The Cisco 300-610 DCID exam, Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure for Traditional and AI Workloads, is a concentration exam in the CCNP Data Center track. It tests whether you can choose and justify designs for data center networks, compute, storage networks and automation using Cisco technology. It suits network engineers, data center engineers and solutions architects who plan infrastructure rather than only configure it, and who now need to account for AI and machine learning traffic in their designs.
Most Cisco data center exams ask what a feature does or how to configure it. DCID asks a different question: given these business and technical constraints, which design is the best fit and why? Expect scenarios about oversubscription, failure domains, Layer 2 versus Layer 3 boundaries, storage connectivity, and the tradeoffs between management models.
The v1.2 update added AI and machine learning material. Candidates are expected to describe concepts such as training versus inference, understand the role of GPUs and DPUs or SmartNICs, and evaluate technologies built for demanding AI fabrics, including RoCEv2, Ethernet, InfiniBand and Remote Direct Memory Access.
CCNP Data Center is earned by passing two exams: the core exam, Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (350-601 DCCOR), and one concentration exam of your choice. DCID is the design concentration. Other concentration options focus on ACI implementation, data center infrastructure troubleshooting and automation. Passing a concentration exam by itself also earns a specialist level Cisco credential, so DCID can stand alone as a credential or serve as the second half of a CCNP.
Cisco does not set formal prerequisites for this exam. You can sit DCID without holding another certification. Cisco does recommend experience with data center networking, Cisco UCS and storage networking before attempting a design focused exam, because the questions reward judgment built from practical work. If you plan to earn the full CCNP, you will also need to pass 350-601 DCCOR, but the order is your choice.
The exam runs 90 minutes. Cisco does not guarantee a fixed number of questions, and the count can vary between exam forms, so confirm current details on Cisco’s page. Cisco also does not publish a single fixed passing score, which can vary by form. Question types include multiple choice and multiple response items, and some candidates report scenario style prompts. Plan for a steady pace, because design scenarios take longer to read than short factual questions.
The blueprint has four domains. The weights below come from the published blueprint and should be confirmed against the latest Cisco topic list.
Domain | Approximate weight |
|---|---|
Network Design | 35% |
Compute Design | 25% |
Storage Network Design | 20% |
Automation Design | 20% |
Network Design covers Layer 2 and Layer 3 connectivity options, vPC, interconnecting data centers with technologies such as VXLAN EVPN and OTV, network segmentation with VXLAN and Cisco ACI, management approaches, and the AI/ML networking topics above.
Compute Design covers Ethernet and storage connectivity for Cisco UCS, fabric interconnect operating modes, network device virtualization with Cisco VIC adapters, adapter and vCon placement policies, and hyperconverged infrastructure.
Storage Network Design covers iSCSI deployment, Fibre Channel design and QoS requirements for storage traffic.
Automation Design covers Cisco Intersight, Intersight Cloud Orchestrator workflows, and automated network deployment and management with Nexus Dashboard.
Cisco exams are scheduled through Pearson VUE, and you will need a Cisco certification account to register. Exams are generally available at test centers and, in many regions, through online proctoring. Because fees, payment options, ID rules and available delivery methods can differ by country, start from Cisco’s official certification pages and follow the current steps there. Cisco Learning Credits and vouchers may also be available through training partners.
A design focused credential signals that you can plan data centers, not only operate them. That matters for roles such as data center engineer, infrastructure architect, systems engineer and pre sales or solutions architect working with Nexus, UCS and ACI. The AI workload content gives the certification added relevance for teams that are preparing existing facilities for GPU clusters and lossless Ethernet or InfiniBand fabrics. It is most useful for people who already work with Cisco data center products and want formal proof of their design skills.
Because DCID rewards design judgment, it helps to practise reading a scenario, spotting the constraint that matters, and ruling out options that fail it. The free practice tests on AllExamQuestions.com let you rehearse that habit and see which domains need more study. Treat them as a way to find gaps, then return to Cisco’s official exam topics and training material to close them.
Last updated on Oct, 15 2026
