ACE Data Center Operations Specialist
EXAM OVERVIEW
Arista Certified Engineer (ACE) Data Center Operations Specialist – Level 3
This certification is a required milestone toward achieving the ACE Data Center Professional – Level 5, validating your ability to monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize data center networks with a strong emphasis on hands-on operations using Arista CloudVision. Candidates also gain practical experience with EOS maintenance tools for software upgrades, network monitoring, backup, recovery, and overall lifecycle management.
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 operational validation. Open book? Absolutely. Use your lab guides, notes, and configuration references just as you would in a production environment. Flexible, self-paced, and designed to assess real engineering skills—not memorization.
Exam Blue Print
CloudVision Overview & Setup
CloudVision overview
- Why CloudVision
- Approaches to Network Automation
- Introduction to CloudVision
- Positioning CVP
CloudVision setup
- CVP Clustering
- CVP Multi-Node OVA Installation
- CVaaS Initial Onboarding
- Upgrading
- Backup and Restore
- Getting Familiar with CVP Interface
- Profiles
- Help Center
- License Key Management
CloudVision Provisioning
Device Registration
- Connecting Devices
- Manual Onboarding
Network Provisioning
- Containers
- Configuration Sources
- Designed and Running Config
- Configlets
- Tasks and Change Control
- Applying Configlets to Containers
- Reconcile
- Snapshots and Staging
- Redesigned Change Control UI
- Rollback
- Configlet Builder
- Image Repository
Zero touch provisioning
- Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP)
- Deploying and Onboarding vEOS to CVP using ZTP
- Zero Touch Replacement (ZTR)
- Replacing a Device using ZTR
CloudVision Studios
Studios Overview
- Introduction to Studios and Tags
- Workspaces
- Studio Deployment and Execution
Studios in Action
- New Studios UI
- Static Configuration Studio
- Management Connectivity Studio
- Software Management Studio
- Authentication Studio
- Mirroring Studio
- End to End Provisioning with Studios
- Provision New Devices with a ZTP and Studios
Configuring L3LS DC Network with CVP Studios
- Configuring L3LS using Studios
- Configuring EVPN Services, Host Interfaces, and External Networks using Studios
Monitoring with CVP
Monitoring Devices with CVP
- Compliance Overview
- Device Input Power
- CloudVision and DMF Integration
- 802.1x Details in EndPoint Search
Dashboards
- Dashboard Enhancements
- Device Connectivity Health Panel Dashboard
- Compliance Count Dashboard
- Syslog Filters Dashboard
- Dashboard Tabs Layout
- Exporting and Importing Dashboard
Events
- Events & Event Groups
- Compliance Events
- Config Sanity Check Events
- PTP Events
Topology
- Introduction to topology
- Topology Icons and Settings
- Custom Topology Hierarchies
- User Defined Topology Filters
- PTP Overlay in CVP Topology
EOS Operations, Upgrades, Monitoring and Troubleshooting
EOS reloads and upgrades
- Understanding EOS Upgrades
- Standard Upgrade vs Smart System Upgrade
- Upgrading EOS with CLI
- Upgrading EOS with CVP
- MLAG ISSU Upgrade and Reload with CLI
- Chassis Upgrade and Reload
- MLAG Upgrade and Reload with CVP
EOS Monitoring Tools
- SNMP
- sFlow
- Watch and Diff Commands
- Latency Analyzer (LANZ)
- Port Mirroring
- TapAgg
Advanced Event Management (AEM)
- AEM - CLI Scheduler
- AEM - Event Monitor
- AEM - Manager
Troubleshooting EOS Hardware & Software
- System and Software Troubleshooting
- SFP and Physical Errors
- EOS Health Checks - CLI and CVP
- Hardware Troubleshooting
- Memory and Flash Errors
- TCPdump and IPERF
- Installing Extensions
- Recovery Procedures
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.
Q2. How do you earn an ACE Professional Level certification (ACE-Level 5)
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.
Q2. Can I enter the ACE program at a higher level?
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