The second step to proving technical knowledge and competency is to become a Veritas Certified Professional (VCP) based on a specific area of solution expertise with multiple Veritas products. The VCP program validates skills and technical competencies necessary for Veritas professionals to design, architect and implement multiple solutions in Insights, Data Protection, and Availability. To achieve this level of certification, candidates must pass at least one VCS test for each product listed in the solutions below.

Job board search results (in alphabetical order, by certification)*

*Search results for the generic phrase “VCE data center engineer”

Regardless of which job board you use, you’ll find many employers looking for qualified people to join their data center teams. SimplyHired lists 114,000-plus data center jobs in the U.S., with more than 172,000 on Indeed, 50,000 on LinkedIn Jobs and 20,000 on LinkUp. With the right credential(s) in hand, one of these jobs is sure to be yours.

Data center job roles start at the network technician level and advance through senior architect. Most of the certifications covered would fit well with an associate- or professional-level network engineer position. According to SimplyHired, the average salary for network engineer jobs is about $79,000, and $111,000 for senior network engineers. Glassdoor reports a U.S. national average salary of about $73,000 for network engineers, and their average for senior network engineers climbs to $94,000.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Data Center

Cisco certifications continue to be some of the most recognizable and respected credentials in the industry. The CCNA Data Center certification is a great introductory certification for networking professionals who want to specialize in data center operations and support and have 1-3 years of experience.

Candidates for the CCNA Data Center certification need to understand basic data center networking concepts. These include addressing schemes, troubleshooting and configuring switches with VLANs and routers using Nexus OS, network and server virtualization, storage, and common network services such as load balancing, device management and network access controls.

The CCNA Data Center is valid for three years, after which credential holders must recertify. Recertification requires passing a current version of one of the following exams:

• Associate-level test (except for ICND1 exam)
• 642-XXX professional-level or 300-XXX professional-level exam
• 642-XXX Cisco Specialist test (does not include Sales Specialist exams or MeetingPlace Specialist exams, Implementing Cisco TelePresence Installations (ITI) exams, Cisco Leading Virtual Classroom Instruction exams, or any 650 online exams)
• Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) written exam
• Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) written test or current CCDE practical exam

Candidates can also sit through the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview and the CCAr board review to achieve recertification for CCNA Data Center.

CCNA Data Center facts and figures

Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Data Center

Networking professionals looking to validate their data center skills and achieve a competitive edge in the workplace can’t go wrong with the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Data Center credential.

Geared toward technology architects, along with design and implementation engineers and solutions experts, the CCNP Data Center identifies individuals who can implement Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) rack-mount servers; install, configure and manage Cisco Nexus switches; and implement and deploy automation of Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI). The CCNP Data Center is designed for candidates with 3-5 years of experience working with Cisco technologies.

When pursuing the CCNP Data Center, Cisco lets you choose either a design or troubleshooting track. Related data center certifications include the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA Data Center), for those with 1-3 years of experience, and the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Data Center, aimed at professionals with seven or more years of experience.

The CCNP Data Center is valid for three years, after which credential holders must recertify. The recertification process requires candidates to pass a single test to maintain the credential, or to sit for the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview and the CCAr board review. Credential holders should check the Cisco website for the current list of qualifying exams before attempting to recertify.

CCNP Data Center facts and figures

JNCIP-DC: Juniper Networks Certified Professional Data Center

Juniper Networks, based in California and incorporated in 1997, develops and sells network infrastructure equipment and software aimed at corporations, network service providers, government agencies and educational institutions. The company has a large certification and training program designed to support its solutions, which includes Data Center, Junos Security, Enterprise Routing and Switching, and Service Provider Routing and Switching tracks.

The Data Center track recognizes networking professionals who deploy, manage and troubleshoot Juniper Networks Junos software and data center equipment. The single test (JN0-680) covers data center deployment and management, including implementation and maintenance of multi-chassis link aggregation group (LAG), virtual chassis and Internet Protocol (IP) fabric, virtual extensible LANs (VXLANs), and data center interconnections.

The JNCIP-DC certification is good for three years. To renew the certification, candidates must pass the current JNCIP-DC exam.

JNCIP-DC facts and figures

VCE-CIAE: VCE Converged Infrastructure Administration Engineer

VCE, short for Virtual Computing Environment, was part of EMC Corporation, which Dell acquired in 2016. The VCE line of converged infrastructure appliances are still being manufactured and widely sold, and the company has a handful of VCE certifications geared toward designing, maintaining and supporting those solutions.

VCE certifications are now part of the larger Dell EMC Proven Professional certification program but have retained some independence. The program currently offers the VCE Certified Converged Infrastructure Associate (VCE-CIA), VCE Converged Infrastructure Administration Engineer (VCE-CIAE) and VCE Converged Infrastructure Master Administration Engineer (VCE-CIMAE) credentials. We focus on the VCE Administration Engineer in this article because it’s available to the public as well as Dell employees and partners, and it ranks well in job board searches.

The VCE-CIAE is a professional-level credential that recognizes professionals who manage and support Vblock Systems. The single test includes courses such as system concepts, administration, security, resource management, maintenance and troubleshooting.

Candidates must recertify every two years to maintain a VCE certification. To renew, credential holders must pass the current VCE-CIA test (this is the prerequisite for the VCE-CIAE certification), as well as pass the current VCE-CIAE test or earn a higher-level credential.

VCE-CIAE facts and figures

VCP6-DCV: VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization

The VCP6-DCV is one of those credentials that sits firmly on the line between traditional data center networking and cloud management. As such, it appeals to a wide networking audience. In fact, the VMware website states that more than 100,000 professionals have earned VMware VCP6-DCV certification, making it one of the company’s most popular certifications.

VMware offers an extensive certification program with a rigorous Data Center virtualization track, which includes the VCP6-DCV. Candidates must thoroughly understand Domain Name System (DNS), routing and database connectivity techniques, and how to deploy, configure, manage and scale VMware vSphere environments and storage. VMware recommends that candidates have a minimum of six months of experience with VMware vSphere 6 before attempting the VCP6-DCV certification.

New candidates must take a VMware training course and pass two exams. Training courses start at $4,125; pricing is based on the specific course, delivery format and learning partner.

VMware requires credential holders to recertify every two years. Recertification is achieved by taking whatever test is most current for the certification, earning a new VCP certification in a different solution track or advancing to the next-level VMware certification.

Note: VMware certifications are geared toward the VMware vSphere product, the latest incarnation of which is Version 6.5. As of April 2019, VMware is still rolling out various Version 6.5 exams. Currently, Version 6.5 exams are offered for the Professional and Advanced Professional (Design only) levels. We anticipate that Version 6.5 exams and credentials at the Associate, Advanced Professional Deploy and Expert levels will follow soon.

VCP6-DCV facts and figures

Beyond the top 5: More data center certifications

While not featured in the top five this year, the BICSI Data Center Design Consultant (DCDC) is a terrific certification, designed for IT professionals with at least two years of experience in designing, planning and implementing data centers. This vendor-neutral certification is ideal for data center engineers, architects, designers and consultants. Another good vendor-neutral certification is Schneider Electric’s Data Center Certified Associate (DCCA), an entry-level credential for individuals who design, build and manage data centers as part of a data center-centric IT team.

CNet’s Certified Data Centre Management Professional (CDCMP) and Certified Data Centre Technician Professional (CDCTP) are also worthy of honorable mention. Based in the U.K., these certifications don’t appear in a lot of U.S. job board postings but still deliver solid results from a general Google search.

IT professionals who are serious about advancing their data center careers would do well to check out complementary certifications from our featured vendors. For example, Cisco also offers a number of certifications in data center design and support, including application services, networking infrastructure, storage networking and unified computing. VMware also offers additional data center virtualization certifications worth exploring, including the VMware Certified Advanced Professional 6.5 – Data Center Virtualization Design (VCAP6.5-DCV Design) and the VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX6-DCV). Also, the Dell EMC Proven Professional certification program offers a bevy of data center-focused certifications, including the Dell EMC Implementation Engineer (EMCIE) and the Dell EMC Certified Cloud Architect (EMCCA).

Because of the proliferation of data center virtualization and cloud computing, you can expect the data center networking job market to continue to remain strong soon. Achieving a certification can be a real feather in your cap, opening the door to new and better work opportunities.

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

Sep 22, 2022 (Market Insight Reports) -- The Network Security Appliance market document offers the list of chief competitors & provides strategic insights & analysis of key factors influencing the industry. This Network Security Appliance market analysis makes businesses acquainted about various segments that are relied upon to observe the rapid business development amid the estimate forecast frame. This Network Security Appliance market research report has wide-ranging & comprehensive market insights which are based on business intelligence. This global Network Security Appliance market report best suits the requirements of clients. A panel of skilled analysts, well-versed statisticians, knowledgeable research experts, enthusiastic forecasters, & smart economists work carefully to generate such excellent market research report for the businesses.

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

Sep 23, 2022 (The Expresswire) -- "Network Security Appliance Market" valuation is Projected to reach 13050 Mn USD by 2027, From 7157.7 Mn USD In 2022, at a CAGR of 8.5% throughout the forecast period. The market is segmented on the basis of End-user Industry (Government Organizations, SMEs, Large Organisation), By Type (Firewall, Unified Threat Management (UTM), Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP), Content Management (Web and Messaging), Virtual Private Network (VPN)), and Geography (Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle-East and Africa)

Network Security Appliance Market Research Report is spread across 102 Pages and provides exclusive data, information, vital statistics, trends, and competitive landscape details in this niche sector.

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

A device that is dedicated to a specific function in contrast to a general-purpose computer. The hardware comes pre-installed with its operating system and application. Many consider the router to be the first network appliance.

A "software appliance" is the software alone, which must be installed in the computer. Following is a list of common hardware appliances. See virtual appliance.

    caching appliance
    digital appliance
    email appliance
    firewall appliance
    Internet appliance
    Internet server appliance
    network appliance
    server appliance

BCD announced the release of the company's first-ever original design manufactured device, a 1U all-in-one network video recorder.

The recorder is capable of storing up to 80TB of raw storage, available with either an eight or twenty-four port PoE+ to PoE switch. The eight-port system is powered with an Intel Core i5-7500 processor, with a Passmark rating of 6059, and the 24-port unit is driven by an Intel Core i7-7700, with an 8653 Passmark rating.

The AIO is a surveillance appliance that comes standard with a scalable managed switch with PoE+ to PoE support, PoE Management software and TMP 2.0 functionality, and Web management UI for Switch configuration, PoE settings, etc.

All systems include four drive bays, allow for RAID 0/1/5/10, and BCD’s Harmonize Bridge, powered by Tiger Technology, delivering hybrid cloud capability, as well as disaster recovery. All systems come standard with a two-year advanced exchange warranty, and a five-year Keep Your Hard Drive (KYHD) replacement warranty.

Among the target vertical markets for BCD’s NVR/AIO include retail, as being an all-in-one device allows for quick deployments where additional POE switches are not needed or not available, as well as finance and banking. BCD’s 8-port and 24-port NVR appliances are great for the SMB market as these systems are VMS agnostic and a perfect fit for any small deployment.

Other deployment opportunities include edge enterprise.  The design of this lends itself to a large enterprise deployment where you may need multiple edge NVRS and POE but still maintain a large data center or large storage deployment for your entire enterprise VMS.

Built for both large and small applications, these systems are ideal for small POE-enabled access control. The flexibility within each unit allows the system administrator to run the access control server software on the unit as the host, including the database, and power all of your POE-enabled door controllers or readers. Lastly, these solutions can all be tied into your fabric network or enterprise network and can be used as an edge NVR/recorder, or you can choose to run full management, recording, and alarm processing through the AIO.

 Initial deliveries of these units to North American customers will begin in early November.

Everywhere in many homes, devices like appliances and entertainment “talk to the cloud.” Sure, they are convenient, but experts warn, also problematic, particularly regarding personal privacy, security, or safety.

Exploration is now underway how to protect home systems from hackers, including how artificial intelligence can help

And its not just appliances. The problem is multiplied because almost a third of former office staffs are working from home. Cyberattack frequency in the home has increased 238% since the beginning of the pandemic, based on a study by Alliance Virtual Offices.

In a study conducted by Tenable, a cyber exposure management company, 74% of organizations surveyed attribute the latest business impact of cyberattacks to the vulnerability of remote work.

Until recently, the trend over the past 20 years has been to go beyond large centralized corporate IT systems toward medium and small business networks, according to Robert Boles, president of Blokworx, a local managed services provider (MSP) with offices in Larkspur and throughout the San Francisco Bay area.

“In the past, serving the home cybersecurity market was not deemed profitable, so IT firms opted to serve the small-to-medium business (SMB) and above categories,” Boles said.

“Today, the need to have outside support to manage network security has trickled-down to the residential level where most people are consumers, not electronics savvy, and without an IT department at their disposal and don’t have the tools and know-how to effectively cope with such problems on their own,” Boles said.

So how does the average remote working employee accomplish this if the in-home network is compromised?

“If something is vulnerable, it will be expected, but everything is vulnerable in some way. It boils down to what the market will bear. The concern has been as to whether residential IT and IoT users are willing to pay $40 to $50 a month or more for an MSP?”

So how do we protect business users and those working at home?

Boles said his firm worked with Allen, Texas-based Cytracom and CEO Zane Conkel in 2021 on a software-defined wide area network secure-access, secure-edge product (SD-WAN-SASA) that allows enterprises to leverage a combination of transport services to securely connect users to applications.

Cytracom’s product, called ControlOne, puts a software “agent” on a laptop configured to manage the device based on permissions that must be used before anyone would have access to trusted links. If the laptop is left in the office, the system senses that, but if in a home, it would create a secure data ”tunnel“ to connect to the office server.

ControlOne is designed to know the IP addresses at the office and the public network, as well as the network it is on, and The system has a “phone-home component” to see if it is on a friendly network. It can authenticate itself to the domain, knows the profile of the machine with a fingerprint to authenticate it for encryption.

Cytracom partners with Deep Instinct, a New York firm that takes a “prevention-first” approach to stopping ransomware and other malware.

“They developed the first deep learning AI neural network that uses machine learning to see if it can make identity decisions on its own as well as make decisions the way humans do,” Boles said of Deep Instinct. “With progress being made on many fronts, the benefits of AI could soon spread to all touchpoints in the IT cyber universe.”

AI for home network security

Napa-based David Knudson used his understanding of statistical analysis and applied artificial intelligence algorithms on crowdsourced, real-time data to co-found Everything Set in 2019. It launched in March and offers smart device home network monitoring to deliver intelligent security.