1st CCIE lab attempt blog and help for candidates.

rogue2shadow

Congrats!

Turgon

Thanks guys. Well it's funny as an hour after I accepted the offer an interview came my way for the 9 month contract gig that would have been billed at over 1000 dollars a day at last years exchange rate. While the client was very keen to see me Im very happy with the job I was offered and respectfully declined. It's a great opportunity and after 7 years contracting around Great Britain and Continental Europe I have decided to go permanent again.

peanutnoggin

Turgon wrote: »

Thanks guys. Well it's funny as an hour after I accepted the offer an interview came my way for the 9 month contract gig that would have been billed at over 1000 dollars a day at last years exchange rate. While the client was very keen to see me Im very happy with the job I was offered and respectfully declined. It's a great opportunity and after 7 years contracting around Great Britain and Continental Europe I have decided to go permanent again.

CONGRATS... its not always about the money... but dizzzzaaaam!!! $1000 per day is hard to no to!! I'm sure you made the right decision on what will be best for you! CONGRATS again!!

Turgon

peanutnoggin wrote: »

CONGRATS... its not always about the money... but dizzzzaaaam!!! $1000 per day is hard to no to!! I'm sure you made the right decision on what will be best for you! CONGRATS again!!

hehehe..well the job I accepted hardly leaves me destitute. But you are correct, it isn't always about the money. I prefer the direction of travel offered by the job I have accepted and for the moment at least contracting no longer appeals.

Turgon

Nearly 2000 pages of Vol 1 INE dropped off at the binders. Fifteen sections worth covering all major technology topics. It's all going to take some reading in the weeks ahead!

Bl8ckr0uter

Turgon wrote: »

Thanks guys. Well it's funny as an hour after I accepted the offer an interview came my way for the 9 month contract gig that would have been billed at over 1000 dollars a day at last years exchange rate.

Working 5 days a week? Dude what the hell do you do? I mean is the CCIE even worth it to you anymore (as far as career advancement is concerned)?


Congrats on the job

Turgon

knwminus wrote: »

Working 5 days a week? Dude what the hell do you do? I mean is the CCIE even worth it to you anymore (as far as career advancement is concerned)?


Congrats on the job

hehehehe..thanks. I do contract network architect work. My last gig was for a Global CRM provider. The particular contract in question is more of a management role although there would be some architect responsibilities there. Running a whole department commands high rates. I would have enjoyed the challenge but it would have been a headache Im sure. It's a moot point now anyway as Im going permanent.

In terms of the CCIE its really unfinished business for me and I would really like to close the deal. I think I have probably gained 75% of what the whole track has to offer me in terms of a learning experience. It's closing that last 25% down that has always been so difficult with everything I usually have on at work in the contracts I get and things at home.

But you are right, with the exception of gigs that *insist* you have the number the only other networking jobs Im not in the frame for these days are very specialised roles in mobile/telco or voice or people that design entire MPLS cores. I throw in the high end roles in banking as well as they tend to pass over people who haven't been working in banking infrastructure for some years. I should add Im still blind on Juniper, a situation I will address somewhat later this year, but in a design capacity I can *mostly* concentrate on capabilities of these boxes. If the company is already using it on platform then they already have support skills I can leverage to some extent. Im looking forward to learning much more about these boxes when I get a chance.

So why am I bothering? Well it's a challenge and considering I have been picking at it since 2001 it would be nice to actually finish it sometime this year. I imagine I will get a raise too. My wife will be relieved and it will free up lots of time to concentrate on my work and things at home. At the end of the day working longer hours on highly visible projects at work pays off much more than screwing my evenings up getting my head around some pretty obscure stuff about QoS features Im most likely never going to use.

SysAdmin4066

Turgon wrote: »

It's worth a great deal but the important thing is to have the chance over the years to put it all into context through live projects and experience. That's ultimately what clinches most hiring decisions at this level. They wanted a CCIE but seem to have relaxed that requirement for me. A TDA role suits me fine.

Congrats man, I always tell those that I mentor from time to time that money is not important, it will come. If you have the opportunity to DO something that is worth something in the field, a migration from this to that, a cutting edge system install, etc, then choose that job. When I started out, I chose jobs with not a whole lot of pay, but opportunities like VoIP, Exchange migrations, new product installs. This stuff gets you the rates in the end, to be able to say "I've done this X". Congrats again, you sure are making it during the recession.

Turgon

SysAdmin4066 wrote: »

Congrats man, I always tell those that I mentor from time to time that money is not important, it will come. If you have the opportunity to DO something that is worth something in the field, a migration from this to that, a cutting edge system install, etc, then choose that job. When I started out, I chose jobs with not a whole lot of pay, but opportunities like VoIP, Exchange migrations, new product installs. This stuff gets you the rates in the end, to be able to say "I've done this X". Congrats again, you sure are making it during the recession.

Thanks SysAdmin. Absolutley correct approach. While certifications can be marvellous the primary assessment on your capabilities will be your accomplishments in the field. It's vital to get work that provides you will outlets to contribute to infrastructure changes. It not only gives you something to talk about interviews but also gives people confidence that you can handle things. That's why I encourage people to seek out more project and design type work wherever they can at work.

Turgon

I collected the INE Vol 1 material from the binders today. It is a simply ridiculous amount of material to wade through. I will make a start.

Turgon

Today has been a seminal moment in my studies. I got through the switching section in Vol 1 in short order. I dont feel the need to lab anything there. I covered all the topics noting the essential configuration and verification commands in my technology spreadsheet.

This spreadsheet is a weapon of mass destruction for my studies this year and at this rate it will come together quickly. In it are worksheets for each technology in Vol 1. Switching is done now and I have highlighted any new topics or older ones that will require some more work on my part. But overall Im left with the feeling that things really are getting together. The key now is to work on this stuff every single day even for an hour. I expect to be getting through Vol 1 before turning over the notes I made last summer for the Vol 2 labs. These essentially recorded a batch of problems and solutions for each major topic. I will create additional worksheets for each technology to capture those. Revision of the worksheet content will be an ongoing process.

Then its on to the mock exams. My last full lab attempted on a remote rack was kicked off on the 26th February 2009. It was INE Vol II lab no 17. Since then I worked on the Vol III labs and picked off technology labs in IPexpert before heading overseas for a holiday with my family through July - September. During that time I spent many hours going over the INE Vol II workbook patiently recording problems and solutions for technologies which I studied dilligently. I also put in a lot of remote rack time concentrating on one technology at a time across the first 10 labs in the Vol II workbook and attempted two mock exams.

Since returning I worked hard to prepare for and pass the written exam before Christmas.

I believe if I can get down to the revision across June - August I should be doing better on mock exams through September/October and can schedule a lab for the end of November. I need to revise the topics that are rusty, tackle the new things, and practice the new exam format until Im getting to where I need to be.

So I will schedule the lab for end of November. Six months prep. OEQ is off the lab now I understand so I need not be diverted by that nonsense.

mrmcmint

Great stuff, sounds like things are really coming together for you. I enjoy reading your posts, greatly inspiring.

Turgon

Thanks a lot.

This morning I went through the IP Routing section in INE Vol 1 and updated my notes. OER is covered as far as I can tell pretty exhaustively in the Vol 1 training material so if thats an indicator of the importance of this topic you are most likely screwed in the lab if you avoid it. It's certainly a new topic for me so I will return to it to cover it in detail in due course. Other that that the other topics I understand fairly well although a good number need careful revision. A good chapter that one in Vol 1 and it threw up some useful features.

Turgon

Yesterday I read through the RIP section in INE Vol 1 and this morning I updated my spreadsheet with the examples and configurations. It was a good refresher on the RIP options. EIGRP is next up with the forthcoming sections on OSPF, BGP, QoS and Security being the largest remaining by far.

Turgon

Another good impression on the Vol 1 revision today. I have gone through the EIGRP section and updated the spreadsheet with the necessary notes for that protocol.

This document is already proving useful. To keep myself amused I have colour coded the subject matter to indicate where I have work to do. Green is a subject Im comfortable with, yellow requires more review and red is something new.

EIGRP throws up lots of summarization and filtering options. For those of you preparing for the written you will be enjoying the delights of this protocol and its mechanism. I can tell you that the metric calculation, the feasibilty condition and the K values get very wooly overtime. The use of delay and variance to meet a desired load balancing requirement is just one of several horrors I will need time out to practice calculating again.

With all these topics the usual approach applies. Be solid at configuring the basics to light up the mechanism. Be good at different approaches to summarize, filter and manipulate the routing table so one path is prefered over another. Mental agility is called for here and lots of practice. Having topics and configs in one place will help me here.

In terms of the approach in the months ahead I see it moving much as I had planned. I start a new job next week which is going to be a big ask of my time, energy and attention span. This pays the bills not lab prep. So labs are out of the question for sometime as they are just too draining and timeconsuming and risk diverting my attention from my work with dire consequencies. My evenings will either consist of extra hours on the workfront, revision of CCIE notes or just plain rest.

At this rate though I should have captured the necessary Vol 1 information in the study spreadsheet soon enough. Once we are *there* then I have my essential revision footprint. Im going to need time to go through all the content properly to improve on the many small areas that need work. I expect to be doing this through June and July.

When we get to August the lab prep begins hands on. August will be a difficult month as I confront practice exams in the v4 format for the first time. Hopefully 8 weeks of solid topic revision will prevent me from getting too badly mauled in August but I will take a kicking nontheless. A new format, long rack sessions, poor speed, lack of momentum, fatigue and difficult sections where my mind just goes *poof* will make for a hard month. Troubleshooting will be a handful too. I will be wiped out on whole sections until I get to grips with it all.

Get through the wreckage of August and then the quality starts to improve through September and October. That's three whole months of lab practice awaiting me after two months of foundation revision. With a fair wind I can come into the end of October with some decent mock exam results banked leaving the whole of November free for finetuning and momentum. I will sit the lab end of November. I need to be getting at least half marks in the mocks by the end of September (after two months of hands on prep) or the real lab will cut me in half. But I think a lot *really* depends on how the next two months go. If I can get mastery of enough details across the topics my lab prep experience will be more positive going in. Accomplishing that level over the next 9 weeks is not going to be easy as there is much to do.

Turgon

Before marching into the OSPF blizzard I have worked the spreadsheet over defining new worksheets into which I am consolidating technical approaches to accomplish things across protocols. The comparisons are helpful study aids.

New worksheets include

Default routing
Summarization
Filtering
Best Path Layer 2
Best Path Layer 3
Tunneling

This technique works bringing together the practical configurations required to accomplish key objectives in the lab exam. It provides context. The comparisons between routing protocols are useful too as opposed to a mammoth worksheet covering a protocol.

Turgon

Phew. Well I got through the large OSPF section and clattered everything of value into my study spreadsheet. Good work. So far all the sections in Vol1 hang together very but I do like the way the OSPF section reads even though I do see the occasional error. These seem typographical as opposed to technical.


No other protocol will be studied today. A full day on OSPF is quite enough and from what I have recorded there is plenty there I need to look at more closely and revise in the weeks ahead.

Turgon

I like to have a life so will be visiting family today. If I get time this evening I will sort through the OSPF notes I made yesterday.

laidbackfreak

Turgon wrote: »

I like to have a life so will be visiting family today.

Time out away from the studies is needed and important, not only to remind us what we are working for but also to help recharge the batteries and keep our partners supporting us

of course a quick peek at some study notes cant hurt

Turgon

Very true. Got home at 11PM so no chance to continue last night. Now my little boy's breakfast is fixed I will press on with my OSPF notes. Later today I will go through BGP. I start my new job on Monday so Im mixing opportunities to spend time with the family and get some serious studying in. Once I start work study during the day will be impossible so I will have to revise in the evenings after work.

Turgon

OSPF notes sorted in the study spreadsheet. I had hoped to press on with BGP but it will have to wait as I'm needed at home.

Turgon

A temporary halt on BGP studies this morning as I must help with house cleaning duties! More BGP later!

Turgon

Well I scrubbed the shower, bath and toilet. Great. Now I will read some more BGP. Exciting life I lead. hehehe..Awesome.

Turgon

Ok I got through the BGP section and updated my spreadsheet with the topics. Its going to take some hours to key the solutions in and given that Im starting a new job on Monday Im going to leave that task for the moment and spend the last couple of days with the family. Im heading to a hotel Sunday night so I can pick up with the clerical work then and each night next week.

That's the core in the spreadsheet now so I have to be pleased with that effort and it's looking pretty good.

Of the topics the important thing is to revise how to set up certain features. Switching for example has many of them, particularly in regard to spanning tree. Studying these things in isolation I should get up to snuff in good order I think. It's important because I need to get things configured right first time.

One approach I took was to grab things across subjects and list them in worksheets specific to what we might call a function. So we have a worksheet for summarization techniques, another for authentication techniques etc.

Some subjects are more involved than others and while all are important, having had a chance to reflect I think they run in the following order in terms of complexity, priority and difficulty from top to bottom.

1. Filtering
2. Best Path
3. Summarization
4. Default routing
5. Authentication
6. Tunneling

Filtering is a killer with Best Path close behind. In some cases a solution will require both. If I can master these areas I will have given my lab prospects a real boost.

I actually have located the Vol II notes I made last summer which categorised configuration options by topics. At least a hundred pages right there. These will be encorporated into the spreadsheet once I have got all Vol 1 topics covered.

So there are many long evenings ahead after work reading this stuff and updating the spreadsheet but I do think it's going to do me some good.

In terms of rack practice, something of a U Turn. Once I commence my second week in the new job I will attempt to get through one practice lab during the course of a couple evenings. It now seems to me to make more sense to get on the command line sooner rather than later to get the cobwebs off and get some dexterity going. My last remote rack session was at Christmas time when I worked over the MPLS section in Vol 1. I think I will initially batter out the Vol II v 5 labs numbered 1 - 10 but in a way that just gets me going again practically and without consuming valuable reading time in the evenings during the week as this is the priority and I need lots of time to do that effectively. But it's all good. Just clatter the labs out. One a week is fine for now. When commencing a lab I will look at the section, suggest a solution, check solution, configure and move on making a highlight pen mark of any section that gave me difficulty.

I imagine initially that means most of the workbook with get a yellow mark but it should start to white out as I progress through the labs. Post lab 10 things should become more satisfactory as I get back into things and the recall is working better. The highlighted sections in labs 11 - 20 will be the real cause for concern later in my studies. With repetition and reading I should have most things down and only some 007 stuff and complex arrangements giving me trouble. It will be interesting to see what I will be left to revise once the workbook is finally done.

Turgon

In a hotel tonight and for the forthcoming week while I settle in to the new job. My first week and Im staying locally to cut out the commute hassles. Not being at home some significant studytime opens up each evening. Let's hope Im not too blitzed after the working day.

Turgon

A decent first day. Met the guys and no faux paus. Once I got the stiffness out of being the new person I managed to overcome any misunderstandings I think. The role has expectations which Im starting to define. At the same time there is power there I can use to my advantage to set expectations properly. They will listen. Engagement with the technical guy who is older than me went quite well I think. He even showed me where to buy a sandwich. I got a lot from him today and I think he's left with the impression that Im useful which is good because he's clearly capable. We talked spanning tree and QoS policing amongst other things. He wants me to look things over critically and make my own recommendations which I will do. But not before I have had a good chance to look things over first so I dont put my foot in it. The customer guy seems cool with me too. The technical stuff is important and that's all well and good, and you need skilled people to do that. But without customers we dont have jobs. But I think everyone in the team is on board with that. I even managed to lighten the mood a little bit at times in a good way.

So overall a slightly better than satisfactory day which after all isn't bad going in this particular new job. Any better than that and I would be selling yachts for a living and most probably sailing on one now and not blogging on this place.

A design meeting tommorow someplace. Tonight, MPLS studies. Cool.

notgoing2fail

Don't know your entire situation but obviously you've just landed a new job so congrats, or belated congrats.

I'm sure you'll do just fine and fit right in.....

Turgon

notgoing2fail wrote: »

Don't know your entire situation but obviously you've just landed a new job so congrats, or belated congrats.

I'm sure you'll do just fine and fit right in.....

Thanks man. Good first week. Customer facing role but also platform intense in terms of change approvals and design approvals. Data center design and inter DC design work, Nexus, OTV, MPLS core design, VPLS, MPLSL2VPN, MPLSL3VPN, pseudowire, stretched vlans, L2 to L3 interconnects, FWSM, CSM, SSL cards, 6500, ACE. Challenging but cool.

Selfmade

hope you're having fun out there, being in a hotel is pretty nice, it's as quiet as you want it to be, hope you're enjoying yourself in your new job too.

Any idea when you will take the lab?

Turgon

Work and family permitting Im shooting for year end.

Saturday did some research on MPLS core design. Today I will put some rack time in.