300-625 · ● Retired (April 19, 2023) · Professional · Cisco
Important Notice
This certification exam was retired on April 19, 2023 and is no longer available. This document is maintained for historical reference. Candidates should explore current CCNP Data Center concentration exams: 300-610 DCID, 300-615 DCIT, 300-620 DCACI, or 300-635 DCAUTO.
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Exam Code | 300-625 DCSAN |
| Full Name | Implementing Cisco Storage Area Networking v1.0 |
| Status | Retired (April 19, 2023) |
| Certification Level | Professional |
| Domain | Data Center |
| Cost (USD) | $300–$400 |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Question Count | 55–65 questions |
| Passing Score | 750–825 out of 1000 (varies by exam administration) |
| Format | Multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, simulation-based questions |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE (online proctored and testing centers) |
| Language | English |
| Validity Period | 3 years (CCNP Data Center certification) |
| Prerequisites | No formal prerequisites; 3–5 years of hands-on data center experience recommended |
| Renewal | CCNP Data Center valid for 3 years; renewal requires passing current exam or earning CEUs |
Cisco Official Exam Page — Cisco 300-625 DCSAN Exam
Cisco Retired Exams List — Retired Cisco Certification Exams
Official Exam Topics PDF — Implementing Cisco Storage Area Networking v1.0 (300-625)
CCNP Data Center Official Page — CCNP Data Center Certification
About
The Implementing Cisco Storage Area Networking (DCSAN) 300-625 exam was a professional-level certification exam that validated expertise in designing, deploying, implementing, managing, and troubleshooting Cisco MDS 9000 Series switches in enterprise storage area networks. The exam certified candidates' ability to configure and manage Fibre Channel fabrics, Virtual Storage Area Networks (VSANs), SAN zoning, security policies, and advanced storage networking features.
This certification was part of the Cisco CCNP Data Center track and could be combined with the core exam (350-601 DCCOR) to earn the CCNP Data Center professional certification. It also contributed to the Cisco Certified Specialist — Data Center SAN Implementation credential.
Domain context — Data Center / Storage
Storage Area Networks (SANs) are critical infrastructure components in modern data centers, providing block-level storage access over high-speed networks. Fibre Channel remains the dominant protocol for enterprise SAN environments, offering low-latency, lossless connectivity for mission-critical storage operations.
Cisco MDS 9000 Series switches are industry-leading SAN fabric switches that provide the backbone for enterprise storage environments, supporting thousands of connected devices and multi-terabit throughput. These switches enable organizations to consolidate storage resources, improve data availability, and optimize storage utilization across distributed data center environments.
The DCSAN certification was designed for storage infrastructure specialists, data center engineers, and network architects who needed deep expertise in SAN design, implementation, and operations. Storage networking knowledge remains valuable even as cloud and virtualization technologies evolve, as most enterprises maintain hybrid infrastructure with significant on-premises SAN investments.
Topics covered
The 300-625 DCSAN exam covered the following domains and skill areas:
1. Deployment (15%)
- Understanding SAN architecture and topology design principles
- Deploying Cisco MDS 9000 Series switches in production environments
- Configuring Fibre Channel and iSCSI interfaces
- Planning and implementing redundancy, failover, and high-availability solutions
- Understanding fabric initialization and domain ID assignment
- N-Port Virtualization (NPV) and core-edge topology implementations
- Fibre Channel over TCP/IP (FCIP) tunnels for disaster recovery
2. Implementation (35%)
- Configuring Fibre Channel domains and fabrics
- Implementing Virtual Storage Area Networks (VSANs) for logical fabric segmentation
- SAN zoning configuration and zone management (hard zoning vs. soft zoning)
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and authentication mechanisms
- Port security and Access Control Lists (ACLs)
- Fibre Channel services: name servers, fabric switches
- Flow control and buffer credit management
- Inter-Switch Link (ISL) configuration and optimization
3. Management and Monitoring (25%)
- Using Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) for fabric management
- Monitoring SAN performance metrics and analytics
- Health and status monitoring of fabric components
- Device management and firmware upgrades
- License management and entitlements
- Slow Drain Analysis for performance troubleshooting
- SAN analytics and traffic monitoring
4. Troubleshooting (15%)
- Using diagnostic commands and tools for SAN troubleshooting
- Identifying and resolving connectivity issues
- Performance troubleshooting and latency analysis
- Port state analysis and error conditions
- Zone configuration verification and troubleshooting
- VSAN verification and troubleshooting
- Using flogi flap detection and analysis
5. Operations (10%)
- SAN management best practices
- Change management in SAN environments
- Backup and disaster recovery considerations
- Capacity planning and growth management
- Documentation and asset inventory tracking
Common job-ready skills
Professionals who earned the DCSAN certification possessed the following competencies:
- Fibre Channel expertise: Deep understanding of Fibre Channel protocol stack, port types, and fabric operations
- SAN architecture design: Ability to design resilient, scalable storage network topologies
- MDS switch configuration: Proficiency in configuring Cisco MDS 9000 switches for production environments
- Fabric management: Hands-on experience with fabric initialization, domain configuration, and inter-switch operations
- VSAN and zoning: Expert-level knowledge of logical fabric segmentation and access control
- Performance optimization: Ability to identify and resolve SAN performance bottlenecks
- Troubleshooting: Systematic approach to diagnosing SAN connectivity and operational issues
- Storage integration: Knowledge of connecting heterogeneous storage arrays, servers, and virtualization platforms
- High availability: Implementing redundancy, failover mechanisms, and disaster recovery solutions
- SAN management tools: Proficiency with DCNM and other Cisco management platforms
Recommended courses
Official Cisco Training:
- Configuring Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switches (DCMDS) v3.6 — The primary official course for DCSAN exam preparation, covering deployment, configuration, management, and troubleshooting of MDS switches. Available in multiple formats: instructor-led, on-demand, and self-paced e-learning. Duration: 5 days (classroom) or equivalent for online formats.
Authorized Training Partners:
- Global Knowledge — DCMDS courses with instructor-led and online options
- Firebrand Training — Accelerated DCSAN certification boot camps
- Sunset Learning Institute — DCMDS and SAN implementation training
- Quickstart — On-demand video and virtual instructor-led DCMDS courses
- Perpetual Solutions — Live virtual and classroom SAN training
- New Horizons — Comprehensive CCNP Data Center certification paths
- NTUC LearningHub — Structured 300-625 DCSAN preparation courses
Practice exams
Several vendors offered practice exams and study materials for the DCSAN certification (now for historical reference):
- ExamCollection — 300-625 practice tests with detailed explanations
- ExamTopics — Community-driven exam questions and discussion forums
- CertBolt — DCSAN exam dumps and practice question banks
- PrepAway — 300-625 practice exam materials
- ExamLabs — VCE format practice tests
- ValidExamDumps — DCSAN actual exam questions with explanations
- ITExams — Free practice questions and exam information
- SPOTO — 300-625 DCSAN dumps with 2026 updates
Note: Practice exams are primarily available for historical study since the certification is retired.
Books
Study Guides and References:
- "300-625 DCSAN: Cisco CCNP Data Center Certification Study Guide" by Ruchi Patel (available on Issuu and other platforms) — Comprehensive guide covering all exam topics and objectives
- "CISCO IMPLEMENTING CISCO STORAGE AREA NETWORKING 300-625 DCSAN QUESTION & DUMPS" (Amazon) — Practice question book with detailed explanations
- Cisco Official Certification Guide Series — While no dedicated Cisco Press guide was published specifically for 300-625, the broader CCNP Data Center DCCOR exam guide provides foundational concepts
- "CCNP and CCIE Data Center Core DCCOR 350-601 Official Cert Guide" — Core exam guide useful for understanding data center infrastructure context
Reference Materials:
- Cisco MDS 9000 Series Command Reference documentation
- Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) administration guides
- Fibre Channel technology whitepapers and design guides from Cisco
Job titles
Professionals with DCSAN expertise typically held these roles:
- SAN Administrator — Day-to-day management and operations of storage networks
- Data Center Engineer — Infrastructure design and implementation with storage specialization
- Storage Network Architect — Designing enterprise SAN architectures and solutions
- SAN Specialist — Expert support and optimization of SAN environments
- Infrastructure Specialist — Multi-domain infrastructure role with SAN expertise
- Network Architect — Enterprise architecture roles including SAN design
- Data Center Operations Specialist — Operations and management of data center infrastructure
- Cloud Infrastructure Engineer — Hybrid cloud roles managing on-premises storage networks
- Storage Infrastructure Consultant — Consulting and design services for SAN implementations
- Senior Systems Engineer — Senior-level infrastructure roles with SAN expertise
Salary (USD / ZAR / GBP / EUR / AUD)
Based on industry research, professionals with CCNP Data Center and SAN expertise commanded the following salary ranges (2026 data, approximate):
| Region | Currency | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | USD | $85,000 | $120,000 | $160,000 |
| South Africa | ZAR | 1,530,000 | 2,160,000 | 2,880,000 |
| United Kingdom | GBP | 65,000 | 90,000 | 120,000 |
| Europe (Average) | EUR | 75,000 | 105,000 | 140,000 |
| Australia | AUD | 120,000 | 160,000 | 210,000 |
Salary Multipliers:
- CCIE Data Center professionals earn 25–40% more than non-certified engineers
- SAN specialization typically adds 10–15% premium to base data center engineer salary
- Geographic factors and years of experience significantly influence compensation
- Cloud and automation skills add additional salary premiums in modern markets
Note: With the exam retired in April 2023, these salary figures represent historical data for professionals who previously earned or held the DCSAN certification.
Skills validated
The DCSAN 300-625 certification validated the following competency areas:
| Competency | Skill Level | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre Channel Protocol | Expert | Configure FC domains, ports, and services |
| Cisco MDS Switches | Expert | Deploy and troubleshoot MDS 9000 series |
| SAN Zoning & Security | Expert | Configure zones, VSANs, and RBAC |
| Storage Integration | Advanced | Connect arrays, servers, and hypervisors to SAN |
| High Availability Design | Advanced | Implement redundancy and failover mechanisms |
| SAN Performance Tuning | Advanced | Analyze metrics and optimize fabric performance |
| Troubleshooting SAN Issues | Advanced | Diagnose and resolve connectivity problems |
| SAN Management Tools | Intermediate | Use DCNM and CLI for fabric management |
| Network Architecture | Advanced | Design multi-fabric and hierarchical topologies |
| Data Center Infrastructure | Intermediate | Understand DC architecture and operations |
Related certs
Progression Path:
- CCNA Data Center — Foundation-level data center certification (entry point)
- CCNP Data Center (Core 350-601 DCCOR) — Required for CCNP; covers core data center technologies
- CCNP Data Center Concentration Exams (current alternatives):
- 300-610 DCID: Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure
- 300-615 DCIT: Troubleshooting Cisco Data Center Infrastructure
- 300-620 DCACI: Implementing Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure
- 300-635 DCAUTO: Automating and Programming Cisco Data Center Solutions
Cisco Specialist Certifications:
- Cisco Certified Specialist — Data Center SAN Implementation (300-625 DCSAN) — Retired
- Cisco Certified Specialist — Data Center Network Virtualization — Alternative specialization
Advanced Certifications:
- CCIE Data Center (practical lab exam) — Expert-level data center certification
- CCIE Data Center Written (350-080) — Expert-level prerequisite
Related Vendor Certifications:
- CompTIA Storage+ Certification — Vendor-neutral storage expertise
- EMC Certified Associate (ECA) — Storage vendor-specific certification
- NetApp Certified Data Administrator (NCDA) — Storage array specialization
- Pure Storage Certification Program — Modern storage platform expertise
- Vendor-specific SAN certifications — From array manufacturers (Dell EMC, NetApp, Pure, etc.)
Sources
Official Cisco Resources:
- CCNP Data Center Certification
- CCNP Data Center Exams and Training
- Implementing Cisco Storage Area Networking v1.0 (300-625) Exam Topics
- Cisco Retired Exams List
- Configuring Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switches (DCMDS)
Cisco Learning Network:
Community & Reference:
Study Materials:
- CCNP Data Center Training on CBT Nuggets
- ExamCollection 300-625 Practice Tests
- PrepAway 300-625 Exam Materials
Employment & Salary Data:
Document Status: Retired certification — maintained for historical reference Last Updated: May 2, 2026 Verification Method: Web search across official Cisco resources, training partners, community forums, and salary databases