Hands-on with Cisco Modeling Labs 2 (CML2)

Updated in May 2025. This course now features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. Embark on a practical journey into the powerful world of Cisco Modeling Labs 2 (CML2) with this hands-on course designed to elevate your networking skills. Discover the essential requirements for getting started with CML2 and learn how to seamlessly install and configure it on various platforms, including Windows 10, macOS Catalina, and VMware ESXi. Whether you're setting up a local system or managing a remote server, this course covers all your bases. Dive deeper into CML2 operations as you familiarize yourself with its interface and functionalities. Learn to build and configure simple labs using the GUI and API, access nodes via Telnet or SSH, and leverage CML2's robust tools to simulate real-world scenarios. The course introduces best practices for managing licenses, accessing the console, and optimizing workflows to streamline your networking experiments. Explore advanced topics like connecting your virtual labs to external networks and integrating VIRL 1.x images into your CML2 setups. These lessons prepare you to enhance your labs for comprehensive testing and experimentation. By the end of this course, you’ll have mastered the art of creating, managing, and extending CML2 labs to meet diverse networking needs. Ideal for IT professionals, network engineers, and enthusiasts, this course assumes a basic understanding of networking and virtualization. It is tailored for intermediate learners looking to gain practical skills with Cisco’s innovative modeling tool.