Properly, plainly we’ve got arrived in a brand new period of networking, and boy, did it come up on us shortly. Wasn’t it simply 5 years in the past we have been navigating the “Programmability Age?” Community automation, cloud, and NetDevOps have been all the fashion, and we have been celebrating the launch of the Cisco DevNet Certifications. Community engineers world wide have been studying the enjoyment of Python, APIs, and Ansible…
Wait… it was simply 5 years in the past… February 24, 2020, to be precise. What a 5 years it has been…
However that is not a weblog publish about previous success tales. It’s not a stroll down reminiscence lane about how, as CCIEs, we navigated main transitions in networking. Although we should always give ourselves some credit score, we actually have performed a bang-up job in previous transitions.
No… it is a weblog publish firstly of the following main transition in networking. Okay, perhaps this isn’t THE begin… and AI is definitely not only a transition in networking, however there’s positively a street in entrance of us all, and I’m strolling this street with every certainly one of you. So seize your knapsack, and let’s go!
For these of you who won’t know me, my identify is Hank Preston, and I’m a proud Cisco Licensed Internetwork Skilled (CCIE). I earned my CCIE in Routing and Switching on February 25, 2013, and later turned the primary Cisco Licensed DevNet Skilled on Might 2, 2022.
After I assume again on my journey to turn out to be “an professional,” it was my ardour for understanding how issues work, diving deep below the covers of advanced methods to comply with the packet (or code) circulation, having fun with the artistry of a debug output… Scratch that final one. 🙂
The journey to changing into an professional is all about what my boss, David Mallory, CCIE #1933, describes as “deliberate apply.” By the point you might be “an professional,” you’ve designed, constructed, and operated tons of of various networks. You could have made so many errors—after which fastened them. You could have earned the information and talent by means of focus and time.
And whenever you turn out to be “an professional,” you realize that nobody really is “an professional.” There’s all the time extra street in entrance of us, new challenges, and new issues to study. Which brings us again to right this moment’s matter: How will we navigate the AI period as a CCIE?
Navigating the AI period as a CCIE
Little doubt you’ve heard claims that “synthetic intelligence means we gained’t want CCIEs anymore.” Nevertheless, this chorus is one we’ve heard time and time once more.
Cloud was going to be the top of the CCIE.
Software program Outlined Networking was going to be the top of the CCIE.
Programmability was going to be the top of the CCIE.
These are simply examples from the final 15 years. Little doubt there have been claims that TCP/IP was going to be the top of the CCIE again when AppleTalk, ATM, DecNet, and so forth., have been all the fashion. So, no. AI will not be going to be the top of CCIEs. A minimum of it’s not except AI is the top of every thing… however I’m making an attempt to be an AI optimist nowadays.
CCIEs, AI, and Cisco Dwell Amsterdam 2025
I just lately returned from Cisco Dwell EMEA 2025, which befell in Amsterdam. Whereas it gained’t be a shock to anybody studying this that AI was a central focus throughout the present ground, what could be a shock to these of you who weren’t there was that technical experience—and particularly CCIEs—was additionally a spotlight throughout the week.
Through the opening keynote, Oliver Tuszik, President of Cisco EMEA, took time to acknowledge the worth CCIEs should each Cisco and our prospects and companions. He even took time to speak to 2 CCIEs, Michael, who earned his CCIE in 1993, and Esar, who earned his CCIE only a few months in the past in 2024.
Michael was one of many first CCIEs ever. When Oliver requested him why he continues to worth and stay a CCIE over 30 years later, I beloved his reply:
“[Cisco] by no means stopped instructing me about new rising applied sciences and holding me within the entrance line of know-how.”
Thanks, Michael. I couldn’t have mentioned it higher myself.
There’s yet another CCIE-specific spotlight from Cisco Dwell that I need to spotlight. For the primary time at Cisco Dwell EMEA, CCIEs who have been additionally NetVets have been invited to an unique Ask Me Something (AMA) Session with a gaggle of Cisco Executives, together with Chintan Patel (CTO EMEA), Tim Carnes (SVP International SEs), Matt Gillies (Fellow and Chief Architect), Phil Wolfenden (VP CX International TAC), and Oliver Tuszik (President EMEA). An identical AMA session has lengthy been held at Cisco Dwell within the US. Oliver particularly reached out to the Studying & Certifications and Cisco Dwell EMEA groups to arrange the occasion for CCIEs in EMEA.
These classes really are “ask me something,” and the CCIEs in attendance didn’t maintain again. A CCIE requested Phil how he and the Cisco Technical Help Middle (TAC) group have been getting ready for the AI transition. Did they nonetheless see a necessity for CCIEs on their very own group? The session isn’t recorded, so I can’t give Phil’s precise reply, however the gist was emphatic:
“CCIEs are completely nonetheless wanted. Like automation, AI is changing into superb at tackling routine, frequent points and issues. However by the character of how AI is skilled, issues which are new, distinctive, or advanced require human experience, creativity, and ingenuity. There’s and all the time be an enormous worth positioned on CCIEs throughout the Cisco TAC and CX group.”
I completely agree with Phil right here.
On the AI street with Studying & Certifications
For 32 years, the Studying & Certifications group has been strolling the street of community evolution with every certainly one of us. And as new applied sciences are born, the CCIE program and sources for CCIEs have advanced alongside the way in which. As a member of the Studying & Certifications group, I can inform you we’ve got all fingers on deck to assist and navigate our entrance into the AI period proper alongside you.
I gained’t inform you that we’ve got all of the solutions or that we all know what obstacles we’ll face alongside the journey. That wouldn’t be sincere. Issues are altering quick, and I haven’t received a crystal ball. However like we very just lately did with community automation and programmability, as a group, we are going to dive into AI, constructing our experience on a stable basis of deliberate apply, technical studying, sharing with one another, and fixing so many errors and errors. There could be just a few debugs alongside the way in which as nicely.
The largest place you may see how we’re taking AI critically throughout the CCIE program is the addition of AI Infrastructure as a brand new space of experience within the CCDE certification. Designing the infrastructure required to assist GenAI workloads and knowledge facilities entails distinctive community, safety, and compute concerns. Organizations in each geography and vertical are investing in AI, and having specialists able to serving to them quickly design and make this funding is a essential hurdle. The certification group moved quick to grasp these challenges and produce them to the CCDE and the group.
However how do you “study” these expertise? Our technical coaching group has been working simply as laborious and quick to assist there as nicely, and the brand new Cisco U. Studying Path AI Options on Cisco Infrastructure Necessities (DCAIE) has been launched. Even higher, the DCAIE Studying Path is offered FOR FREE till March 24, 2025, as a part of our ongoing Rev As much as Recert program. Reap the benefits of this brand-new AI studying and earn 34 Persevering with Training credit while you’re at it!
Rev As much as Recert: AI
AI Options on Cisco Infrastructure Necessities | DCAIE
Be taught and earn 34 CE credit (in 34 hours) without spending a dime, February 7 – March 24, 2025
Along with the brand new DCAIE Studying Path, there are plenty of free AI tutorials and different content material accessible on Cisco U.
Yet one more nice (and free) possibility accessible to get began with Synthetic Intelligence is the Introduction to Trendy AI course from Cisco Networking Academy. Don’t let the “NetAcad” location make you overlook this useful resource. This course offers a superb introduction, with hands-on workout routines to study key AI ideas and create some primary AI-enabled functions. Construct confidence in only a few hours—and have enjoyable while you’re at it.
There can be way more to come back within the close to future from myself and the Studying & Certifications group. I’m personally trying ahead to the following 12 months as I return to high school myself, studying and absorbing every thing I can about AI. And you may ensure I’ll be round in additional blogs, movies, reside streams, and conferences, sharing with every certainly one of you. Let’s benefit from the street collectively!
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