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Implementing Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies
ENCOR · 5 days
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CiscoProfessional3 daysUpdated: July 2026
ENC9K Training for Your Team — Implementing Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series Switches
A campus hardware refresh looks like a procurement project until the boxes arrive. Then it becomes a skills project: the new Catalyst 9000 estate runs IOS XE, stacks differently, licenses differently, and offers a management and programmability layer the team has never used — while the migration itself has to happen without taking the campus down. ENC9K (Implementing Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series Switches) is the course teams book at exactly that moment.
In three days it covers the platform as operators need it: architecture and what actually changed, high availability and upgrade strategy, built-in security and segmentation, Catalyst Center as the management surface, and a structured approach to migrating off legacy Catalyst hardware. No exam attached — just the working knowledge a refresh assumes everyone already has.
We organize delivery through authorized partners, live online in your time zone, on site, or as a private group scheduled against your rollout dates and weighted toward the features your design uses.
Who this course is for
- Campus network engineers in the middle of a Catalyst 9000 refresh
- Operations teams inheriting a 9000-series estate deployed by an integrator
- Engineers preparing the switching layer for SD-Access or Catalyst Center adoption
- Integrator deployment teams standardizing their build practice
What your team will learn
Topic areas below are grouped in our own words. The full official agenda is available on request — it comes from the authorized partner as part of your quote.
- Catalyst 9000 architecture — what the platform actually changes versus older Catalyst lines
- IOS XE in practice: from the CLI you know to the programmability you will need
- High availability with stacking and StackWise Virtual, and upgrades without all-night windows
- Security and segmentation features built into the switching layer
- Managing the estate through Catalyst Center instead of switch by switch
- Migration planning from legacy Catalyst platforms — order of operations included
Key facts
| Duration | 3 days |
|---|---|
| Level | Professional |
| Prerequisites | CCNA-level switching knowledge and experience operating an enterprise campus network |
| Formats | Live online (VILT), On-site at your location, Private group, Seats in scheduled groups |
| Languages | English + local-language instructors on request |
Formats and how we organize it
- Live online (VILT)
- On-site at your location
- Private group
- Seats in scheduled groups
One request → three options
Fill in the form below — it takes a couple of minutes. Within 5 business days you compare 2–3 concrete offers — provider, instructor, dates, price below the public list. We contract and administer the delivery end to end. Details:how we work and vendor training.
ENC9K vs alternatives: which to choose
Factual criteria only — level, duration, audience and certification. The right choice depends on your team's starting point and stack.
Cisco ENCOR (Enterprise Core)
The broad CCNP Enterprise core across routing, switching, wireless and automation — 5 days, exam-oriented. Choose ENCOR for certification; ENC9K is the shorter platform course for teams whose immediate job is deploying and operating Catalyst 9000 hardware.
Cisco IBNTRN (Intent-Based Networking)
The next architectural step: SD-Access fabric and Catalyst Center operations on top of the 9000-series estate. Choose IBNTRN when the switches are in and the question becomes fabric and policy; ENC9K when the hardware itself is the project.
A custom intensive
Migrating a specific estate — say, Catalyst 6500 or 3850 fleets to 9000-series with minimal downtime? A custom 2-day program on our materials can rehearse your migration plan directly, including your topology and change windows.
Need only part of ENC9K?
If your team needs a subset of this program — or a mix of topics from several courses — we build a custom 2–4 day intensive on our own materials, shaped by your infrastructure. One custom program typically replaces 2–3 catalog courses.
Explore custom coursesENC9K: frequently asked questions
Is ENC9K tied to a certification exam?
No — it is a platform-focused course, not an exam-preparation one. Teams pursuing CCNP Enterprise take ENCOR and a concentration instead. ENC9K is booked for a concrete reason: a hardware refresh or an inherited 9000-series estate that must be run properly.
We already run older Catalyst switches. How much is genuinely new?
The CLI feels familiar; the platform is not. IOS XE architecture, stacking and StackWise Virtual, embedded security features, licensing and the programmability layer all differ from classic Catalyst — and defaults carried over from old designs are where refresh projects stumble.
Does the course cover Catalyst Center and SD-Access?
Catalyst Center appears as the management layer for the switching estate. Full SD-Access — fabric design, policy, migration — is the subject of the IBNTRN course. ENC9K makes sure the underlying switch platform is deployed and understood first.
Can the course follow our migration schedule?
Yes — as a private group, delivery can be timed just before your rollout and weighted toward the features your design uses: stacking versus StackWise Virtual, your upgrade method, your segmentation model. That timing is exactly when the course pays off most.
How do we organize ENC9K training?
Fill in the request form on this page — team size, format, timing. Within 5 business days you receive 2–3 options from authorized partners with vetted instructors, dates and prices below public lists.
Request 2–3 ENC9K training options — quotes within 5 business days
No commitment — describe the task and we come back with concrete options, dates and prices.
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