Cisco UCS-X Infrastructure Design for AI Workloads

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Overview

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As organizations accelerate AI adoption, the demand for agile, high-performance infrastructure has never been greater. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the Cisco UCS X-Series, a modular platform designed to power intelligent computing. You will explore the flexible architecture of the X-Series and develop proficiency in unified, cloud-based management using Cisco Intersight. By bridging the gap between on-premises hardware and hybrid cloud environments, you will gain the skills necessary to support modern, automated IT operations. What makes this course unique is its focus on optimizing AI and machine learning workloads at scale. You will gain practical experience using the Cisco UCS AI Sizer tool to design infrastructure for demanding use cases and explore best practices for workflow orchestration with Cisco Intersight Cloud Orchestrator. Whether you are an infrastructure engineer or a cloud architect, this course provides a structured path to becoming a leader in AI-driven data center management. By the end of this journey, you will have the confidence to deploy and manage high-performance systems that drive innovation in today’s rapidly evolving IT landscape.

Syllabus

Cisco UCS-X Architecture

Imagine a world where your IT infrastructure can seamlessly adapt to the ever-changing demands of modern applications, from artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to big data and virtual desktops. As an IT professional, you know the challenges of managing diverse workloads, avoiding inefficiencies, and future-proofing your data center. What if you could simplify operations, reduce costs, and scale resources dynamically—all within a single, modular platform?The Cisco Unified Computing System (Cisco UCS) X-Series, powered by Cisco Intersight, offers a transformative approach to data center management. With its modular hardware architecture, cloud-based management, and the ability to support both traditional and next-generation workloads, this platform represents the future of computing.In this learning content, you will learn how the Cisco UCS X-Series integrates cutting-edge technologies, such as PCIe-based GPU acceleration, unified Ethernet fabrics, and software as a service (SaaS) driven management to deliver exceptional performance, versatility, and scalability. By learning these capabilities, you will be equipped to optimize your organization's infrastructure, simplify operations, and drive innovation. This course will empower you to harness the power of the Cisco UCS X-Series, enabling you to create a unified, future-ready data center for your organization. Are you ready to transform your approach to modern IT infrastructure? Let’s get started!

Cisco UCS AI Sizing Considerations

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, driving innovation, and enabling smarter, faster decision-making. But as AI and machine learning (ML) workloads grow in complexity, how can your data center infrastructure keep up? Imagine trying to train large language models (LLMs), process real-time inferencing, or optimize your business operations—all while ensuring scalability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. This learning content equips you with the knowledge to design and optimize your infrastructure for AI/ML workloads. Leveraging the Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS), you will learn how to map resource-intensive AI applications to the right server platforms, whether you are running traditional machine learning models, deep learning (DL) workloads, or cutting-edge generative AI systems. You will explore- The computational, storage, and networking needs of various AI/ML workloads, the role of graphics processing units (GPUs) and CPUs in training, fine-tuning, and inferencing, how to choose the right GPUs, servers, and configurations for your specific use case, and how to use Cisco UCS AI Sizer to plan and deploy optimized AI infrastructure. This knowledge will enable you to evaluate AI workloads, translate them into hardware specifications, and align your data center strategy with emerging trends in AI. Whether fine-tuning LLMs, deploying real-time inferencing at the edge, or supporting diverse AI applications, you meet these challenges with confidence.

Cisco UCS-X and GPU Solutions Implementation in Intersight

Imagine you are responsible for deploying, managing, or modernizing your organization’s data center infrastructure. You are constantly under pressure to deliver scalable compute resources, respond to changing business needs, and reduce configuration errors while supporting increasingly complex workloads like artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics. But traditional management tools often create silos, slow down operations, and make it harder to enforce consistency and compliance. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many IT professionals, like you, face the challenge of transitioning to next-generation compute systems while ensuring secure, automated, and policy-driven operations. That’s where the Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) X-Series and GPU (graphics processing unit) solutions with the Cisco Intersight IT operations platform come in. This learning content is designed specifically for IT architects, administrators, and engineers who want to accelerate and standardize data center deployments. You will explore the modular architecture of Cisco UCS X-Series, understand deployment best practices, and understand unified hybrid-cloud management through Cisco Intersight—including the Cisco Intersight Managed Mode architecture. Through practical scenarios and role-based guidance, you will learn how to - deploy and configure Cisco UCS X-Series infrastructure for modern workloads, leverage policy-based profiles to automate server, chassis, and domain configuration, choose the right Cisco Intersight deployment model based on your organization’s security and connectivity needs, extend unified management to third-party solutions using the Cisco Intersight Assist Virtual Appliance, and monitor GPU inventory and optimize infrastructure for demanding applications. By the end of this learning content, you will be able to design, deploy, and manage a next-generation data center environment that is agile, consistent, and future-ready. Let’s get started on transforming your approach to hybrid cloud infrastructure management.

Cisco UCS-X Operations and Support

Have you ever needed to operate, monitor, or support Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) X-Series in your data center? Would you like to have a more comprehensive understanding of the process to ensure seamless operations, proactive troubleshooting, and optimal performance? This learning content explains the critical processes and practical tools for operating, monitoring, and supporting Cisco UCS X-Series infrastructure with Cisco Intersight. It also covers best practices for health monitoring, proactive troubleshooting, and customizing dashboards for real-time visibility. Cisco Intersight improves operational efficiency across distributed environments by providing uniform server configuration and simplifying manual tasks. Skills and knowledge you will acquire include - diagnose faults and respond to critical alarms before they affect business continuity, manage server and Cisco Fabric Interconnect firmware upgrades with minimal disruption, ensure compliance through Hardware Compatibility Lists (HCLs), configure Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and Syslog policies for effective monitoring and auditing, and leverage proactive support and advisories to avoid security and hardware issues. These skills enable you to create and apply operational strategies for Cisco UCS X-Series infrastructure using Cisco Intersight. Are you ready to unlock the full power of cloud-managed infrastructure? Let’s get started!

Automation for Cisco UCS-X

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, organizations face constant pressure to accelerate operations, maintain agility, and manage increasingly complex IT environments. Traditional manual processes often lead to inefficiencies, inconsistencies, and delays, hindering your ability to deliver services quickly and reliably. IT operations teams and infrastructure administrators face the challenge of automating tasks, balancing risk, and delivering a cloud-like experience across diverse infrastructure. This learning content introduces you to Cisco Intersight Cloud Orchestration (ICO), a powerful cloud-based platform that simplifies and automates complex IT workflows across your data centers and clouds. With Cisco ICO, you will gain the skills to revolutionize your IT operations, shifting from reactive troubleshooting to proactive, automated management. Throughout this course, you will learn how to do the following - understand the core concepts of Cisco ICO and its role in streamlining IT operations, design and build custom tasks using the intuitive Cisco ICO Task Designer, enabling you to automate specific actions without extensive coding, create and manage sophisticated workflows, using built-in capabilities and incorporating custom logic to orchestrate a series of tasks, implement advanced features such as using task outputs as inputs for subsequent tasks, managing workflow versions, and employing conditional tasks to control execution paths, utilize the Cisco ICO Task Response Parser to extract critical information from task outputs and apply transformation functions to manipulate data within your workflows, and use the rollback feature to quickly recover from failed deployments and maintain application uptime. By the end of this content, you will be equipped to confidently design, implement, and manage robust automation solutions with Cisco ICO, enhancing efficiency, consistency, and rapid service delivery within your organization.