Cisco Live Amsterdam 2026
Cisco Live EMEA 2026 – Amsterdam
Introduction
Cisco Live was an intense and inspiring week filled with deep technical learning and great people. I focused on topics like Design, Certifications, SD-Access, Catalyst Center, AI, security, high availability, Wi-Fi, IPv6, and service provider technologies. Hands-on labs and interactive sessions made the experience practical, not just theoretical. This year I also joined feedback sessions, community events, Meet the Engineer, and interactive breakouts.
Cisco Champions
As a Cisco Champion, I also connected with an amazing community and met engineers from all over the world. The hallway conversations, meetups, and shared experiences were just as valuable as the sessions themselves.
A huge thank you to the Cisco Insider program managers for organizing early access, exclusive sessions, and so many extra activities. Their efforts truly elevated the entire Cisco Live experience and made everything run smoothly for us. Having those additional opportunities provided deeper insights and more meaningful interactions throughout the week.
Impressions
Schedule
My Cisco Live week was filled with technical sessions on AI, campus networking, SD-Access, troubleshooting, and design. I started early with architecture topics, then moved into deployment strategies and operational best practices. I also attended meetups, interactive breakout sessions, feedback sessions, and social events to connect with the community.
Overall, it is an intensive mix of learning, hands-on insights, and professional networking 🙂
Sunday 08-02-2026
Cisco Champion Tours
Sunday started with registration and I had various behind-the-scenes tours with Cisco Champions. We had access to parts of World of Solutions that only opened officially the next day. The tours included the Cisco Store, Cisco TV studio, Cisco Showcase on all things A.I.
Monday 09-02-2026
Sessions
I started the day with a four hour CCDE techtorial session led by Zig Zsiga, Mark Holm, and Rick Bauer. They delivered valuable insights on network design principles, constraints, and aligning solutions with business needs. I gained practical guidance on CCDE exam preparation, resources, and effective test-taking strategies. The realistic CCDE-style scenario and group discussion provided deep insight into real exam expectations.
Redefine Your AI/ML Networks with Cisco Silicon One [AI-1004]
Next was a session on Cisco Silicon One that explored its innovative architecture for AI networking. I learned how it underpins large AI clusters with exceptional bandwidth, low latency, and energy efficiency. The speakers highlighted Cisco’s unique contributions and differentiators in building scalable AI infrastructure. Overall, the session deepened my understanding of how modern silicon enables high-performance AI networks.
Even more on AI with supply chain security and the growing risks from third-party components. I learned how models, datasets, libraries, and MCP tools expand the attack surface for AI systems. The presenters showed how Cisco AI Defense scans models and MCP assets for vulnerabilities. This gave me practical insight into building secure, trustworthy AI applications and agents.
I joined a really interesting session on Cisco AI Canvas, a new generative interface for IT operations. It brings telemetry, insights, and actions together across networking, security, collaboration, and observability in one place. It honestly felt like a glimpse into a much smoother, smarter way to run IT across the Cisco ecosystem.
Cisco Insiders Banter and Beers
Tuesday 10-02-2026
Keynote What’s Next, Starts Now!
The keynote this years was about turning AI ambition into real, measurable business outcomes. Cisco showcased infrastructure that embeds security, enables intelligent operations, and supports agentic AI at scale. Live demos highlighted AI-ready data centers, resilient workplaces, and solutions addressing data sovereignty needs. Being able to enjoy reserved seating via the Cisco Champion really made it a nice expierence.
Below is an AI generated mindmind of the keynote;
Sessions
AI in Cisco Certifications: Elevate Your Expertise [BRKCRT-1012]
Tuesday started with a session on how AI is reshaping Cisco certifications and the future of technical roles. It showed how AI literacy, data skills, and prompt engineering are becoming essential for network engineers. I gained a clearer view of the evolution from predictive to generative and agentic AI systems.
Sharing Experience on IPv6 Deployments in Enterprise [IBOIPV-2000]
Next was an interactive breakout session on real-world IPv6 deployments across service providers and enterprise networks. We actively shared experiences, challenges, and lessons learned with peers and Cisco IPv6 specialists. The discussion highlighted how IPv6 already runs inside most networks through modern operating systems. It felt practical, collaborative, and far more valuable than a traditional lecture-style session.
Meet the Engineer – Rick Bauer
One of the best things to do at CiscoLive is Meet the Engineer. Meet 1:1 with the best Cisco engineers, distinguished engineers, and senior development engineers to help ensure your unique business challenges and questions get answered.
I had a great session with Rick Bauer where we talked about CCDE, Expert-level certifications, SDA Design and the future of Network Design with A.I.
I had to run to the DevNet Zone to join a DevNet workshop on improving service provider network resiliency. We explored how audits can prevent outages, uncover single points of failure, and speed recovery. Using real data, we analyzed architectures, topologies, telemetry, and device configurations. Coding along with the instructor made the experience practical, focused, and immediately applicable to real networks.
6 GHz and Wi-Fi 7 Crash Course: Why and How to Deploy Them… or Not [BRKEWN-2856]
WiFi is not my forte, but this breakout on the real benefits of 6 GHz and Wi-Fi 7 was really insightful. We explored migration strategies from existing deployments and the pitfalls across enterprise, IoT, and guest use cases. The session provided practical guidelines and configuration examples for both Catalyst and Meraki platforms. It helped me realistically assess whether upgrading to 6 GHz or Wi-Fi 7 made sense for the network and how to deal with raining sharks 😉
BeNeLux evening / CCIE Party
In the evening there was the option to pick between the BeNeLux party and the CCIE Party. This year the BeNeLux was in Zuidpool and the CCIE Party was in Bar Valdi.
Wednesday 11-02-2026
Wednesday was filled with sessions.
Sessions
Agentic AI for Networkers [BRKOPS-1327]
Wednesday started with a session on agentic AI and its potential to transform networking operations. It showed how multiple AI agents can collaborate autonomously to plan, reason, and solve complex problems. Live demos illustrated automated workflows, advanced troubleshooting, and personalized interactions across domains. This also introduced me to new tools like MCP, Cisco AI Canvas and Cisco IQ.
Designing Highly Available Networks using Catalyst 9000 Series Switches [BRKENS-2095]
Next was a session on high availability for Catalyst 9000 switches running IOS-XE. It covered design-phase resiliency features like StackPower, StackWise, and power redundancy options. We also explored operational capabilities such as ISSU, xFSU, GIR, and patching to avoid downtime. I left with practical ideas for maximizing uptime across different campus network designs.
Cisco Catalyst Center and SD-Access Design Fundamentals [IBOENS-1100]
Next was another interactive session on designing a Catalyst Center deployment by Jason Gooley. We focused on real best practices, not installation, including SD-Access segmentation and security policies. The group discussions surfaced proven methods from engineers who had already deployed these solutions. It gave me useful guidance for getting real value from Catalyst Center in production environments.
Cisco SD-Access Transit: Advanced Design Principles [BRKENS-2816]
More design with a deep technical session on SD-Access Transit for connecting multiple fabric sites. It explained how macro- and micro-segmentation are preserved across large, distributed networks. We covered real design challenges like scalability, MTU, high availability, and routing strategies. It was a valuable deep dive for anyone building multi-site SD-Access at scale.
Best Practices and Recommendations for Migrating Cisco Catalyst Center from 2.3.7 to 3.1 [BRKOPS-2438]
Last session of the day. Back to some operations on migrating from Catalyst Center 2.3.7 to the newer 3.x platform. I learned that a direct upgrade is not supported due to major OS and feature changes. The Platform Refresh tool guides the process by validating requirements, converting backups, and restoring data. It clarified how to plan a safe migration.
Thursday 12-02-2026
Sessions
Mastering Troubleshooting with Cisco Catalyst Center and SD-Access [BRKTRS-3821]
Thursday started with a troubleshooting session focused on Catalyst Center and SD-Access environments. It covered new tools, techniques, and recent enhancements in Catalyst Center 2.3.7. and 3.1.x I picked up some practical skills for diagnosing issues independently or working more effectively with TAC. The session felt very relevant for real-world operations and day-to-day support scenarios.
Cisco Insider and Cisco Live Team Feedback Session
Next I attended the Cisco Insider feedback session with Joanne Fielding about the Cisco Live EMEA experience. It was a great opportunity to share what worked well and what could be improved. The open discussion felt honest, collaborative, and focused on shaping future events.
Building Cisco SD-Access with Cisco Catalyst Center and ISE [LTRSEC-2005]
I finished the day with a four-hour instructor-led lab on building and operating a Cisco SD-Access fabric. Through hands-on, gamified exercises, I configured onboarding, provisioning, and policy enforcement workflows. The lab clarified how underlay and overlay networks interact, including LISP and fabric components. I really enjoyed the Capture the Flag format.
Celebration time!
Friday 13-02-2026
Last and final day!
Sessions
Deploying Distributed AI/ML Infrastructure with Model Context Protocol (MCP) for Advanced AI Use Cases Across Cisco Platforms [BRKCLD-2944]
First a deep dive on deploying distributed AI/ML infrastructure using the Model Context Protocol. It showed how autonomous agents can manage multiple Cisco platforms through a single intelligent interface. The architecture covered rapid integrations, vector databases, telemetry, and advanced automation workflows. I left with a clearer picture of how AI could orchestrate complex enterprise operations at scale.
And my last session on troubleshooting SRv6 deployments in real-world scenarios. It covered control and data plane issues across L3VPN, EVPN, policies, and Ti-LFA. The examples focused on IOS-XR while remaining broadly applicable to segment routing concepts. It was a valuable deep dive for diagnosing complex SRv6 problems.
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