Earn the joint Cisco and NetApp credential that validates your hands-on expertise in deploying and administering FlexPod converged infrastructure — covering information gathering, hardware configuration, Cisco UCS service profiles, SAN boot setup, Nexus switch configuration, ONTAP storage setup, and lifecycle administration for enterprise workloads.
The NS0-176 exam earns the Cisco and NetApp FlexPod Implementation and Administration Specialist credential — validating hands-on skills in installing, configuring, and managing FlexPod converged infrastructure. It covers the complete FlexPod deployment workflow: information gathering and hardware assessment, FlexPod design component identification, hands-on configuration of Cisco UCS, Cisco Nexus switches, and NetApp ONTAP storage, and ongoing FlexPod administration, upgrade, and troubleshooting.
While NS0-175 validates design skills, NS0-176 validates implementation and operational skills. FlexPod Implementation and Administration Specialists are sought by NetApp and Cisco resellers and partners delivering deployment services, by managed service providers operating FlexPod environments, and by enterprise IT teams responsible for day-to-day operations of FlexPod infrastructure powering mission-critical applications including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, SAP, Oracle, and AI/ML inference workloads.
Gather information for FlexPod solutions — describe main FlexPod components, assess customer workload requirements, and use FlexPod CVDs and BOMs to plan deployments
Identify FlexPod design components — describe storage (NetApp AFF/FAS), networking (Cisco Nexus 9000, MDS), and compute (Cisco UCS B/C/X-Series) components supported in FlexPod
Configure FlexPod — install and configure Cisco UCS Manager, configure networks and VLANs in UCS, set up FC and iSCSI SAN boot, configure service profiles and server pools
Configure NetApp ONTAP storage in FlexPod — SVM creation, NFS/SMB/iSCSI/FC protocol setup, LUN provisioning, volume configuration, and storage efficiency settings
Configure Cisco Nexus switches in FlexPod — NX-OS, vPC, port channels, VLAN trunks, Jumbo frames, FCoE and FC uplinks, and inter-switch links for FlexPod fabric
Administer and troubleshoot FlexPod — follow best practices for FlexPod administration, use management applications (Cisco Intersight, NetApp AIQUM), perform upgrades, and troubleshoot component failures
Implementation engineers and field service engineers at Cisco and NetApp partners who physically deploy, configure, and commission FlexPod infrastructure for enterprise customers
Managed service provider (MSP) and enterprise IT operations staff responsible for day-to-day administration, upgrade, and troubleshooting of FlexPod converged infrastructure environments
Professionals who have completed NS0-175 (FlexPod Design) and want to complement their design credential with the FlexPod Implementation and Administration specialist certification
Data centre engineers with 6–12 months of hands-on FlexPod deployment experience who want a joint Cisco-NetApp certification validating their implementation and operational skills
Zetlan Technologies covers all 4 exam domains — Information Gathering, FlexPod Design Components, Configuration (UCS/Nexus/ONTAP), and Administration — with hands-on implementation walkthroughs and exam practice.
Click any domain to explore all topics covered in the NS0-176 FlexPod Implementation and Administration Specialist exam.
From UCS service profiles and Nexus configuration to ONTAP provisioning, Intersight, and FlexPod lifecycle management — get certified with Zetlan Technologies.