Study Guide Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE 400-007) Exam

The Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE 400-007) Exam Study Guide is a comprehensive resource tailored for network architects and senior engineers preparing for Cisco’s expert-level design certification. The guide systematically explores the conceptual, technical, and strategic dimensions of network design, aligning with the CCDE blueprint to ensure relevance and depth.

The book begins with foundational network design principles, covering methodologies like TOGAF and PBA, and progresses through business requirement gathering, high availability, and abstraction techniques. It provides deep dives into transport technologies across Layers 1–3, including MPLS, DWDM, and SD-WAN, and outlines optical and WAN design strategies.

Infrastructure services are thoroughly explained, featuring address planning, advanced routing protocols like BGP and OSPF, multicast strategies, QoS design, and services such as NTP, DHCP, and DNS. It addresses network virtualization using technologies like VRF, VXLAN, and LISP.

Security design is a core focus, with chapters on threat modeling, segmentation, Zero Trust, IAM integration, and perimeter defense. The guide also covers automation and assurance, delving into model-driven architectures, telemetry, APIs, and intent-based networking.

Operational topics include management architectures like FCAPS, telemetry tools, fault handling, and capacity planning. Domain-specific designs—campus, data center, cloud, and service provider—are thoroughly explored. Emerging technologies like SDN, NFV, 5G, AI/ML, and green networking round out the content.

Finally, real-world case studies and scenario-based exercises cultivate the analytical and documentation skills needed to pass the exam and succeed in practical roles. This study guide is both a technical manual and strategic roadmap for mastering expert-level network design.