Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert
CCIE is an initialism for Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert. It is the highest level of professional certification Cisco Systems, Inc. provides. There are just over 12,000 CCIE certification holders worldwide[1].
The CCIE certification is widely considered to be the highest-level certification in computer networking (and perhaps in all of information technology) and sometimes referred to as "the doctorate of networking".
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CCIE tracks
There are 5 different CCIE tracks:
- Routing and Switching
- Security
- Service Provider
- Voice
- Storage Networking
Routing and Switching
Routing and Switching is the most popular track, and covers a broad overview of all LAN, WAN and dial access network techniques, such as Ethernet, TCP/IP, OSPF and BGP.
Security
There are only about 500 CCIE Security certification holders worldwide. This track concentrates on network security and covers subjects such as Cisco PIX firewall, IOS security, Wireless LAN, security and many others.
Service Provider
This track focuses on networking in the service provider industry. Only about 200 persons worldwide hold this certification. Subjects include optical networks, DSL, WAN switching, Voice over IP, Content Networking and Metro Ethernet.
Voice
In 2003, Cisco introduced the Voice track. There are about 140 CCIE Voice certification holders worldwide. This track concentrates on voice solutions for the enterprise and includes subjects such as QoS, MGCP, Call Manager (Cisco's VoIP PABX) and Unity, Cisco's Unified Messaging platform.
Storage Networking
The latest addition to the CCIE certification tracks is the CCIE Storage Networking track. So far, only 8 persons have passed this test. As the name suggests, this track concentrates on storage networking topics, such as Fibre Channel, iSCSI, FCIP and FICON.
The exams
In order to become a CCIE, you need to pass two exams; a written and a lab (each in the specific area of the chosen track.) The lab exam is a grueling, 8-hour exam designed to demonstrate that the candidate not only knows the theory but is also able to practice it. The CCIE lab exam is often considered the hardest exam in the IT industry. Many prospective CCIEs need 2 or more attempts to pass it.
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites for the CCIE exam, but Cisco recommends to have at least 3 - 5 years solid experience in networking before attempting to become a CCIE. It is not necessary to hold CCNA or CCNP certifications.