The network architect

Data centre networks with spine-leaf, VXLAN and EVPN, wide area networks, MPLS and SD-WAN, the cloud at scale, then design from requirements and numbers in a capstone, and the senior's road with a one-year plan.

OverviewData centre networks with spine-leaf, VXLAN and EVPN, wide area networks, MPLS and SD-WAN, the cloud at scale, then design from requirements and numbers in a capstone, and the senior's road with a one-year plan.
The data centre network: spine-leaf, VXLAN and EVPNWhy data centres left the three-tier design, how spine-leaf puts every server two hops from any other, how VXLAN stretches a layer 2 network over a routed one, why it needs EVPN, and how to work out the oversubscription ratio.
The wide area network: MPLS, SD-WAN and SASEHow a company joins a hundred branches: private MPLS lines with labels and VRFs, then SD-WAN using the internet and mobile links together and picking a path per application, then SASE where protection moves to the cloud close to the user.
Cloud networking at scale: hub and spoke and hybrid linksIn the junior stage you created one VPC. Large companies have hundreds of accounts and networks across several regions, joined to their data centres. Here you plan addresses with no overlap, see why direct peering is not enough, how a hub joins the networks, when to pick a VPN or a dedicated link, and where the costs hide.
Network design and availability: the capstoneA senior does not start with devices but with questions: what does the business need, how many minutes of downtime a year are acceptable, how much will it grow. Here you calculate availability in numbers, mark the failure domains, write the design document, plan change and rollback, then carry out the capstone: a company network across three sites and a cloud.
The senior's road: roles, certificates and a one-year planBeyond junior and mid-level: the roles a senior network engineer reaches, which certificates prove each (CCNP, CCIE, cloud and automation certificates), how to build expertise people recognise, and a one-year plan in phases, each with a "done when" condition.
Wrap-up and resourcesThe takeaways and glossary of this track.