Judge the facility
Confirm power and cooling headroom, redundancy and grounding, and survey a site before any rack arrives.
Partners and press
Overview
A dense AI rack leaves no room for error. This exam tests the hands that cable it.
NCP-ARI is a Professional exam on the physical side of AI infrastructure, suited to two or more years in data center operations. It covers power and cooling, site assessment, rack preparation and high-density cabling, the largest domain at 30%. It also covers testing and documenting what you install, and the electrical, fire and static-protection rules for the work.
12Modules
70Questions
120Minutes
7Roles
What it tests
Learn all the way down.
Learn all the way down.
Perform when it matters.
Prepare the rack
Fit cable management hardware, route power and data to limit interference, and check containment clearances.
Cable at high density
Install copper and fiber links, choose transceivers, route cables evenly and keep connectors clean.
Test, record, stay safe
Verify every link, document what you built, and follow lockout, fire and static-protection standards.
Course outline
From a bare data hall
From a bare data hall
to a documented, working rack.
We design this course ourselves. NVIDIA runs the exam and issues the credential, and LUNARTECH is independent of NVIDIA.
AI racks draw far more power than typical enterprise ones. You size capacity, compare AC and DC distribution, plan redundancy, and learn rack PDUs and grounding well enough to judge whether a room can carry a deployment.
- Rack power density and capacity planning
- AC and DC distribution compared
- Rack PDUs: metering, switching and phases
- Redundancy schemes and failure behavior
- Grounding and bonding
- Reading a power budget for an AI row
You build A power budget and redundancy check for one AI rack row.
Heat is the other limit on density. You learn where air cooling runs out, how liquid cooling is plumbed into a rack, and how thermal zones, containment and monitoring keep hardware inside its limits.
- Heat load and airflow requirements
- Hot-aisle and cold-aisle containment
- Where air cooling reaches its limit
- Direct liquid cooling in the rack
- Coolant distribution and leak detection
- Thermal zones and temperature monitoring
You build A cooling assessment that decides air, liquid or a hybrid for a given rack.
Good installs are decided before the first rack arrives. You survey the room for load, clearances and environment, gather the network documentation and inventory, and write a plan the install crew can follow.
- Floor loading and structural limits
- Clearances, doors, lifts and delivery paths
- Environmental readiness: temperature, humidity and dust
- Network documentation and port maps
- Inventory and delivery sequencing
- Writing the deployment plan
You build A site survey report and install plan for one data hall.
AI systems are heavier, deeper and more densely cabled than ordinary servers. You prepare extra-wide racks, fit cable management hardware, and arrange power and data runs so that interference and bend radius stay under control.
- Extra-wide and deep racks for AI systems
- Rails, mounting and weight distribution
- Cable management arms, rings and panels
- Separating power and data to limit EMI
- Respecting bend radius in tight spaces
- Checking containment clearances
You build A prepared rack with its cable management layout drawn and checked.
Every link in a cluster starts as a choice of medium and module. You compare copper, active and fiber options, match transceiver form factors, and learn which choices suit InfiniBand and which suit Ethernet.
- Direct-attach copper, active cables and fiber
- Multimode and single-mode fiber
- OSFP and QSFP form factors
- MPO connectors and APC polish
- InfiniBand copper limits
- Matching modules at both ends of a link
- Reading a cable specification
You build A cable and transceiver selection table for a stated cluster layout.
Hundreds of cables must go in cleanly and stay serviceable. You plan the install sequence, route evenly across racks, label as you go, and keep fiber connectors clean at every step.
- Planning install order and crew workflow
- Routing cables evenly between racks
- Labeling and color conventions
- Bundling without strain
- Keeping fiber ends clean while you work
- Leaving service loops and slack
You build A labeled, routed cable run between two racks, installed to a written plan.
Dense cabling is heavy. You size overhead supports for the load, spread weight so no connector carries strain, and manage slack so that cables are neat today and replaceable tomorrow.
- Calculating cable loads
- Overhead trays, baskets and ladder racks
- Spreading weight and avoiding connector strain
- Slack storage and service loops
- Pathways that keep air and access clear
- Inspecting supports over time
You build A cable support plan with load calculations for an overhead run.
A link that powers up is not always a link that works. You test continuity, loss and error rates, inspect connector end faces, and read bit-error numbers to tell a marginal link from a good one.
- Continuity and polarity checks
- Insertion loss and power-meter testing
- Inspecting fiber end faces with a scope
- Link bring-up and bit error rates
- Reading transceiver diagnostics
- Recording results with evidence
You build A test report for a set of fiber and copper links, with inspection photos.
Errors on a link have causes you can trace. You work from error counters back to dirty connectors, damaged cables, bad modules and poor routing, and fix the root cause instead of swapping parts at random.
- Reading error counters and flap history
- Dirty and damaged connectors
- Bend, crush and strain damage
- Module and port faults
- Isolating the faulty segment
- Confirming the fix
You build A signal troubleshooting flow tested on faults you introduce to a link.
An installation is not finished until it is recorded. You produce as-built drawings, port maps and labels that match reality, and keep records that make later changes and repairs fast.
- As-built drawings and port maps
- Labeling that survives maintenance
- Asset and serial records
- Recording test results with each link
- Change records after install
- Handing over documentation
You build An as-built package for one rack: drawings, port map and test records.
Hazards in a data hall are real and routine. You apply lockout and tagout, work to fire-rating rules for cable and materials, control static discharge, and follow installation standards that protect warranties.
- Electrical safety and lockout/tagout
- Fire ratings for cable and materials
- Fire stopping at penetrations
- Static discharge control and grounding
- Handling and lifting heavy equipment
- Following vendor install standards and warranty terms
You build A safe-work checklist for an install, covering electrical, fire and static risks.
Plan and carry out one deployment. You assess the room, prepare racks, cable, test and record, and explain how each choice protects power, cooling, signal quality and safety.
- Assessing the room against the requirement
- Preparing racks and routes
- Cabling and supporting the run
- Testing, fixing and recording
- Reviewing safety and standards
- Presenting the install package
You build A complete deployment package for one AI rack row, from survey to as-built.
Issued by
Certifying body · Independent of LUNARTECH
NVIDIA
NVIDIA designs the GPUs and much of the software that AI runs on. It runs this certification program itself: the exams are online and proctored remotely, and passing earns a digital badge. LUNARTECH is independent of NVIDIA.
How you get there
Top-tier roles go to people who can do the work.
Top-tier roles go to people who can do the work.
Here’s how you get there.
Know where you start.
NVIDIA recommends two or more years in enterprise data center operations, ideally with high-density compute or supercomputing infrastructure.
Work through the course.
Twelve modules, designed by LUNARTECH, at your own pace.
Sit it with NVIDIA.
NVIDIA runs the exam and issues the credential, so you register and book directly with them.
Support
Support at every stage.
Support at every stage.
You won’t be working through this alone.
Before you start
Try it first.
A 3-day free trial opens a selection of the content. Your card is only charged once it ends.
While you learn
Mentors within reach.
Stuck on a concept? Reach out to a mentor whenever you need help.
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One-on-one sessions.
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Any time
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Write to info@lunartech.ai at any point, from your trial onwards. If your employer is funding you, we’ll set it up with them directly.
All the way through
A schedule that fits around your life.
Your own paceFrom anywhereAt any hour
After the last lesson
Stay in the network.
Your alumni network stays with you: ongoing support, opportunities and industry insight.
Career support
Career support, past the last lesson. Coaching, a sharper resume, real interview preparation and the people to know.
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Tailored coaching helps you decide where to aim and how to get there.
Strong portfolio
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Personalized refinement, so what you send says what you can actually do.
Interview preparation
Preparation for the questions that decide it, so you walk in ready.
Network and search
Connections with industry leaders, and an alumni network that stays with you.
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Stay connected after you finish, with ongoing support, opportunities and industry insight.
Your certificate
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Finish a LUNARTECH course and its certificate is issued in your name, under our signature. NVIDIA’s credential comes from NVIDIA, when you pass its exam.
Certificate of completion
Your Name
NCP-ARI course
LUNARTECH RISE Academy
Pricing
This course comes with the membership.
This course comes with the membership.
So does everything else.
One membership opens every course, certification, workshop and masterclass in the Academy. Every plan starts with a 3-day free trial. You register and book the exam directly with NVIDIA.
3 days free, then $29.97 a month. Your card is only charged once the trial ends.
Included in every plan
- Every course in the Academy
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- A 3-day free trial
- Learning at your own pace
- The lifetime alumni network
- Upgrades at any time
In practice
Seven roles.
Seven roles.
One credential across them all.
No single job owns it. Here’s where each role leans hardest, and where its work ends up.
- 01Basics
- 02Planning
- 03Rack prep
- 04Cabling
- 05Cable support
- 06Testing
- 07Safety
-
Most dead links start with a dirty connector. This exam tests the habits that prevent it.
Cabling, Testing, Safety
AI data centers, Colocation facilities
-
Power and cooling decide what a rack can hold. Check the site before the racks arrive.
Basics, Planning, Rack prep
AI data centers, Cloud providers
-
Cabling errors surface as slow training. Testing proves the fabric before software runs.
Cabling, Testing
Supercomputing centers, AI data centers
-
High-density cabling decides whether links come up clean. Testing and labeling save hours during an outage.
Cabling, Cable support, Testing
AI data centers, Cloud providers
-
Power and cooling limits decide how many racks fit. Site assessment finds those limits before install.
Basics, Planning, Safety
Colocation facilities, AI data centers
-
A buildout runs on schedules, deliveries and sign-offs. Documented tests show a rack is ready to hand over.
Planning, Testing
Enterprise IT, Cloud providers
-
A cluster design is limited by space, power and cabling. Planning knowledge keeps designs buildable.
Basics, Planning
Cloud providers, Enterprise IT
- AI data centers
- Colocation facilities
- Supercomputing centers
- Cloud providers
- Enterprise IT
Data Center Technician
Most dead links start with a dirty connector. This exam tests the habits that prevent it.
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Updated November 2026.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Need help? These answers cover most of what people ask before they start.
No. NVIDIA issues it. LUNARTECH is independent of NVIDIA, and its names and marks belong to it. When you finish a course of ours, you earn a LUNARTECH certificate of completion for that course.
No. We design this course ourselves, around what the exam covers. NVIDIA has no part in it, and you still register and book the exam directly with NVIDIA.
70 questions, 120 minutes, in English.
NVIDIA recommends two or more years in enterprise data center operations, ideally with high-density compute or supercomputing infrastructure.
2 years. Retake the exam.
We last reviewed it on 5 November 2026, from NVIDIA’s own pages. Details change, so check the official page before you book.
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The course
Build the skills behind NCP-ARI.
Prove you can rack and cable AI systems the right way. Start with a free trial, or enroll in a plan and work through the course at your own pace. NVIDIA runs the exam and issues the credential.
LUNARTECH is independent of the vendors and certifying bodies listed here. Their names, exam titles and marks belong to them, exams are run by them, and credentials are issued by them. Reviewed 5 November 2026. Catalogues change often, so confirm the details on the official page before you book.
