Objectives

After taking this course, you should be able to:

• Plan new Cisco Meraki architectures and expand existing deployments
• Design the network for scalable management and high availability
• Describe how to automate and scale Meraki deployments with dashboard tools
• Use dynamic routing protocols to expand networks and improve WAN performance
• Describe proper QoS, policy and performance-based routing configurations across a Cisco Meraki network and WAN optimization through traffic shaping
• Describe Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) topologies and how to integrate them
• Secure, expand, and shape the network
• Implement switched network concepts and practices, and configure guests networks
• Implement wireless configurations concepts and practices
• Describe endpoint management concepts and practices using Cisco Meraki Systems Manager
• Describe physical security concepts and practices
• Gain network insight by monitoring applications
• Describe how to prepare monitoring, logging, and alerting services
• Set up reporting and auditing capabilities in the Cisco Meraki dashboard
• Monitor and troubleshoot issues using Cisco Meraki tools

Prerequisites

Before enrolling in the ECMS2 course, it is highly recommended that you have already attended and completed the ECMS1 course before attending this training. You should also have general networking understanding, Meraki-specific proficiency, and knowledge in the following areas:

General network:

• Be actively engaged in the design, deployment, scaling, and management of enterprise networks
• Strong fundamental knowledge of IP addressing and subnetting schemas necessary to build local area networks
• Strong fundamental knowledge of dynamic routing protocols (focus/emphasis on Open Shortest Path First [OSPF] and Border Gateway Protocol [BGP])
• A foundational understanding of wired and wireless Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms, packet queue operations, and practical implementations
• Be experienced with the design and configuration of IPsec and associated Virtual Private Network (VPN) technologies
• A foundational understanding of network security controls/protocols, network management best practices, and data security
• A foundational understanding of best practice Radio Frequency (RF) design principles and practical implementations
• A foundational knowledge of wireless security best practices centered around access control (802.1x) and spectrum security through Wireless Intrusion Detection Systems (WIDS) and Wireless Intrusion Prevention Systems (WIPS)
• A foundational command of standard logging/monitoring protocols (focus/emphasis on Simple Network Management Protocol [SNMP], syslog, and webhooks) and related implementation components or tools
• Be familiar with and have basic knowledge of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and related languages/formats (REST, JavaScript Object Notation [JSON])

Meraki knowledge:

• Be able to describe the security, reliability, and scalability of the Cisco Meraki dashboard cloud architecture and its out-of-band control plane
• Fundamental understanding of Dashboard’s organizational structure, delineation of privileges, and overarching administrative processes
• Be able to outline the key components of Meraki licensing (co-termination model and expiration grace period)
• Have the knowledge and ability to deploy advanced security features on MX security appliances (intrusion detection/prevention, Advanced Malware Protection [AMP], Layer 3 & 7 firewall rules)
• Fundamental understanding of Auto VPN and its purpose when utilized in a Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) deployment
• Be able to describe the concepts behind a cloud-based WLAN solution and the features that can be delivered including Layer 7 traffic shaping and various guest access authentication methods
• Fundamental understanding of device profile containerization and remote management capabilities as managed through the Systems Manager platform
• Fundamental understanding of the edge architecture as implemented by Meraki MV security cameras and its implications on video retention through various configurable options

The following are the recommended Cisco offerings that may help you meet these prerequisites:

• Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA)
• Implementing and Operating Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies (ENCOR)
• Engineering Cisco Meraki Solutions Part 1 (ECMS1)

Outline

• Planning new Cisco Meraki architectures and expanding existing deployments
• Designing for scalable management and high availability
• Automating and scaling Meraki deployments
• Designing routing and practices on the Meraki platform
• Describing Quality of Service (QoS) and traffic shaping design
• Building VPN and WAN topologies
• Securing, expanding, and shaping the network
• Describing network concepts and practices
• Implementing wireless configuration practices and concepts
• Describing Endpoint management concepts and practices
• Describing physical security concepts and practices
• Gaining network insight through monitoring applications
• Preparing monitoring, logging, and alerting services
• Setting up reporting and auditing capabilities in the Cisco Meraki Dashboard
• Gaining visibility and resolving issues using Meraki features and built-in troubleshooting tools

Lab outline

• Configure Tags, Link Aggregation, Port Mirroring, and High-Density SSIDs
• Configure routing on the Cisco Meraki Platform
• Configure QoS, Traffic Shaping, and Load Balancing
• Configure Network Security
• Configure Access Policies and Wireless Guest Access
• Configure SSIDSs, RF Profiles and Air Marshal
• Implement Endpoint Management
• Deploy and Configure Physical Security Devices
• Enable Alerts and Configure Monitoring and Reporting
• Enable Reporting and Auditing, and Manage Firmware
• Troubleshoot a Cisco Meraki Network