Cisco ENSDWI 300-415 study plan

Cisco ENSDWI 300-415 · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

SD-WAN Architecture and Controller Deployment

Map the SD-WAN control-plane and data-plane components (controllers, validators, WAN Edge, orchestration plane) and explain the role of each in a written one-page diagram
Trace the controller bring-up sequence: enterprise root CA, signed certificates, controller authentication, and device serial-file onboarding
Compare controller deployment options (hosted cloud, on-premises ESXi/KVM, Cisco Cloud) and list the port/protocol requirements each needs
Configure a lab vManage/vSmart/vBond set and verify controller reachability with control connections from a simulated WAN Edge

A labeled architecture diagram plus a controller port/protocol checklist that you can explain without notes

Week 2

Describe the vManage clustering roles (cluster, primary, secondary) and the replication behavior for configuration and statistics
Build a device template and a feature template in the lab and push them to at least one WAN Edge
Differentiate CLI template, feature template, and attached-template workflows and choose the correct one for a given scenario
Verify template variables, device variables, and configuration rollback behavior after a failed push

A working feature-template and device-template pair applied to a lab WAN Edge, with a short write-up of the variables used

Week 3

Configure system, VPN 0 transport, VPN 512 management, and service-side VPNs on a WAN Edge using templates
Set up BGP and OSPF toward the service side and verify route exchange with show commands
Configure TLOC extensions and explain when color-based TLOC extension is required
Validate high-availability options (active/active, active/standby, and TLOC-based redundancy) in the lab

A multi-VPN lab topology with working underlay and overlay routing, evidenced by captured show command output

Week 4

Construct centralized and localized data policies and explain the order of evaluation between them
Build an application-aware routing policy using SLA classes and verify path selection when a link degrades
Configure traffic shaping and QoS on a WAN Edge and confirm queue behavior
Explain the difference between a control policy and a data policy and when each applies

A policy matrix documenting at least three policies (application-aware routing, QoS, and a control policy) with their match/action logic

Week 5

Configure a site-to-site IPsec tunnel and a full-mesh or hub-and-spoke overlay with encryption
Deploy a firewall feature template (zone-based or service-side) and validate zone pairing rules
Insert a service chain (firewall or IPS) and describe the difference between service-side and in-line insertion
Explain Direct Internet Access, its security implications, and how to steer DIA traffic through a SIG or cloud security service

A security design note covering encryption, firewall zoning, and service insertion, plus a working lab tunnel with captured verification output

Week 6

Configure an application-aware routing policy combined with a service-inserted firewall and confirm traffic follows the intended path
Set up URL filtering or an Advanced Malware Protection profile on a DIA path
Tune policy to handle failover when a preferred path or service node becomes unreachable
Document the interaction order between data policy, service insertion, and QoS

A combined policy-and-security lab scenario with a troubleshooting log showing at least one failover event

Week 7

Use vManage dashboards, alarms, and the real-time monitoring views to identify a simulated fault
Run troubleshooting commands on a WAN Edge (show sdwan control connections, show sdwan bfd sessions, show sdwan omp peers) and interpret output
Diagnose a control-connection failure caused by certificate or port issues
Use packet capture and logging to isolate an overlay vs underlay problem

A troubleshooting runbook with five common fault scenarios and the exact commands and expected outputs for each

Week 8

Perform a full timed practice run across all five domains and score each domain separately
Revisit weak areas identified by the practice run and re-read the relevant configuration guides
Explain controller scaling, redundancy, and upgrade considerations for a production deployment
Review the exam blueprint and confirm every objective has been covered at least once

A scored practice report with a remediation list and a final one-page exam-day summary sheet

Week 2: You can deploy a WAN Edge from templates end to end and explain each template type

Week 4: You can build and justify a data policy and an application-aware routing policy without reference material

Week 6: You can combine a data policy with service insertion and predict the resulting traffic path

Week 8: You score at least 80% overall and at least 70% in every domain on a timed practice run