Amp’s CCIE Quest

Ok I had been going back and forth with choosing which date to actually book for my lab. According to my employer I have to at least sit for the lab no later than 4th Quarter 2009. With that in mind I was planning on taking the lab in November,  November 23 to be exact. After thinking about where I am at with my subject knowledge, I quickly changed my mind and settled on December 21, 2009. Now here’s the deal. I will be attending IPexpert’s CCIE Voice boot camp out in San Jose, CA. They have two dates that I have been considering, October 19 - 30, 2009 and November 30 - December 11, 2009.

I know that these boot camps fill up rather quick so I said to myself, “Self, let’s be smart about  how we schedule these events!” So I came up with this solution. Schedule the boot camp for October 19 - 30, 2009, work my arse off to make sure I am ready for it by at least September or early October. If not, then reschedule the boot camp for November 30 - December 11, 2009 and keep my lab date of December 21. However, if I am ready for the boot camp and I do well during the boot camp in October, then reschedule my lab date for November.

All I have to do now is keep an eye out for good plane tickets, right now they’re $243 round-trip from Raleigh-Durham International (RDU) to San Jose (SJC). If you guys here of some good deals or websites that typically have good deals on plane tickets, let me know. Until next update, keep studying people…

It’s been a couple of days since I last wrote about getting back on the horse. I have had to recommit my mind, heart, and efforts to this journey. I’ve also had to refocus on a structured approach to my studies. I have somewhere around 136 days before I go to IPexperts boot camp in San Jose, CA, and about 169 days before I sit for the lab. I figure if I can get a MINIMUM of 5 hours of focused studying in per day everyday, that will put around 685 hours of studying by the time I go to boot camp.

IPexpert has a recommended  approach to using their BLS program; it’s broken down into 3 steps.

1. Video on Demand: Watch the video on demand series beginning with Chapter 1 and follow through with the Video on Demand Exercises for Chapter 1. Then work through the corresponding chapters in the Volume 1 Workbook.
2. Move on to Volume 1 Technology-Focused labs. Work through all 16 chapters. DO NOT leave one chapter for the next until you have successfully completed the exercises and you FULLY understand them.
3.  Move on to Volume 3 (Mock Labs). Work through each of the labs individually; and DO NOT move on to the next lab until you can complete the lab you are on in 6 hours.

So I have started all over with the BLS Video on Demand videos.

Infrastructure:

2.3 VLANs and Trunking

2.4 DHCP

2.5 VTP

UCM Basics:

 3.1 UCM Basics

5.0 Calling Search Spaces and Partitions

3.2 Calling Search Spaces and Partitions ( Exercise Walkthrough)

I am in the process of building a functional lab, as best I can anyway. The lab sessions with Proctor Labs are 8 hour sessions and so far for the month of June, all filled up until next Saturday (June 13, 2009). I need all of the hands on practice that I can possibly get. My plan in the mean time is to watch the videos, watch the corresponding exercise walkthrough, and read or reread about the sections in either the SRND or one of the many books that I have.

Tonight it’s all about Calling Search Spaces and Partitions. I will watch the videos a few times, take notes each time, and read the chapter about the Calling Search Spaces and Partitions in Cisco CallManager Fundamentals and the CUCM 7.x SRND.

Well that’s all for now people, time to press play.

OK, I know it has been almost 4 months since the last time I posted anything on here. I have to admit, I had fallen off the wagon pretty hard, and while I was on the ground from the fall I wallowed in the murkiness of uncertainty until yesterday, (May 27, 2009).

So what happened you might ask? Well for starters I was able to finally meet one of the mentors that I have adopted along this journey, James Key. He is in town to take and pass his lab on today (May 28, 2009). We met for an early dinner and talked like we have known each other for years. He is one of the most genuine persons that I know and I am fully persuaded that he will pass his lab this go around. As we sat and talked, my motivation for this journey began to rise again.

If the conversation with James wasn’t enough, he gets a call from a mutual friend who has been on this journey as well (Ayo aka Skybaba). Ayo sat for his voice lab a few days ago and finally received his results….PASS (CCIE # 24456). Not only is he a first time passer, but he did it in 6 months!!! After celebrating with James and Ayo I went home re-motivated and ready to finish what I started. 

My pastor has been teaching a series titled “Real Finishers Become Real Winners”. I have committed myself to finishing this journey. My lab is scheduled for November 23, 2009 and I have 179 days before my lab attempt. I will be going to IPexpert’s 2 week CCIE Voice Bootcamp from October 19 - 30, 2009 so that leaves me with  143 days to go through all of their BLS workbooks and become as proficient as I possibly can in the process.

I really feel like I am starting from the beginning and I know doing this in 6 months will be extremely challenging, but I also know that it is not impossible. Not because my buddy Ayo did it in 6 months, but because my God said that ALL things are possible if I trust him and believe. He also reminded me that I can do ALL things through Christ, who is going to replinish my strength along the way.

Well that’s all for now, I won’t promise that I will be posting something everyday, I can promise that I will make an attempt to post something everyday. I will most definitely promise (not to you, but to me) that I will study hard every friggin day.

After much anticipation I received access to the new and updated IPexpert v3.0 Voice Workbooks and Proctor Guides. From what I can tell so far, these updated workbooks are on point and a must have. Thanks to Wayne, Mark, Matt, Vik, and all the other folks over at IPexpert for making getting us these updates so quick.

Tonight I will dive into the first section and let you all know how it goes…

Amp

When I set out on the journey to becoming a CCIE, I knew that it would be a tough and tremendous undertaking from a mental and technical standpoint. I had no idea, and thus never prepared myself for, it being such a strenuous emotional slap, punch, and kick in the face. Most of us that decide to pursue excellence via certifications do so because we not only want to advance in our career but also prove that we are the best according to standards set by an industry. In today’s climate, anyone can purchase supplements (which I DO NOT condone) that almost guarantee that you will pass any one of the Cisco Associate and Professional level certs, as well as, any one of the CCIE qualification exams. But it takes a special person to prepare for and pass the actual lab.

Let’s see, on my journey so far, almost a month in, I have been on an emotional roller coaster that I had no idea existed. No where on Cisco’s webpage did they mention that a candidate had to posess a high level of emotional fortitude in addition to the mental, technical, and maybe even physical strength that is needed to prepare for this exam, let alone pass. Yeah I know maybe somewhere in my mind I should have KNOWN that it would be such an emotional task, but guess what? Everyone that I have either personally known, or talked to have NEVER, not even ONE time said “Hey kid get your emotional makeup checked out before you start this”.

Those of us that like to solve problems and look forward to taking on and overcoming challenges usually don’t like to have a problem beat us. How many of you have stayed past your quitting time or came in early to attack a problem that was trying to show you up at work? I know this week alone I logged in from home during my off hours to check on a problem, I went in early and stayed late, and I even had terrible dreams of Unity, Exchange and MWI Resynch problems ganging up on me in an attempt to beat me to a pulp. You know what? I won, I fixed the problem. Hoo Rayyy for me right? WRONG, the CCIE is a different beast. Just when you think you have something whipped you turn the page and start on another section that not only kicks your butt but it undo’s what took you a lifetime to do previously.

Now add in the fact that you are taking away one of the only commodities that you can not replace, TIME, and the pressures begin to mount. I have to sacrifice time with my family which I try and convince myself that it’s them that I am doing this for. I work the Midnight shift, which means my family have to sleep all night without daddy, I barely sleep during the day (here comes the physical fatigue), I have committments to my community and church (so much for making the world a better place), and then I have a non-standard manmade test that is kicking my butt. It seems like my foundation is crumbling right in front of my eyes.

I am, was, and will always be a United States Marine, and I am as physically and mentally tough as they come, but this is beginning to be a bit much emotionally. It feels like my wife and I are losing our closeness, I feel so guilty when I tell my babies, daddy has to study I’ll play with you later and later doesn’t come, I feel like the more I think I know something the CCIE proves to me I know nothing.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is hard. I have no other way to put it. Just down right hard. The CCIE not tests your technical expertise and your Tiger Woods mental toughness, but it tests your emotions. If we’re being honest with ourselves, let alone each other, how many of us have actually mastered the art of being an emotional expert?

Well to answer my original thought of “Why I Respect CCIE’s”, it is not just because they have proven to be some of the elite in their field, they can not only leap complex problems in a single bound, but most importantly because they have weathered the emotional storm and roller coaster and made it. They didn’t let it get the best of them. Even without digits, they won what to me is the toughest battle that we’re all fighting, the fight for their emotional dignity.

I am off to take a shower, think, pray, and probably like most days recently, cry.

Where do I begin…

Last week was a complete and total waste as far as studying goes. I just couldn’t get things together. I felt like a child lost in the woods surrounded by lions, tigers and bears that are ready to pounce on me because I am looking like a deer caught in headlights. James Key who blogs over at Blindhog shot me a very encouraging email that helped me out tremendously. After getting back on my grind I ran into a buddy that told me about the Cisco Aset Program for Cisco Partners. The Aset Labs Program basically gives you 72 hours per month of remote access to Cisco remote labs and scenarios if you have passed your written, have a lab date in sight, and are a Cisco Partner.

Well I had my first 5-hour block of lab time today and officially got my behind kicked. I don’t mean I made a few mistakes here and there, no I was absolutely completely beat like an out-of-tune drum. The most challenging part is that you do not have any solutions to verify your work or to see where you went wrong. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not completely a bad thing, but it is challenging for someone like me just starting out on this journey.

Here are a few things that I know for certain:

1. I need access to a lab, even the smallest of labs, so I can practice the basics. I am a little rusty right now.
2. It is going to be imperative that I remain on a very focused schedule for my studies.
3. In order to be ready by October I am going to have to eat, sleep, drink, and have sex with CCIE Voice.
4. I have committed to staying at least 1-hour after work EVERY workday so I can steal an extra hour of studying.
5. I am going to read, re-read, and re-read what I re-read, from every book on the Voice Book List and the SRNDs, Case Studies, and Tech Notes.
6. Post questions on IPexperts mailing list OnlineStudyList like I am getting paid to do it. (So no rumors get started, I AM NOT and WILL NOT, be getting paid to post questions on that list. I am just saying I am going to be posting on the list as if I were getting paid.)
7. I am going to engage in physical exercise everyday. The stronger my body becomes, I will be better able to manage stress, and operate with an invigorated mind.
8. One of the most important things that I know for certain is that I must, scratch that, I WILL have fun along this journey.

So to my readers, please drop me an email or comment with your thoughts, your method to this madness, your encouraging or discouraging words (both are appreciated). Tell me what it was like for you guys when you started on your IE journey and how you all overcame these same obstacles that I am now facing. I believe that we are all family in this fight. I love how when one person passes we all feel a since of pride, and when one person fails we all feel anguish and a tinge of fear for our attempt. Talk to me family, I need to hear from you guys.

Amp

I. Implement and Troubleshoot Campus Infrastructure and Services

• VLAN

What is a VLAN?

The actual name is short for Virtual LAN. In simple terms a VLAN is a switched network that is segmented, in a logical sense, by function, department, or application. The VLAN is also independent of the actual physical LAN. Meaning all of the users on the VLAN do not have to be on the same physical LAN, but they do have to be in the same IP subnet. As an example, CompanyA can have their Marketing Department physically located on 3 different floors in the building, but from a switch standpoint they are all together.

If the Marketing and HR departments wanted to communicate with each other then traffic between their respective VLANs would need to be routed via Switch Virtual Interface or (SVI). Creating  SVI seems to be pretty simple and straight forward, you give the interface a L3 address. One thing to keep in mind about a SVI is that it does not become active until it is associated with a physical port.

There are two types of VLAN ports that are of importance here; Access and Voice.

The Voice VLAN basically allows an access port to carry IP voice traffic from an IP phone. The Voice VLAN config is not supported on trunk ports. How is this done? An 802.1Q header is added to the Ethernet frame indicating the VLAN ID. The switch checks to see if the VLAN ID in the header matches what is configured on the interface, if so, the traffic is permitted.

Here’s an example of how to configure:

Switch# configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Switch(config)# interface gigabitethernet1/0/1.640
Switch(config-if)# mls qos trust cos
Switch(config-if)# switchport voice vlan 640
Switch(config-if)# ip address 10.10.10.122 255.255.255.0
Switch(config-if)# end

The Voice VLAN will not show as UP until “voice vlan” has been assigned to the interfaces that the IP Phones are connected to.

Let me also note that I may be asked or told in the lab  to ensure that my switch ports bypass the blocking, listening, and learning states which means that I will have to configure “spantree portfast” on the interface.

I am sure that I may have left something important out regarding VLAN, if so just drop me a quick reminder. Afterall, this is supposed to be a learning process right? ;-D

Today I will focus on Section 1.00 Implement and Troubleshoot Campus Infrastructure and Services.

1.01 VLAN

1.02 DHCP

1.03 TFTP

1.04 NTP

Read the Cisco 3750 12.2 Configuration Guide, CUCM 7.x SRND, and I’m going to see if there’s much information in my books.

I hope to be reading today by 2:00 pm; we’ll see how it goes.

After taking some time to think about a study strategy, I have come up with one that I plan on following (at least in the short term) to see how it works out for me. I believe that it is vitally important to know the technologies inside and out. So with that said, here we go.

• Watch, Review, and learn from the IPexpert BLS Video-on-Demand presentations.
• Study and attempt to master each section of the v3.0 Blueprint utilizing the BLS Material, SRNDs, Configuration Examples, Case Studies, Ciscopress Books, and Configuration Technotes.
• Focus on the technologies and the technology focused labs from the BLS, utilizing the same materials mentioned above to become proficient in the individual technologies. Also attempt to learn more than one way, if there is one, to implementing a technology(Concentrating on accuracy more than time).
• Move on to the”Multi-protocol Labs” from the BLS focusing “MORE” on time but still heavily on accuracy.
• Once I have become proficient with the Multi-protocol labs I will then move on to the “8-hr Mock Labs” utilizing Proctor Labs vRack rentals. My goal here is to simulate the lab as close as possible.

I told myself that I want to have any where between 600 and 800 hours of study (reading and practical) in before I attempt the lab in November. If I put in 20 hrs per week for the next 39 weeks that will put me at 780 hours the week of October 5, 2009. I plan on attending the bootcamp from October 12 - 23, 2009. At this point I don’t know what the hours of the bootcamp are so I will use low estimates like 8hrs/day for the 10 days of bootcamp. On the low end, by the end of bootcamp I should have at least 860 hours of study and practice.

I know this plan sounds a little aggressive but it is definitely manageable. I promised the wife a cruise for our anniversary, I suspect that sometime throughout the year I may have to fight a cold or the wife or kids may have to fend off a sickness or something, and I may just need a break from studying; this plan allows me to account for those situations.

This is a tentative schedule (while working nights):

Monday:

• 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Read Documentation (SRNDs, Ciscopress Books, White Papers, Config Guides, etc.)
• 11:00 pm - 7:00 am (Find 2 -4 hours to read documentation and practice labs)

Tuesday:

• 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Read Documentation (SRNDs, Ciscopress Books, White Papers, Config Guides, etc.)
• 11:00 pm - 7:00 am (Find 2 -4 hours to read documentation and practice labs)

Same thing for Wednsday and Thursday. Hopefully use Friday as a rest, relax, and relate day with family; maybe stealing an hour or two to do some reading.

Saturday (2nd and 4th Saturday):

•  8:00 am - 4:00 pm Lab Work

Right now all of this is tentative, but I am going to focus on maintaining this schedule as close and as much as possible.

I have been on, I guess you can call it, whirlwind kind of ride the past few weeks. Since finishing up with my CCVP back toward the end of November I have been up and down about what to do next. I never wanted to embark upon the voice, or what we call it at work IPT, journey so that may be why it has been a little difficult for me to get my feet underneath me. I wanted to pursue the CCIE Service Provider but was told at the end of ‘07, you need a professional level certification for your ‘08 goal. I said ok cool, I’ll do the CCSP. They (Mgmt) said, ok great you’re going to do CCVP.

In hindsight, the CCVP was the better choice for a couple of reasons.

1.) Our group received money for training at Global Knowledge so I was able to attend all of the CCVP classes except for QoS and CIPT2.

2.) We have been bringing in a plethora of voice customers.

Ok, back to the point. After finishing up my CCVP to meet my objective for 2008, I figured hey I would not pursue anything for a while. I was content with that notion until one day at church my Pastor taught about being excellent and persuing excellence in everything we do. Once I saw the scriptures for myself I realized that I can’t proclaim to be a follower of Christ and not want to persue excellence in everything I do, if not for myself and my family at least for the glory of God’s Kingdom.

So I went to my management team and said, “I want to move to that next level. I want to come off of working Midnights and back on the day shift so I can work more issues, and I am going to work on the CCIE (R&S).” His response was “Great, coming back to days will be the best move for you; as soon as YOU find someone with voice experience to replace you on MIDS! Oh by the way, if I were you, I would definitely work on the CCIE, but for VOICE!”

I left that meeting feeling like, “Are you serious, CCIE Voice? How in the world am I going to do that with NO lab equipment, NO mentors, and definitely NO CCIE level experience (barely CCVP level) in Voice?” At least with the R&S track, I have 4 people that I am close too that have knocked that track out and can offer insight, advice, and even help on that journey. You know what I hear when I talk about voice, “NO WAY man, you’re on your own with that one. You’re the voice guy, not me.” I’ve ONLY been involved with this voice stuff since April when I took my 1st class. Being that I work at night, MOST of our voice issues happen during the day, which means I don’t get to see the issues at night. It wasn’t until Sept. or Oct. that I started getting voice calls at night, and not that many at that.

So here I am, 2:10am on Jan. 2, 2009 up because I’ve been paged on a voice issue that really isn’t an issue, wondering how do I pursue this great task. At least with the R&S track there are a million and one blogs with people that are either doing it or have done it and have some good insight on how and where to begin. Not so much on the voice side. When I first started this blog, I remembered hearing a quote that said “The journey of life begins with one step”.  I know that the journey towards CCIE Voice begins with one step as well; I just don’t know what that first step is or should be. ESPECIALLY being that the performance goal that I have been given is to sit the lab before the end of ‘09.

I’m not sure if this is the place to start, but this is where I am going to start. Over the next week or so I am going to read the Enterprise QoS Solution SRND. I’m going to blog about it, that should help with hammering home what I learn. I’m going to talk about it, that should help with making sure I know what I’m talking about. Last but not least I am going to pray. Not about the SRND, but that I get access to a lab so that I will be able to study, learn, and master the individual technologies that will be covered on the lab. I do have rack time that I was blessed with, but I need to save those rack hours for when I am doing the full 8-hour mock labs or at the very least the 4-hour multi-protocol labs.

Well I am going to try and get some sleep, again. I hope to spend at least 4 hours in the morning reading and another 1 or 2 in the evening before I lay down for my nap before work.