QoS Book?

Hello all,

Somewhat considering going for the CCIE, but at a minimum want to read a QoS book. My boss has an old End to End QoS book, and is suggesting I get the new version. However, it seems most get the Odom book.

Which one is really the better book and why?

https://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Certification-Telephony-Self-Study-Official-ebook/dp/B001U9S9YO/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1478027914&sr=1-2&keywords=cisco+qos

https://www.amazon.com/End-End-QoS-Network-Design-ebook/dp/B00GTOEAPW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1478027914&sr=1-1&keywords=cisco+qos

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Comments

networker050184

The QoS cert guide is pretty good though over 10 years old at this point. I'd probably supplement it with some info on new platforms though. If this isn't 100% cert focused I'd spend most of your time reading through the docs for your actual equipment and software versions. QoS is one of those things that is very platform dependent.

hurricane1091

Hey thanks for the reply. So I only have a very high level understanding of QoS but not much knowledge at all. We are certainly doing some decent stuff, and we have some older gear with the MLS commands, and the newer gear with what I think is the MQC stuff? So, I kind of get that platform dependent thought.

Hypothetically, I really am considering the CCIE. My boss wants me to do it. If I was doing that, would the cert book be recommended? My boss is advocating the other book, as he has the original one in his office and he is extremely proficient in the subject area as he wrote our entire QoS policy 5+ years ago when he re-designed the entire environment when he was brought on board. Realistically, our senior network engineer knows "enough to be dangerous" as he says, and the other guy doesn't know much. So there's room to become the top QoS person behind my boss, and the VoIP team is implementing some new video stuff eventually and we will need to re-work the policy I believe.

EANx

hurricane1091 wrote: »

So there's room to become the top QoS person behind my boss, and the VoIP team is implementing some new video stuff eventually and we will need to re-work the policy I believe.

Don't set your sights low. If your boss is a manager, there's room to not just be the second-best QOS person but the best.

hurricane1091

EANx wrote: »

Don't set your sights low. If your boss is a manager, there's room to not just be the second-best QOS person but the best.

I like the positivity, thank you. The VoIP manager thinks I should try for my CCIE too. I've only been in IT for 3 years and only a network engineer for 1.5 years. I'm not a super genius, I believe I only scored around 1650 on my SAT for example. I just tend to have a high work rate. Nothing comes very easy, I always have to read twice, lab twice as much as that, and ask my boss questions. I just keep going until I understand it. But back to the original topic - QoS - I look up to my boss in high regard. As a person, he's as solid as a guy as you could be. As a manager, he's the best you could ever want. And as a network engineer, you'd be hard pressed to find someone much better. They brought him in to architect the entire network, and it was a total revamp. Re-designed the entire datacenter and built it from scratch, made it redundant, added a DR site, re-worked all 100+ branch sites, negotiated all the equipment and circuit deals. Wrote everything from scratch. It was basically just him, the (now) senior network engineer who had no experience when he started, and eventually another guy with limited experience. But really, that is what makes me think I should consider trying to get the CCIE. I have the ultimate resource available. He's offered to bring in a CCIE from Cisco to game-plan with me. I already have a fully racked and stacked lab I used for the CCNP with terminal server connections to all 12 routers and switches - some of which are solid devices like 3650s. There's more I could add to it as well. The only trouble is the company doesn't like to open up the check book. I've never been sent to training, I've bought all my study materials, and I've fronted all the tests (but was reimbursed for them once I passed). For a 25 year old I probably make decent money, but I make considerably less than the average for a network engineer, and as a result I really do not have the money to front the cost to one day take the lab should I be fortunate enough to do so, and do not know if they would front it. They wouldn't send me to a boot camp probably, and we did not go to Cisco Live last year (but my boss did go the year before).

I kind of got off topic, but I just passed my CCDA on Friday and I need something new to do. I lack enough experience to really quit my job for more money, and I'm not ready to be a senior person but have kind of eclipsed what I was originally brought in for. So, I might as well just keep learning. A lot of the stuff I can actually put to use, like DMVPN. I actually re-worked the DMVPN environment which I documented on this site. We have not implemented it, mostly because I was on a big F5 project that was given to me despite not understanding load balancing at all, and not knowing the Cisco ACE platform previously. Took 3 months, but was a crazy learning experience. We utilize layer 3 MPLS, so it would be nice to know actually how MPLS works. We definitely do some route manipulation with BGP and also EIGRP, so it would be useful to continue to build on that knowledge. I already mentioned we have a detailed QoS policy which basically only my boss knows since he wrote it.

I'm ranting at this point lol, sorry. So, QoS book 1 or 2?

EANx

I'd go with the more recent one.

But also, based on what you wrote, what's your driving motivation for the IE? I couldn't imagine hiring someone for a CCIE role when they have less than five years in networking but I'll admit some organizations do. What's your timeline? Based on what you wrote, if you're looking at a gradual ramp-up over the next 30-36 months then I think you'd be on the right track and you might be able to get your employer to pay for a class a year.