I’m finally back from RTP and have a stable enough Internet connection to finally write a post.  After my SP lab last week, I decided to visit some relatives in Charleston, SC to relax over the weekend before coming home.  I tried to post something on Friday, but my hotel wireless connection was terrible.  Anyways, read on for a recap.

Since the Thanksgiving weekend, I’ve been scrambling to get enough practice time in for the configuration portion of the lab.  Shortly a few days after committing payment to Cisco for the lab, the announcement for the OEQ or Core Knowledge came out which changed my studying strategy quite a bit.  At the time, I had just begun going through INE VOL2 labs before the Christmas holidays and so now I needed to come up with another game plan.  I gave myself a deadline to finish up the VOL2 labs 1 through 5 by New Years.  For the remaining 5 VOL2 labs, I was just going to read the solutions.  Once the new year began, I only labbed up mini scenarios and didn’t bother doing any full scale labs.  All I ended up doing was reading anything I could get my hands on regarding the SP lab blueprint (i.e. books, FAQs, blogs, Cisco white papers, articles, etc.).

Did all the reading help?  Yes, it did.  The set of OEQs that I received were pretty straightforward.  If you have some clue as to what you are doing in general with topics covered in the blueprint, you should be prepared.  Now I know that statement is vague and probably doesn’t really help you much, but the OEQs are really nothing to be concerned with at all.  I can’t speak for individuals who took the lab in the first 2 months, but I think the Cisco folks have finally figured it out where the OEQs are really ‘Core Knowledge’ type questions.  If I could make one suggestion to the Cisco developers, you should have the OEQs at the end of the lab.  The biggest complaint for many individuals that get a set of off-the-wall questions is they feel gypped having just forked over $1400 for only 30 minutes of completing the test.  What’s the point in continuing onward if you already knew you blew your chance at the start of your day?  Nothing you do in the configuration portion matters if you can’t get by 3 out of 4 questions.  IMHO, I think if the questions were at the end of the lab then test takers couldn’t complain since they would actually have to work through the entire day.

Unfortunately, because I spent so much time on reading, my speed was off with the configurations.  There was a lot of typing involved with my version of the lab. On top of that, I wasn’t fully rested going into the test as I would’ve liked.  I was a bit foggy having been up all night due to nerves.  Believe me, I exhausted myself before my flight out to Raleigh so I could just sleep when I arrived, but I was pretty wired and couldn’t stop thinking about 4 questions.  In the end, I fell short on the configuration end of the spectrum.

Here’s an outline on what I did for this attempt:

1) Read: Just try to understand the material you are reading.  I don’t think you need to memorize every little detail, but know the important subject matter.  Here’s a list of everything I read:
MPLS Fundamentals
MPLS VPN Architectures
MPLS VPN Architectures Volume II
Routing TCP/IP Volume I
Routing TCP/IP Volume II
Cisco FAQs
Cisco White Papers
RFCs

2) Choose a vendor workbook:  For my attempt, I used INE’s VOL1 and VOL2.  Keep in mind the material is very outdated but still relevant for this lab.  Everything you need to know is in VOL2, you just need to reference the Cisco documentation yourself to get a thorough understanding of the technology.  If I could make a suggestion to the INE folks, I think the only updates you should make for your products are:

-VOL1: Create some IS-IS labs with explanations.  I ended having to use my R&S OSPF, EIGRP, and RIP VOL1 lab scenarios to test out IS-IS.  IS-IS is extensive enough on the exam that it should be covered in your product.

-VOL2: I really liked what INE has done with the R&S and Security workbooks; they give you a brief explanation alongside the expected output.  We could really use the additional information to help reference materials for the OEQ.

3) Core Knowledge Simulator:  I ended up purchasing this product 1.5 weeks before the lab and only looked at it 2-3 days beforehand.  IMHO, the product just destroys your confidence all together because you feel like you’ve forgotten your CCNP studies.  You also get a false sense that you are required to know the granular details of the technologies.  Based on the OEQs I received, your questions are really off the mark and probably need to be scaled down just a bit.

4) Practice: I didn’t utilize the rack rentals as I had anticipated.  I ended up just using dynamips when I was labbing, which should be enough.  If you have the money to spend, go ahead and rent or buy equipment.  If you are on a shoe string budget and have a powerful enough workstation, then invest some time in dynamips or GNS3; the IOS code you should be running is 12.2S.  There’s definitely a difference in the feature sets when you are running 12.3T and 12.2S so you should be familiar with both versions.

Am I going to take a 2nd attempt?  That depends, having just checked the availability the next possible opening at San Jose is in September.  I don’t think I’ll be flying out to other locations anymore to test.  In fact, most of the tests will be running of SJ anyways (similar to the R&S format) and conducted at nearby Pearson Vue locations in the future so it doesn’t make sense to fly out (unless of course work pays for it and everything isn’t out of my own pocket).  There are other rumors that this lab will be retired and replaced by SP Operations.  I was told that for the month of July all lab testing sites will be blocked off completely to allow major changes to the lab testing facilities as well as when the announcements will be revealed.  If I can get another test in before June, I think I’ll donate more money to Cisco.  Until I can get a close enough date, I’ll just be enjoying my time away from all the stress:

-Catching up on all my shows on the DVR

-Toying around with JNCIE-ER or JNCIE-M/T

-Creating some mini-scenarios to help cover the lacking areas of technologies

-Playing basketball on the weekends again

-Networking at Interop, CiscoLive, etc.

In my attempts at being more environmentally friendly and sticking with the ‘GREEN’ theme for technology, I’ve found that my retention for information has suffered.  I had personally chosen to keep all of the study materials I owned in a digital format.  I figured since I stared at a monitor all day that I could continue to do so by the time I get home from work and just read the labs in pdf format.  IMHO, not having a hard copy or any printed material at hand is a difficult way to learn anything which is why I’ve decided to start making hard copies.  When I was studying for my R&S lab, I used to take the printed copy of the full-scale labs and read through them similar to reading a newspaper or a book.  While flipping back and forth between the task requirements and diagrams, I would visualize the types of solutions I could implement and take notes of any alternative methods.  If a task seemed vague, I would mark it with a question mark as a reminder for myself to lab it up and find out the answer.

Aside from having printed materials at hand, I’ve slowly been fighting my way back into study mode since New Years.  Work has kept me extremely busy to the point where I don’t even want to look at a computer screen by the time I get home at night.  To keep my interest level and spirits up I’ve been perusing through everyone else’s blogs.  At this point in time, my motivation level isn’t as high as I would like it to be (i.e. 7 out of 10 if had to guess).  I’m almost fully committed and ready to take the plunge again as to devout my weekends back to geeking out.  I know my window of opportunity to take the Security v2.0 lab is quickly closing.  The format is expected to change to v3.0 in mid-April and I expect to have made my next attempt by then.  My personal goal is to make an attempt no later than March 20th.  The reason for this is so that if I happen to blow it, I’ll still have enough time to make a 3rd attempt.  To be honest, I haven’t booked my seat yet but found that there are still seats opening up each day.  My plan is to circle around and gauge my comfort level in 3 weeks of this posting.  Once I know for certain, I’ll send my $1400 payment for my San Jose lunch reservation.

For those of you that are wondering, I’m using the InternetworkExpert materials along side the NetMetric Solutions material.  My plan to reinforce and solidy my understanding of the security technologies is to create my own mini-labs that I can share out on this blog.  This will give me the ability to discuss and share the materials without violating any of the copyrights.

The adjective ‘quantum‘ means sudden and significant.

In the earlier part of this year, I had the opportunity of monitoring and maintaining a network for a project known as ‘B22′.  It should be obvious where I’m going with this post now.  B22 is none other than the ‘Quantum of Solace’ movie, which will now be released in the US later today.  Aside from seeing a few still shots of the South America portion of the film coming across my network, I was invited to a private screening yesterday hosted by CDW, EMC, and Cisco.

The sales presentation had a lot to do with utilizing new ‘Green’ technologies in our Data Center efforts.  After a short introduction made by the CDW folks, the Cisco reps jumped right in and talked about virtualization and the Nexus product line.  I was happy to see Cisco’s Nexus 1000V product line up on the big screen.  In fact, up until the point when I saw the presentation, I’ve been struggling with any motivation whatsoever for studying my security lab.  Something about how the material was presented on the big screen inspired me to get back on track.  (For those that are wondering, the 1000V will be available in beta to select companies starting in December and should be released to the public for purchase sometime in 1Q 2009).

After all the presentations were done, we had a few minutes to grab some snacks before the movie started.  On my way to the concession stand, I noticed a picture of Zachary Quinto, aka Sylar from Heroes, on the new Star Trek poster who seems to be playing the part of Spock.  Unfortunately, I stopped being a Trekkie fan after ‘The Wrath of Khan’.  To hear that J.J Abrams, creator of Fringe and Lost, was directing a new Star Trek film got me re-interested in the franchise.  Returning to my seat with popcorn, one of the first trailers to preview was Star Trek — judging by the preview alone it’s going to be great.  My thoughts on the Bond film was I hated it to say the least.  I felt short-changed by the outcome of the story line which seems to be a continuation of Casino Royale and doesn’t seem to do Daniel Craig any justice.  Oh well, the movie was free so the only money I really wasted was on snacks.

So now that the movie is behind me I’m tasked with getting in gear and taking a ‘quantum’ leap forward with my studies to complete the lab by April.  The only way to discipline myself is to create a schedule and try and stick with the timeline.  I’m halfway through the IEATC-SC-CODs and have completed a first pass at most of the IEWB-SC-VOL2 labs.  My plan for this month is to finish the videos up, run through the VOL2 labs again, and start the first full lab from IEWB-SC-VOL1 by Thanksgiving.

First and foremost, I’d like to thank Sally, my wife, for her many prayers. She was very patient and supportive of me these last few months and for that I am forever grateful. She never let me quit on myself and kept me focused when things got difficult.

I’d also like to thank my dear friends and family, Sean, Rae, Rob, Jill, Alan, Marianne, Jason and Johanna, for all their support. They’ve been with me since the beginning of my journey and managed to see this story’s happy ending.

Many thanks to all the bloggers and readers out there. When motivation was low and doubt poured over me, I referenced all the blogs on my blogroll. Just to know that there were others out there sharing the pain was comforting enough.

Alexandre, thanks for default-information originate tip. It was very, very helpful.

Ethan, thanks for all the great info off of your site. Your NMC perspective helped me solidify my understanding with some of technologies.

Carl, thanks for NAT breakdown. As simple as this topic may be at times, I needed an occasional reminder and your link did the trick.

CCIEpursuit, thanks for the strategy ideas and your macro ping notes for the switches. I needed to reference your site several times before I actually memorized the correct macro syntax. Your studying strategy actually helped me formulate my original game plan.

Shiran, thanks for the QoS DSCP precedence values. I couldn’t find the information off the DocCD and just jumped over to your site.

Victor, thanks for the Multicast posts. Once I labbed up your examples, I was able to make sense of things.

I decided to spare you my long journey story and just jump right into the crap you really want to read.

As we all know you need to invest a certain amount of time in your life to achieve this certification. From the point when I returned from my honeymoon in August until now, I’ve dedicated as much time as a married man could possibly allow. Luckily for me, work was very understanding and I could study throughout the day as long as projects were maintained. I usually studied in the mornings before everyone arrived and would complete the work in the afternoon. When I arrived home in the evening, I managed to leave some quality time for Sally and myself. After dinner and some down time, I would resume to studying about 9PM until midnight or so. To maintain my sanity and stress levels, I tried to play basketball every Sunday morning. Unfortunately, these were the things I had to sacrifice as my lab date drew near. It wasn’t easy for me to sacrifice the quality time and basketball, but it had to be done. At this stage in the game, I had to re-train my study habits. I could still study at work during the day, but upon returning home for the evening, I had to jump into the studies, which was difficult at first.

Now if you are concerned with money and a lot of these expenses are out of your pocket, here’s probably the only things you really need to study for this exam:

1) Doyle’s book 1 & 2 –> Everything about the core is in here. During my practice labs, I referred to these books more than ever to help verify my understanding and found that I could’ve just used the case studies to practice with. If you feel these books are outdated, they aren’t. This should be your foundation moving forward.

2) Access to the DocCD –> Everything else outside the core is in here. One of the sections I stated I was going to skip was QoS. After my mock lab results, I came to my senses and realized I couldn’t give up all the QoS points. While I still have a difficult time with QoS, I managed to understand what was being asked of me in the practice labs and knew where to look for the answers.

3) A P4 PC with 1GB of memory –> I have 2 laptops that I used to study with. The first laptop is an IBM X40 ThinkPad with 1.4Ghz and 1GB of RAM. The second laptop is a Sony VAIO with 1.7Ghz and 1GB of RAM. I stuck with using dynamips v2.7 because it worked well with my 3660 12.4 advanced enterprise image. I am running Fedora Core v7.0 on both laptops. Each laptop is running in runlevel 3 mode. Within runlevel 3, I’ve disabled some of the other services I don’t really need. After boot up, total memory used is 50K on each laptop. With just one laptop, I can run 13 routers plus the Ethernet and Frame switches. Even after turning on Frame Relay, OSPF, RIP, EIGRP, and BGP, I was only running at 93% on one CPU. To distribute the load, I ran 7 instances on the ThinkPad and 8 instances on the Vaio. By the time I got further into practice labs, I didn’t need that many devices. I ended up just labbing up the sections here and there.

Now if money isn’t a concern, then go nuts:

1) Steps 1-3 above.

2) Purchase a vendor workbook –> When I first started I just used IE’s v4.0 workbook. When I was taking IE’s mock lab, I noticed that the wording never changed. My mock lab pretty much felt like another workbook lab at that point. Before my 1st lab attempt last year, I was using IPExpert’s v8.0 workbook and proctor guide. I purchased the $150 upgrade to v9.0 in early September, but didn’t bother to take them out of the box. I figured it was time to get a different perspective. The vague wording, which you hear about all the time, is duplicated in the IPExpert workbook. If you can afford to purchase 2 vendor products, then I would go ahead and do so. After reading Ethan’s blog, I really like the NMC material and may use it in the future for another track.

3) Build a home lab or rent rack time –> Personally, I was glad I had my own rack at home. I set up dynamips on a new server at work (i.e. Quad Core with 4GB of RAM) and opened up the ports on the firewall, but had issues keeping a connection across the Internet. I’d be halfway through a practice lab and my SSH connections were disconnected. Having a home lab helped me nail down some things in the core. Also, I got mixed results too from running 12.2 on my home routers since I don’t have enough memory. These problems helped me build up my troubleshooting and DocCD research abilities. At work, I would retest everything I covered the night before in dynamips running 12.4 and would see the correct output and made a mental note of the differences (if any).

4) Purchase 1 or 2 switches –> If you have deep pockets, then buying 4 of these won’t be a problem. Last year, I had to sell 2 3550s and 2 3750s to help cover the cost of my wifes engagement ring. Luckily enough for me I still had 1 3550 and 1 3750 for my own. I also had 2 x 4-port etherswitches, which I used on 1 of my routers, but all I could do was create 802.1q trunks across them. Each of the switches helped tremendously though. Since some of the commands are different on a 3560, I just had to verify the correct commands off the DocCD.

5) Take a mock lab –> Each of the vendors is doing one. I’ve heard great things about Cisco’s CCIE Assessor. If I had to do it again though, I’d probably go with NMC’s mock lab. I’ve heard that IE has new mock labs created, so maybe they’ve addressed everyone’s requests. Either way, do the research, try it out, and validate where you stand. But at the same time, don’t get discouraged from any poor results. Build off of it. If I let the 47 percent get to me from my mock lab, I would have never passed my lab.

Believe it or not, that’s all you need from this point forward.

Here are some words of wisdom:

1) Read the entire lab –> For you first timers, as nervous as you are, read all of the questions. The 20 minutes it takes you to look it over isn’t going to doom you.

2) Redraw the diagram –> This is optional for some. Personally, it gives me a sanity check on the layout. My 4-color Bic pen came in handy. By the time I left the lab, my scrap sheet had colored arrows and marks all over the place.

3) Alternate methods –> If you happen to practice just one method of accomplishing a task, try and figure out if there is another way. For example, if you can do something with an access-list, then know how to do it with a prefix-list.

4) Eat, sleep, and drink the IOS –> I spent all of November walking around like a zombie. The only thing on my brain was IOS and learning to think like a router. I also had dreams of solutions for some of the problems in my practice labs. It’s weird, but by the time I sat my lab, I was breaking everything down like Neo in the Matrix. It all just made sense.

5) Keep your answers simple –> Yes, we are led to believe that the lab is designed to fail us. That part is true, if you don’t know what you are doing. As creative as you want to be with your methods, don’t bother. It doesn’t get you any extra points and could probably hurt you later. Just figure out the simplest way of doing it. Have you ever logged into a router or switch configured by someone else and didn’t understand why it was configured that way? Keep it simple, enough for someone to follow your method.

6) Cleanup –> If you decide to use a tclsh script, remember to just type tclquit to get out. Or if you happen to use a macro on the switches for a ping test, remember to remove the macro name and description. I kept notepad open on the desktop and wrote down, ‘remove macros from switches’. When it hit 5PM, since I was pretty much done verifying my configurations, I started cleaning off the devices.

7) Get some rest (if you can) or clear your mind –> Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love stuffing my face with turkey, but this year I couldn’t do so. Wednesday to Saturday was spent studying all day and night. I managed to step away for some grub, but it wasn’t the same. By the time Sunday rolled around, Sally’s relatives were planning on coming over to hang out. I could either hang out with everyone or sit in the study room cramping up my fingers and melting my brain some more. If I didn’t know the material at that point, then I wasn’t ready. I felt ready and chose to hang out. Played some Nintendo Wii, watched TV, talked, and just relaxed. I arrived in San Jose at 10PM, drove to the hotel, and just read some of the QoS sections on the DocCD until midnight. You would think that would put anyone to sleep, but there was some anxiousness stirring about in my system. I forced myself into bed and set my alarm for 7AM. I only slept until 5AM because my sleep was restless. I had cranked up the heat before going to bed and it just blew through the night. My room was a freakin sauna by the time I got out of bed. Rather than force myself back to sleep, I just got up and read some of my notes. Jumped in the shower at 6:30AM. Checked out out of the hotel and headed up the road to a Starbuck’s near the testing facility. Bought a Venti bold which was extremely hot. Checked in at the testing center and sat down in the lobby by 8AM. Just sat and enjoyed my coffee until it was time to enter the lab. Want to know why everyone tells us to get some rest the night before? After eating lunch, I started to feel that warm and fuzzy feeling once the food hit my stomach. By the time I sat back down at my rack, I was mentally and physically exhausted. I had to get up, go to the bathroom, and drink some aspirin I had in my pocket. Lucky for me the aspirin had enough caffeine to keep my awake until the end of the day.

Good luck to everyone pursuing the R&S track.