CCIE Prep Kit 350-001 Routing and Switching (Exam Guide)

CCIE Prep Kit 350-001 Routing and Switching (Exam Guide)

The CCIE Routing and Switching Exam Guide prepares you to pass the CCIE written exam. This book covers all necessary objectives for the exam with a tutorial text that is strictly exam-related and flows with minimal interruption. Key concepts are the only "notes" set apart from the text by special formatting. This series is designed to for use with or without outside instruction. Study aids begin with the Chapter Opener, which readies you for learning. To help you fully understand the topic, visual cues are used liberally throughout the book. Diagrams put concepts into a visual form that aids in retaining and comprehending, and figures confirm your understanding of procedures. This book also provides additional information, such as addresses for on-line help and supplemental sample tests, testing locations, test-taking tips and strategies, and emotional preparation.

Securing Your Future And Your Network WIth Cisco's CCSP Certification By Chris Bryant

You don't need me to tell you that security is the #1 concern in today's networks. With that in mind, your career path must include some security certifications, or you will be left behind. Cisco's Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP) certification demands a candidate be well-rounded and well-versed in Cisco security measures. Besides the difficultly we've all come to expect from a Cisco exam, this five-exam path covers every major aspect of network security (from Cisco's viewpoint, anyway!) You must hold a valid CCNA certification to earn your CCSP. Typically, the first exam CCSP candidates take is Securing Networks With Cisco Routers An Switches (SNRS), followed by Securing Cisco Network Devices (SND). After you've nailed these two exams, which obviously focus on devices more familiar to CCNAs and CCNPs, you'll be faced with three exams that are more specific to Cisco security devices.
Your PIX knowledge will be tested with the Securing Networks With PIX and ASA (SNPA) exam, followed by the Implementing Cisco Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) exam.
In October 2005, the final exam is scheduled to change from a VPN exam (CSVPN, Cisco Secure Virtual Private Networks) to Securing Hosts Using Cisco Security Agent (HIPS). If you're just getting started on the CCSP track, you'll be taking the HIPS exam. (Insert your own joke here.)
The CCSP is valid for three years; to recertify, you'll need to pass the 642-541 CSI exam or any CCIE written exam. As always, this is subject to change, and you should bookmark Cisco's Learning page (found off the main Cisco webpage) to make sure you're aware of the latest changes to Cisco certification and recertification requirements.
Not only must you know how to secure your network, you also need to secure your current job and the possibilities for your future. By pursuing and obtaining the CCSP, you will do all three at once.

Taking A Look At Cisco's Certified Voice Professional Certification By Chris Bryant

I hardly have to tell you how important voice technologies are in today's networks; what we all need to keep in mind to maximize our career potential is how important knowing voice is going to be tomorrow. We've always got to look forward in IT, both in our work and out studies. Cisco, always the pioneer in technical certifications, now offers a Cisco Certified Voice Professional certification that is gaining a lot of attention from IT professionals looking to add to their skills and their resume.
Cisco's CCVP track is a rigorous five-exam track that requires you to earn your CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certification before getting started. The five exams cover a myriad of topics - they're not giving this one away! Here are the exam numbers and codes you'll need to know to register for the exams:
642-642 Quality Of Service (QOS)
642-432 Cisco Voice Over IP (CVOICE)
642-425 IP Telephony Troubleshooting (IPTT)
642-444 Cisco IP Telephony (CIPT)
642-452 Cisco Voice Gateways (GWGK)
Many newly-minted CCNAs wonder if they should pursue this or the Security Professional certification immediately after getting their CCNA. I recommend that a new CCNA pursue and achieve the CCNP before going after these more-specialized certifications. While it is not required by Cisco, the routing and switching knowledge your will acquire on your way to the CCNP will be invaluable to your career as well as being helpful with your CCVP pursuits.
Besides, these certifications won't be going anywhere soon. Think of how valuable you will be with a CCNP, CCVP, and CCSP!

How To Earn Cisco's Firewall Specialist Certification By Chris Bryant

Security is a hot topic in today's networks, and will continue to be for a long time to come. With that in mind, you must consider adding a Cisco security certification to your resume and firewall skills to your skill set. It's quite a jump from the CCNA to the CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional), and Cisco has made that leap more manageable by adding Specialist certifications. These certifications can give quite a boost to both your resume and your skill set, and act as a great "stepping stone" to the CCSP.
At present, Cisco offers four VPN/Security certifications, those being Cisco Firewall Specialist, Cisco IPS Specialist, Cisco VPN Specialist, and Cisco VPN/Security Sales Specialist. Since every WAN engineer has contact with Cisco firewalls on a regular basis, we'll take a closer look at this popular certification first. (And those who want to be WAN engineers had better learn something about firewalls, too!)
At the writing of this article (October 21, 2005), Cisco is offering an option for each of the two exams you'll need to pass to earn this certification. For the first exam, you can take either the 642-551 SND (Securing Cisco Network Devices) or 642-501 SECUR (Securing Cisco IOS Networks). The final day to register for the SECUR exam is December 19, 2005.
For either, you'll need to be able to answer questions regarding the proper use of Cisco security devices; how to configure security on a Cisco switch and on a router, including syslog logging, AAA, ACLs, and security for router services and interfaces.
The choices for the second exam are the 642-522 SNPA (Securing Network with PIX and ASA) and 642-521 CSPFA. Topics for these exams include , IPSec, NAT, firewalls, AAA, and policy mapping. (As always, you should check for the latest exam blueprints at Cisco's website. Click "Learning And Events" on the main page, www.cisco.com).
The only prerequisite for this certification is that you must hold a valid CCNA certification.
As always, getting some hands-on experience is the best way to prepare for your Cisco exams. (Your employer is going to get a little upset if you practice your configs on his or her PIX. It would be a good idea to have a good lawyer, too.) There are online rack rental services that include Cisco security devices in their pods.
Cisco certifications are a great way to help protect your career as well as your network. The more you know, and the more varied your skills, the more valuable you are to your present and future employers. Use your CCNA as a foundation, and keep building on your skills!

Passing The CCNA and CCNP: Home Lab Shopping On Ebay By Chris Bryant

Whether you're just getting ideas for your Cisco home lab or adding to your existing lab, ebay is a great place to get ideas for your lab as well as pick up some great bargains. Of course, the internet being what it is, there are always going to be a few people looking to take your money while shipping you inferior merchandise, or worse, no merchandise at all. While these "dealers" are in the minority, you still need to be careful when purchasing Cisco equipment on ebay. In this article, I'll give you several tips on browsing ebay ads for home lab ideas, and a few things to look out for when purchasing equipment on ebay.
For those of you just starting your Cisco certification pursuit, the idea of purchasing a home lab kit -- a set of routers, switches, and perhaps some cables and study guides -- seems like a good idea. Instead of putting your lab together one piece at a time, these kits allow you to get a head start on your studies.
One thing to watch out for in these kits is outdated equipment, or the inclusion of outdated study guides. Often, vendors will use these kits as a way to get rid of unwanted inventory.
The Cisco 1900 family of switches falls into this category. A recent search on ebay for "ccna lab" showed seven different CCNA lab kits that contained 1900 switches. The problem here is that the current CCNA exams do not test on the 1900 switches, which are menu-driven and do not have an IOS. You'll need to be well-versed with switches that do have an IOS, such as the 2950s.
The plus side here is that you will probably save money by using 1900 switches. If you're on a tight budget, having a 1900 switch is better than no switch at all. If at all possible, though, get a Cisco switch with an IOS.
The cables and transceivers included with these kits are generally exactly what you need to set up that particular kit, and this can be very helpful to those CCNA candidates who are new to the various cables needed to physically configure a home lab. Just make sure you're not buying a kit with 10 transceivers (used on AUI ports) when you've only got two routers with Ethernet ports.
Watch out for kits that include outdated study guides. I've seen four-year-old CCNA books included with some kits. If you already have your study guides, feel free to ask the vendor how much the kit costs without the books.
That leads me to the most important point. Get to know the vendor before buying anything. Visit their website and check their ebay feedback. If buying from an individual as opposed to a reseller, find out what conditions the router or switch has been kept in, and make sure to define the terms under which they will accept returns. There's nothing wrong with buying equipment from someone who's selling their CCNA/CCNP/CCIE home lab, but just make sure you ask the right questions first. Professional resellers generally have their return policy right in their ebay ad; if they don't, ask for a copy.
Building your own CCNA and/or CCNP home lab is a little intimidating at first, but speaking as someone who has climbed the Cisco certification ladder from the CCNA to the CCIE, I can tell you that it is the best investment you can make in your career. Use a little caution, ask the right question, and soon you'll be leaving the world of "router simulators" behind - and you'll be developing your skills as a true professional should: On real Cisco routers and switches!

Passing The CCNA and CCNP: Three Myths About Cisco Exams By Chris Bryant

One of the drawbacks to the Internet is that it allows myths and "friend of a friend" stories to spread quickly, and usually the story becomes more exaggerated as it's passed along. Cisco exams are no exception. Here are three often-repeated myths and exaggerations regarding the CCNA and CCNP exams. 1. The survey you fill out before the exam determines the questions you'll get. Before you actually start your exam, Cisco presents you with a survey asking how you prepared and how comfortable you feel with certain technologies. It's a little awkward to rate yourself on Frame Relay, ISDN, etc., especially since the exam you're about to take covers those subjects. It's human nature to think that these questions impact your exam, but they do not.
I've seen posts on the Net saying that if you rank yourself as "great" in a subject, your exam will have harder questions on that topic, and if you rank yourself lower in that same subject, your exam will be filled with questions on this topic. Cisco has debunked this myth, so get it out of your mind. Don't think too much when you're filling out the survey.
2. If you miss a question, the exam keeps asking you about that topic until you get one right. This is known as "adaptive testing", and Cisco does not use this kind of testing in its exams. Your questions are drawn from a large question pool before you start the test. Those of us who remember adaptive testing from Novell exams years ago don't particularly miss this kind of testing! (For those who haven't taken an adaptive exam, you never knew how many questions you were going to get, only that there was a minimum around 15 questions. Your exam could end at any time after that. Nerve-wracking!)
3. If you use an extra command in the simulator questions, it'll be marked wrong. The Cisco simulator engine in the CCNA and CCNP exams acts just as a router or switch would. You are not going to be penalized for using an extra command. If the engine doesn't accept a command, you'll be told that when you use it. Just configure it as you would a router or switch.
When you walk into the exam room totally prepared with a combination of theoretical knowledge, hands-on experience, and configuration troubleshooting skills, you are ready to pass. Don't let Internet gossip distract you from the task at hand -- passing!

Get Down With OCP: Evaluating DBA Job Applicants in an OCP World By Chris Bryant

Not long ago, weeding through DBA applicants with a tech interview was a straightforward process. You'd ask candidates 200 or so technical questions. If they got 100 correct answers, you knew they'd been around the block; 150 or more and you knew you were on to superior talent. But once the Oracle Certification Program (OCP) became popular in the late 90s, the traditional tech interview lost its effectiveness. These days, candidates can answer 180 questions correctly and you still won't know whether they're talking from experience or simply regurgitating what they memorized at OCP a few weeks earlier. Although it has become increasingly difficult to determine whether you've found a seasoned, highly qualified DBA or a newly minted OCP Graduate, there are ways. First, start by throwing out the questions. Any candidate who has been through OCP knows the answers—all of them. That list that helped you find superstar employees in the past is unfortunately useless now. Second, if you are a manager without solid database experience, enlist the help of an experienced DBA to help you prepare that critical interview. IT Managers have varied backgrounds and here it's important to pull from the right background, be it yours or someone else's.
You also need to analyze your needs. If you're looking to hire a junior person and mentor them, the OCP program ensures that the candidate has been exposed to most areas of the Oracle RDBMS. You can assume you'll have an employee who knows the commands and has a general concept of how a database works. But if you select an inexperienced OCP candidate thinking you're getting a skilled veteran, you'll be in for countless unpleasant surprises. Typical horror stories sound like: A DBA restores the backup for the first time in a real-life situation, finds out the backup strategy was flawed and loses the whole database. S/he probably also forgot to make a backup of the database before attempting the recovery, therefore rendering Oracle support intervention nearly impossible.
A DBA recommends technical implementation decisions based on limited experience with a single user database that has 10 tables of 100 rows each. Of course, the system hangs a few hours after the launch—as soon as 10,000 users start pounding on a 500GB database.
The most damaging aspect of newer DBAs is that they don't know when they are in over their heads, or how to plan properly. Senior IT professionals, no matter their field of expertise, have a gut feeling when it's happening. They know they have to step away, talk things over with a peer, roll everything back, and try another day. Inexperienced IT professionals are fearless and can therefore be dangerous, especially if they're expected to run the show.
So how do you find truly qualified DBAs in an OCP World? Put them to work—in the interview, that is. Create real world situations where candidates are allowed full use of any familiar online resources, and see what they can do. Some examples:
Want to check out their data modeling skills? Give candidates a hypothetical business that everyone understands, like a video rental store, and a basic set of business requirements. Put them in front of a white board and let them create a model that meets the stated requirements. You play the role of a subject-matter expert who is decidedly non-technical, and have them walk you through the results.
Wondering how they handle troubleshooting? Set up a database with various performance anomalies such as poorly written queries, missing indexes, and internal resource contention. Have applicants deal with the issues and walk you through their methodology. They can't use automated tools. The Oracle Data Dictionary and OS basic facilities must suffice.
Want to see if they know how to minimize downtime? Pretend you're a client who wants to upgrade a 500GB database from version X to version X+1. It's a 24/7 environment and each hour of downtime costs $10,000. There will be downtime regardless, but the DBA should be able to generate scenarios to keep it at a minimum.
Whatever skills you're looking to assess, make sure you test candidates in situations they can't prepare for and can't fake. The new interview process isn't quite as easy as those trusty old 200 questions. It requires more up-front planning and often more time in the interview room. But if it saves you from having to fire incapable employees who wreaked havoc on your database, it's probably worth it. A little advance preparation can save a whole lot of time, money, and hassle down the road. And isn't that all we're looking for in this crazy, mixed-up OCP world?