Data Center Basics - Education

- Michael Pellerin, Director of Enterasys University education programs for Enterasys Networks, says:

The concept of massive open online course (MOOC) education continues to gain traction globally, often reaching students in areas with limited options for learning about specific topics.  In addition to providing structured course content on new concepts, MOOCs also enable interaction with industry thought leaders via social forums.  Enterasys, now launching its 3rd MOOC class, is very excited to be at the leading edge of this paradigm shift for student and educators.

Data Center Basics, scheduled to start on Sept 1^st, includes ten modules on today’s mega-trend topics including: Software Defined Networking (SDN), Cloud, Fabrics, and Virtualization to name just a few.  The class introduces students to the modern data center and exposes them to the important technologies, current trends, terminology, and the roles and responsibilities within a data center.  The goal of the course is not just to provide a granular level of detail on each topic, since many of the topics could easily be courses of their own, but to give students a rich understanding of the modern-day data center as well as the many different technologies that work together to provide business solutions.

For university-level students, this could be their first exposure into the IT world of the data center and the respective technologies that enable social media, streaming services, and websites to run.  For employees or post-university students, Data Center Basics is an excellent resource for professional development either within their existing IT careers or in preparation for a career transition.  Enterasys MOOC classes have been designed with both considerations in mind, allowing students to either brush up on concepts or experience net-new learning.  

Student Learning Experience

The sophistication of the data center requires evolutionary thinking and new skill sets to develop cutting edge solutions that meet the needs of today and tomorrow.  Upon completion of the Data Center Basics class, students will have gained an entry-level understanding of the importance and interrelationships of a number of data center mega-trend technologies.  They will also have a thorough understanding of the strategic importance of today’s data center and the inherent operational complexities and challenges facing current and future workers.  For university-level students, the class may even impart a long-term career interest in the field of IT.