Data-Center

Cisco ACI’s standalone architecture is being absorbed into the broader NX-OS VXLAN EVPN ecosystem. While Cisco hasn’t issued a formal end-of-life notice, their Nexus One strategy, aggressive EVPN feature additions to NX-OS, and industry feedback all point to the same conclusion: CCIE Data Center candidates should be investing the majority of their study time in EVPN fabric skills, not ACI-specific knowledge. Key Takeaway: Cisco’s Nexus One initiative is converging ACI and NX-OS under unified VXLAN/EVPN standards — if you’re preparing for CCIE DC or planning your next data center refresh, EVPN fabric expertise is the skill with the longest career runway. ...

Marvell Technology just projected fiscal 2028 revenue near $15 billion, blowing past Wall Street estimates on the back of explosive AI data center demand. For network engineers, this isn’t just a stock market story — Marvell silicon sits inside the switches, optics, and DPUs you configure every day. Understanding what’s driving this growth tells you exactly where data center networking is headed. Key Takeaway: AI workloads are fundamentally reshaping data center network architecture, and the silicon providers like Marvell building custom ASICs, 800G/1.6T optics, and DPUs are the clearest signal of where your career should be pointing. ...

Broadcom’s AI chip business is on track to surpass $100 billion in annual revenue by 2027, according to CEO Hock Tan’s March 2026 earnings call. For network engineers, this isn’t just a semiconductor headline — it’s a signal that demand for high-speed data center fabric expertise is about to explode. Every dollar spent on AI silicon requires corresponding investment in 800G switching, lossless Ethernet fabrics, and EVPN-VXLAN overlays to connect those chips. ...

Cisco ACI and VMware NSX are the two dominant data center SDN platforms, but they solve fundamentally different problems. ACI is a hardware-integrated fabric that manages both physical and virtual infrastructure through an application-centric policy model. NSX is a hypervisor-based overlay that virtualizes networking entirely in software. In 2026, the landscape has shifted dramatically — Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware has disrupted NSX licensing, while ACI continues to deepen its VXLAN EVPN integration. For CCIE Data Center candidates, understanding both platforms (and why employers want ACI expertise specifically) is a career differentiator. ...

CCIE Data Center holders earn $142,000–$168,000 on average in the US in 2026, with senior architects and ACI specialists pushing well past $225,000. The AI data center construction boom has turned DC networking expertise into one of the hottest — and highest-paying — specializations in the Cisco certification ecosystem. Key Takeaway: CCIE DC specialists earn a consistent premium over CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure holders, and the gap is widening as AI workloads drive unprecedented demand for engineers who can design and troubleshoot VXLAN EVPN fabrics and ACI policy-driven networks at scale. ...

Master VXLAN EVPN multi-homing with ESI on Cisco Nexus 9000. Configuration guide with NX-OS examples and troubleshooting commands.