Cisco DCAUTO 300-635 study plan
Cisco DCAUTO 300-635 · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Data Center Automation and Programmability Fundamentals & Cisco ACI and NX-OS Automation with APIs and Scripting
Map the 300-635 blueprint into a personal checklist that tags every objective to a domain and a hands-on artifact
Explain the difference between imperative CLI automation, model-driven programmability (NETCONF/RESTCONF/gNMI), and controller-based intent to a colleague in under five minutes
Stand up a local lab with Nexus 9000v or ACI simulator plus a Python virtual environment and Postman
Write and run a first Python script that authenticates to an NX-OS device over REST and retrieves interface counters
Your checkpoint
A one-page blueprint checklist plus a working Python script and Postman collection that authenticate to the lab and pull interface state
Data Center Automation and Programmability Fundamentals & Cisco ACI and NX-OS Automation with APIs and Scripting
Compare YANG models, OpenConfig versus native models, and identify which payloads a given NX-OS feature exposes
Perform NETCONF get-config and edit-config operations against the lab and capture the request/response pairs
Distinguish REST API authentication methods (basic, token, cookie) and implement token refresh in a script
Describe data center automation drivers and where Ansible, Terraform, and controllers each fit
Your checkpoint
A lab notebook with annotated NETCONF and REST request/response captures for at least three distinct NX-OS operations
Cisco ACI and NX-OS Automation with APIs and Scripting & Cisco Nexus Dashboard and Data Center Network Management Automation
Automate VLAN and interface configuration on NX-OS using both the NX-API CLI and NX-API REST interfaces
Implement idempotent configuration logic that reads current state before pushing changes
Explore Cisco Nexus Dashboard APIs for site inventory and fabric health retrieval
Configure role-based access and least-privilege credentials for automation accounts in the lab
Your checkpoint
A Python module that idempotently provisions VLANs and access ports across two lab switches and logs before/after state
Cisco Nexus Dashboard and Data Center Network Management Automation & Data Center Automation and Programmability Fundamentals
Enumerate the Nexus Dashboard services (Insights, Orchestrator, Fabric Controller) and state what each automates
Retrieve and interpret fabric health, anomalies, and assurance data through Nexus Dashboard APIs
Explain the role of the Nexus Dashboard in multi-site and NDFC-managed fabrics
Trace a configuration change from API call to device-level result
Your checkpoint
A written walkthrough of one end-to-end Nexus Dashboard API workflow with screenshots of returned JSON and an interpretation of each field
Infrastructure as Code and Configuration Management (Ansible, Terraform, CI/CD) & Cisco ACI and NX-OS Automation with APIs and Scripting
Build an Ansible inventory and playbook that configures NX-OS devices using network-specific modules
Implement a Terraform workflow that provisions infrastructure and manages provider state safely
Use idempotency checks and dry-run modes to validate changes before applying them
Store secrets and credentials outside playbooks and repositories
Your checkpoint
A Git repository containing an Ansible role and a Terraform configuration that both target the lab, with a README documenting variables and secret handling
Infrastructure as Code and Configuration Management (Ansible, Terraform, CI/CD) & Cisco Nexus Dashboard and Data Center Network Management Automation
Design a CI/CD pipeline that lints, validates, and deploys network configuration changes
Add automated tests and config diff gates that block non-compliant changes
Integrate a configuration source of truth with the pipeline
Define rollback and approval steps for failed deployments
Your checkpoint
A working CI pipeline (GitHub Actions or GitLab CI) that runs lint, validation, and a simulated deployment against the lab with a passing and a deliberately failing run captured
Cisco ACI and NX-OS Automation with APIs and Scripting & Infrastructure as Code and Configuration Management (Ansible, Terraform, CI/CD)
Automate ACI tenant, AP, EPG, and contract creation through the ACI REST API
Use ACI object model conventions (DN, class, RN) to query and modify objects programmatically
Apply an Infrastructure-as-Code pattern to ACI policy so tenants are reproducible from a repository
Compare ACI and NX-OS automation approaches and choose appropriately for a scenario
Your checkpoint
A script or Terraform configuration that builds a complete tenant with EPGs and contracts from a declarative input file, verified in the ACI simulator
Data Center Automation and Programmability Fundamentals & Cisco Nexus Dashboard and Data Center Network Management Automation & Infrastructure as Code and Configuration Management (Ansible, Terraform, CI/CD) & Cisco ACI and NX-OS Automation with APIs and Scripting
Re-run every blueprint checklist item and mark gaps with a remediation action
Complete timed practice questions across all four domains and analyze misses by domain
Rebuild one deliverable from scratch without notes to confirm retention
Write a final weak-area list with a post-exam learning plan
Your checkpoint
A scored practice exam log by domain plus a one-page gap analysis with remediation actions
Milestones
Week 2: Can independently authenticate to a lab device and perform a NETCONF edit-config and a REST API call without referring to notes
Week 4: Can explain Nexus Dashboard services and complete a Nexus Dashboard API workflow end to end, scoring 70 percent or higher on a self-made domain 1 and 2 quiz
Week 6: Has a CI pipeline in version control that lints, validates, and simulates deployment, with evidence of both a passing and a failing run
Week 8: Scores 80 percent or higher on a full timed practice set, with no domain below 70 percent, and has a documented gap list