocade 7800, 8000, and the BES (Brocade Encryption Switch)
    • New Server Connectivity products: Brocade HBAs (BR415, BR425, BR815, BR825) and CNA's (BR1010, BR1020)
  • Features include but are not limited to new license enhancements, 3 chassis ICLs and numerous CLI and configuration enhancements.

The CFP 270 course covers the fundamental skills needed to pass the BCFA certification exam. People who have taken the CFP 270 course do not necessarily need to take the CFA 280 course. We recommend they study the BCFA in a Nutshell Guide and, optionally, attend a BCFA in a Nutshell virtual classroom training event. See https://brocade.ilinc.com/perl/ilinc/lms/login.pl?template_dir=brocade for a list of Virtual Classroom Training offerings.

CFP 271 --> CFP 380

The CFP 380 class updates material taught in CFP 271 by incorporating advanced feature enhancements added after Fabric OS v6.1.0 (up to Fabric OS v6.3)

  • Adaptive networking: Bottleneck detection, QoS over TI Zones
  • FCR: LSAN Tagging and TI Zones over FCR
  • Access Gateway: Brocade 5100 support, auto rebalancing, adaptive networking support, automatic port configuration (APC), MEOS connection APC support, and persistent ALPA assignments.

The CFP 380 class also adds the following content

  • FCIP related to our new FCIP product line (Brocade 7800 and FX8-24 blade).
  • Advanced management with a focus on using DCFM to manage the advanced features discussed in the course.

CFP 380 is a blended learning offering that includes two components:

   1. A three day instructor led event that covers the following advanced Fabric OS features and functionality: Adaptive Networking, Fibre Channel Routing (FCR), FCIP (Fibre Channel over IP, Access Gateway and a section about using DCFM 10.3 to manage these advanced features. Each topic includes troubleshooting components.

   2. Approximately four hours of web-based training content. The web-based training content includes

  • A module on Fabric OS – MEOS Interoperability recommended for those interested in this topic and those that are interested in the BCFP exam.
  • The BCFA in a Nutshell guide (CFP 380 attendee's are expected to understand the basic administration concepts taught in CFA 280).
  • A narrated PPT review of CFA280 Hardware and Fabric OS Long Distance modules recommended for those that have not recently attended CFA280 and those interested taking the BCFP exam.

 

The CFP 380 blended learning course will NOT cover all of the BCFP content. Candidates interested in preparing for the BCFP exam should also take Virtual Fabric training offered in the following formats:

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? Contact Brocade Education 1.408.333.5036 education@Brocade.com