Architecture and Virtualization

About this course

Updated in May 2025. This course now features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. Discover the fundamentals of modern networking in Architecture and Virtualization, a comprehensive course designed to elevate your expertise in Cisco network design and virtualization technologies. Through this course, you'll gain in-depth knowledge of enterprise network design, high availability, WLAN deployment, cloud vs. on-prem infrastructure, and advanced technologies like SD-WAN, SD-Access, and QoS. In the Architecture section, explore a wide range of topics, starting with foundational Cisco network design principles and progressing through advanced techniques like high availability and WLAN deployment. You'll master the nuances of on-prem and cloud-based infrastructure, unravel the intricacies of SD-WAN and SD-Access solutions, and build proficiency in Cisco Express Forwarding and QoS mechanisms to optimize your network performance. The Virtualization section dives deep into modern virtualization technologies critical for today's networks. Understand hypervisors, virtual machines, and virtual switching, while learning to implement path virtualization through GRE tunnels, IPsec, and Cisco's VRF. Discover cutting-edge protocols like LISP and VXLAN, empowering you to design flexible, secure, and efficient network solutions tailored to modern enterprise demands. This course is tailored for IT professionals, network engineers, and architects who aim to enhance their skills in Cisco networking and virtualization. With a focus on intermediate-level concepts, it assumes familiarity with basic networking principles but offers structured learning to guide you through advanced topics.