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NCP-NET Networking Professional Study Plan

8-Week Intensive Study Schedule

Phase 1: Foundation Building (Weeks 1-2)

Week 1: InfiniBand Fundamentals

  • Study InfiniBand protocol stack layers
  • Memorize speed generations (HDR, NDR, XDR) and bandwidths
  • Learn subnet management (SM, LIDs, GIDs, routing)
  • Study partitioning (P_Keys) and QoS (SL, VL)
  • Practice IB diagnostic commands (ibstat, perfquery)
  • Reference: NVIDIA Networking Docs

Week 2: RDMA and RoCE

  • Study RDMA fundamentals and operations
  • Learn RoCE v1 vs v2 differences
  • Understand PFC and ECN for lossless Ethernet
  • Study DCQCN congestion control
  • Learn GPUDirect RDMA requirements
  • Reference: GPUDirect Documentation

Phase 2: Advanced Topics (Weeks 3-5)

Week 3: Spectrum Ethernet

  • Study Spectrum switch family and specifications
  • Learn Cumulus Linux and NVUE configuration
  • Understand BGP and EVPN-VXLAN for data center
  • Study BlueField DPU and DOCA SDK
  • Reference: Cumulus Linux Docs

Week 4: Network Topologies

  • Study fat-tree design and scaling
  • Learn rail-optimized topology for DGX SuperPOD
  • Understand dragonfly topology for large clusters
  • Study adaptive routing mechanisms
  • Practice network sizing calculations

Week 5: UFM and Management

  • Study UFM editions and capabilities
  • Learn telemetry collection and monitoring
  • Understand event management and alerting
  • Practice diagnostic workflows
  • Reference: UFM Documentation

Phase 3: Review and Exam Prep (Weeks 6-8)

Week 6-7: Practice and Review

  • Work through scenario-based questions
  • Review all domains systematically
  • Create flashcards for speeds and specifications
  • Focus on weak areas

Week 8: Final Preparation

  • Full-length timed practice session
  • Review fact sheet and key specifications
  • Exam logistics preparation

Self-Assessment Questions

  • Can I list InfiniBand speed generations and calculate bandwidth?
  • Do I understand RoCE v1 vs v2 and lossless Ethernet configuration?
  • Can I design a fat-tree and rail-optimized topology?
  • Do I know UFM capabilities and diagnostic commands?
  • Can I troubleshoot common fabric issues?