ACE Data Center Engineering Specialist

Representing a significant advancement in the Arista certification path, the Specialist level recognizes in-depth expertise in data center networking. It validates a professional’s ability to design, implement, and troubleshoot complex data center solutions, demonstrating a strong command of Arista technologies and best practices in modern network environments.
Remote Hands-On Exam
4 Hours

EXAM OVERVIEW

Arista Certified Engineer (ACE) Data Center Engineering Specialist – Level 3
This certification is a required milestone toward achieving the ACE Data Center Professional – Level 5, validating your ability to design, deploy, and operate modern Arista-based data center networks with a strong emphasis on hands-on CLI configuration and troubleshooting.

Introducing the All-New ACE Self-Service Certification Exams!
Take your Arista certification on your terms. All ACE exams are now remote, hands-on, and fully practical, with a strong focus on real-world CLI-based configuration and validation. Open book? Absolutely. Use your lab guides, notes, and configuration references just like in a production environment. Flexible, self-paced, and built to assess real engineering skills—not memorization.

Exam Blue Print

Layer 2 Leaf Spine Design Overview

L2LS architecture 

  • Drivers for L2LS topologies
  • L2LS design overview
  • L2LS performance, redundancy and scale

Layer 2 Technologies

VLANs 

  • VLAN overview
  • Configuring access and trunk ports
  • Introduction to inter-vlan routing
  • Configuring sub-interfaces
  • Configuring SVI’s
  • Troubleshooting VLANs

STP 

  • Spanning tree overview
  • STP enhancements
  • Configuring STP
  • Troubleshooting STP

LACP 

  • LACP overview
  • Configuring LACP
  • Troubleshooting LACP

MLAG

  • MLAG overview
  • Configuring MLAG
  • Troubleshooting MLAG

Default gateway redundancy (FHRP) 

  • FHRP overview
  • Configuring VRRP
  • Configuring VARP

Building L2LS Fabric

Build L2LS DC network using CLI 

  • Configuring L2LS with CLI

Build L2LS DC network using CVP Configlets

  • L2LS design and topology review
  • Configuring L2LS with CVP configlets

Layer 3 Leaf-Spine Design Overview

L2LS review 

  • L2LS Design review
  • L2LS ExampleL3LS design

L3LS design

  • Introduction to L3LS designs
  • VXLAN and EVPN importance in L3LS designs
  • Why BGP underlay in L3LS designs

Underlay Routing Options

OSPF

  • OSPF overview

IS-IS

  • IS-IS overview and operations
  • IS-IS communications

Introduction to BGP

  • BGP Overview
  • BGP functions and facts
  • BGP operations
  • BGP route advertisement

eBGP Underlay Configuration

  • L3LS eBGP underlay configuration
  • eBGP load balancing configuration
  • eBGP configuration enhancements

BGP Underlay Deployment Options

  • BGP with MLAG
  • Variations of BGP in L3LS

VXLAN Design

VXLAN Overview

  • Introduction to VXLAN
  • VXLAN load balancing with ECMP

VXLAN Control Plane Options

  • ARP refresher
  • VXLAN multicast control plane
  • VXLAN HER control plane
  • Configuring VXLAN HER
  • VXLAN VCS control plane
  • VXLAN EVPN control plane

VXLAN With MLAG

  • Introduction to VXLAN with MLAG
  • Configuring VXLAN with MLAG

VXLAN Best Practices

  • MTU and Jumbo frames

Troubleshooting VXLAN

  • Troubleshooting VXLAN

EVPN Overlay

eVPN Fundamentals

  • Introduction to EVPN
  • EVPN terminology
  • VRF operations
  • MP-BGP control plane
  • Configuring MP-eBGP for EVPN
  • EVPN route type 2 (MAC-IP)
  • EVPN route type 5 (IP Prefix)
  • EVPN route type 3 (IMET)

eVPN Advanced Concepts

  • VLAN based service interface
  • VLAN aware bundle service interface
  • Introduction to IRB
  • Symmetric vs. Asymmetric IRB
  • Symmetric IRB deep dive
  • Configuring Symmetric IRB
  • Configuring Asymmetric IRB

eVPN Multihoming

  • Introduction to Active-Active multihoming
  • Route type 1 and ESI
  • Route type 1 and route type 4
  • Active-Active multihoming configuration

eVPN Design Best Practices

  • iBGP between MLAG pairs and eBGP multihop command
  • eBGP for underlay and overlay

Configuring L3LS DC Network with CVP Studios

  • Configuring L3LS using Studios
  • Configuring EVPN services, host interfaces and external networks using Studios

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q1. I currently hold Arista Certified Engineer (ACE) L3 Cloud Journey man. Willl this automatically converted to a new Arista Certification?

Your ACE L3 will be convereted to a new certification Arista Certified Engineer (ACE) Data Center Specialist as the old courses and certification were more focused on Data Center technologies. 

You must pass both the Operations Specialist exam and the Engineering Specialist exam within the same track (e.g., Data Center, Campus, Routing, Automation). Once both are completed, the Level 5 Professional certification is automatically awarded—there is no separate exam.

Yes. Arista lets you attempt Specialist or higher-level exams aligned with your experience. However, those exams will test knowledge from the foundational levels upward

0