1st CCIE lab attempt blog and help for candidates.

Turgon

INE Vol II v4.0 Lab no 1

Traffic Accounting - DONE
Gateway Redundancy - DONE
NAT - DONE
EEM - DONE

I get eem and have used it in anger in the field this year of a 7206VXR but I have to say without some serious practice its unlikely I would get the points for those sorts of questions. Parameters and syntax.

Just nice to get an hour in after a hiatus of one and a half weeks off the racks due to stuff going on at work and at home. Just QoS left to do on Friday. Cool.

Turgon

Shattered after work. No labs today, need some rest. Hellish day ahead tomorrow too. Will finish lab no 1 at lunchtime.

Will start lab no 2 Saturday evening. Decided to concentrate on the post BGP topics for a while as those are weakest.

burbankmarc

Well you seem to have the knowledge, are you just working on speed at this point?

Turgon

burbankmarc wrote: »

Well you seem to have the knowledge, are you just working on speed at this point?

Not just speed, recall. The only thing holding me back now are opportunities to put in regular rack sessions. Im still quite new into a demanding job which requires my time and energy reserves. Hammering labs after 9pm wouldn't set me up for my next day at work. I need rest and time with the family.

If I had 3 months off work Im confident I would nail the test. I just need to get around all the technology solutions I forgot and get some of the newer things down. Revision time really.

god_of_thunder

Turgon, You're 5 hours away from hitting the 900 hrs mark, Way to go!
Most people would agree that this is the amount of labbing needed to study for two CCIE's.

GT-Rob

god_of_thunder wrote: »

Turgon, You're 5 hours away from hitting the 900 hrs mark, Way to go!
Most people would agree that this is the amount of labbing needed to study for two CCIE's.

Well you see Turgon is not a person. He is a machine built by Cisco (technically a 3rd party, but Cisco bought the company and painted him green), that is running as a debugger on every possible situation that may happen in an IOS. The only difference is there is no way to stop him...



Turgon(config)#shut
% Unrecognized command

peanutnoggin

gt-rob wrote: »

well you see turgon is not a person. He is a machine built by cisco (technically a 3rd party, but cisco bought the company and painted him green), that is running as a debugger on every possible situation that may happen in an ios. The only difference is there is no way to stop him...



Turgon(config)#shut
% unrecognized command

nice!!!

Turgon

INE Vol II v 4.0 Lab no 1 - DONE

Finally. I did the QoS section today. The graded labs remote rack let me down as the 3550 did not support the solution using srr-queue and vlan-based qos.

Anyway its done. I think it spread across 10 rack sessions so I reckon that's over 100 dollars right there. In some cases entire rack sessions were scratched due to fatigue, in other cases I only got about an hours worth of rack time in due to slots overlapping with things Im needed for at home, commuting time or just too damn busy at work.

However the main thing is to get through the lab come hell or high water during this difficult time and doing nothing isn't an option. Even if it takes a week and an half because of time pressure, just finish it. I can probably get an hour in each of my two work from home days and possibly one evening a week now. Saturday evening remains the golden time, a five hour rack session when Im disconnected from work and can actually sit for a lengthy period and do lab work properly. All other time at the weekend is off limits due to house 'stuff to do', time with the family and recharging for the busy week ahead.

As for the labwork itself, it's ok. Just looking at the FRTS solution today I think if I can get the simple mathematics down I should be fine with things like that. I feel the same way about a lot of it now, I just need to keep putting the hours in somehow so I get around the topics, get the familiarity back and the structures right in my head and the parameters for path selection and filtering etc. It certainly isn't difficult anymore.

I will have a week offwork before too long as we have a visitor staying with us, but with work disconnect that will afford me some more time to do labwork.

I need to keep busting my balls at work for a couple more months before some sanity emerges there, but the signs are getting better on that front I think. So overall a difficult time ahead on the lab hours through August and September but it should get a little better in a few weeks.

Mock exams will be October and with my written not expiring until Easter 2011 a lab attempt in the Spring seems realistic. A baby is expected at Christmas time so it's vital I get as much revision done as I can before Santa comes, and help my wife, and steady the ship at work..and get some R&R so I dont overcook on all fronts with only detremental affects for all concerned.

Saturday night is Lab no. 2 and I will concentrate on the topics that come after BGP. I see that happening for the rest of the first 10 labs to be honest as I really need to sharpen all of those things up. Taken in isolation they are not too bad to cover. Some notes will emerge which will be good for revision. So far as the core is concerned Im cool about it, because while I need more practice there its something Im comfortable with and can bring to the boil with about 6 weeks dedicated hardcore prep on Switching/IGP/BGP

Turgon

god_of_thunder wrote: »

Turgon, You're 5 hours away from hitting the 900 hrs mark, Way to go!
Most people would agree that this is the amount of labbing needed to study for two CCIE's.

Thanks a lot. I find it's about 1000 lab hours give or take a hundred for most CCIEs. By way of an example I think Mr D amassed over 1000 in about a year give or take a couple of months. I have been at it for 3 years! Mind you, three job changes, work overseas and starting a family all require time too.

I think if you can find the time to do lots of regular labwork each day the amassed time to complete is most likely a little lower than if you do it the way I have. Repetition helps flow and recall. But you have to find the time somewhere to work like that. I just dont have much to play with on a daily basis. I had six meetings today. Insane.

Turgon

INE Vol II v4.0 Labs 2, 3 - QOS DONE

Decided to go over the qos sections of these labs tonight on the remote racks. I gave up some of my scheduled racktime this evening to catch up with some stuff at work but Im glad I stuck it out and got the last hour in on qos. Picking the subjects off like this seems to work quite well. I have more work stuff to catch up on tomorrow but I may take another lab slot providing it doesn't cause too much grief at home. It would be good to get through the QoS sections across the first five labs.

For those reading may I remind you it is the weekend and if you dont do lab practice during the weekends you will never be a CCIE. 10:30pm so will spend the remains of the evening with my good lady wife.

Turgon

INE Vol II v4.0 Labs 4,5 - QOS - DONE

Catalyst QoS is perhaps the most involved of all the mechanisms.

Turgon

Very busy day at work. Wiped out so no studies tonight. Wednesday next session. More QoS.

Turgon

Another very busy day at work. No time for studies. Wednesday promises to be aggressive as well, study unlikely.

Turgon

Wednesday no studies, too much on at work.
Thursday no studies, too much on at work. Home now and tired. Family time.

Turgon

Design meetings and technical proposals to do. Studies wiped out again today.

Turgon

A busy Saturday at home preparing the spare room to become the bedroom for my son. On Sunday I have to travel to deposit some things at my mothers house so we have the space.

So a busy weekend. But I have managed to snatch about one hour today looking over Catalysts QoS configurations. It is admittedly very difficult at the moment to get the study hours in, my new job leaves me no disconnect time for the CCIE as I have far too many important things I need to lead aggressively there. But we are starting to win at work so I expect some daylight in a few weeks. At home, when I get home, I need to reconnect with the family and refuel in time for the next day ahead. Im not grumbling, I have a great job, the kind that many CCIE candidates aspire to have one day, so in a sense I have already made it. But it would be good to have some *game* time to keep the studies ticking over even though I have been told I dont *need* a CCIE. I think I will be limping along until September on the study front, but whenever I can sneak an hours racktime or bit of reading I will try to do so. At the moment though its all firewall, MPLS and IPS design work in my job and lots of high level design production and consultancy. Its a demanding job with a high profile. Late Friday evening Im speaking to engineers and network designers across the country to get progress on essential upgrade work and BGP testing. The latter done about midnight. At home at present, I could only do forced study sessions, late in the evening. With the energy levels gone the quality would be poor and with the extra toll of study work long into the night I would only get cranky at work and at home the next day. And that can't happen, so we must be professional about things.

So we will do what is practical at this time. Even a few hours of study time each week will be priceless once we get to the winter and I *do* have time to prepare for this study track properly.

Today I dissembled my Cisco rack as the space is needed for a bedroom. It was quite a moment turning the rack around and seeing all those 2500's housed in there. I must have spent hundred of hours working with them. They have been fine servants over the years and expensively gathered when I first started out. The first one was rescued from my first job as it was surplus in 1999. The second a 2503 set me back over 700 dollars. I couldn't afford a Cisco terminal server back then so went for a cheaper Xyplex which Scott Morris shipped to me which I still use to this day. It took ages to get equipment back then because of the expense. I think I was able to afford one device every couple of months.

Once we move to a bigger house, they will return and form the core of the legacy lab I will build for old times sake.

For those of you reading who want the CCIE, it's the weekend, so get labbing.

Turgon

An early start. I will be taking the rack to the scrapyard today as it isn't practical to transport it to storage in the car. Unable to see rearview mirror. Im taking a trip later to take my routers and some other things to my mother's house for storage leaving the room in our house ready to be converted into a bedroom. When I return I may do some reading. Remote racks remain the way forward. The priority in the week ahead will be more QoS study, both rack time and reading. If I can get QoS upto standard I can get any subject upto standard. INE Vol II v4.1 labs 6 - 10 will provide me with my remote rack QoS exercises.

sides14

Congrats on the soon to be arrival. I have another little one due here in late September. The wife is pushing for me to dismantle the office (which holds the rack) for the new baby. I am attempting to holdout until we complete our move to California (which is strange because I was transferred to Arizona five years ago from California). Sadly, I know who will when that battle - not me.

Turgon

Monday. Full on day dealing with firewall issues. No time for studies again.

Turgon

Tuesday. Day full of meetings and design work. Studies wiped out. Picked up car in the evening.

GT-Rob

Turgon wrote: »

A busy Saturday at home preparing the spare room to become the bedroom for my son. On Sunday I have to travel to deposit some things at my mothers house so we have the space.

So a busy weekend. But I have managed to snatch about one hour today looking over Catalysts QoS configurations. It is admittedly very difficult at the moment to get the study hours in, my new job leaves me no disconnect time for the CCIE as I have far too many important things I need to lead aggressively there. But we are starting to win at work so I expect some daylight in a few weeks. At home, when I get home, I need to reconnect with the family and refuel in time for the next day ahead. Im not grumbling, I have a great job, the kind that many CCIE candidates aspire to have one day, so in a sense I have already made it. But it would be good to have some *game* time to keep the studies ticking over even though I have been told I dont *need* a CCIE. I think I will be limping along until September on the study front, but whenever I can sneak an hours racktime or bit of reading I will try to do so. At the moment though its all firewall, MPLS and IPS design work in my job and lots of high level design production and consultancy. Its a demanding job with a high profile. Late Friday evening Im speaking to engineers and network designers across the country to get progress on essential upgrade work and BGP testing. The latter done about midnight. At home at present, I could only do forced study sessions, late in the evening. With the energy levels gone the quality would be poor and with the extra toll of study work long into the night I would only get cranky at work and at home the next day. And that can't happen, so we must be professional about things.

So we will do what is practical at this time. Even a few hours of study time each week will be priceless once we get to the winter and I *do* have time to prepare for this study track properly.

Today I dissembled my Cisco rack as the space is needed for a bedroom. It was quite a moment turning the rack around and seeing all those 2500's housed in there. I must have spent hundred of hours working with them. They have been fine servants over the years and expensively gathered when I first started out. The first one was rescued from my first job as it was surplus in 1999. The second a 2503 set me back over 700 dollars. I couldn't afford a Cisco terminal server back then so went for a cheaper Xyplex which Scott Morris shipped to me which I still use to this day. It took ages to get equipment back then because of the expense. I think I was able to afford one device every couple of months.

Once we move to a bigger house, they will return and form the core of the legacy lab I will build for old times sake.

For those of you reading who want the CCIE, it's the weekend, so get labbing.

I know exactly what you mean. A long time ago a "better job" was the main motivation to cram all night and spend weekends doing labs. Now you get to a point where the CCIE would basically mean nothing monetary to you, and hardly be more than a pat on the back for the first week back at work, then just hang on the wall (its not even a plaque anymore!). Obviously there are personal motivations, but when your whole day feels like labbing between meetings, projects and incidents, its extremely hard to come home and crank it out even more.

Im pretty sure I would need close to a month away from work completely to get properly prepared. Every time I get into it something comes up at work, and studying is the last thing on my mind again.

Turgon

GT-Rob wrote: »

I know exactly what you mean. A long time ago a "better job" was the main motivation to cram all night and spend weekends doing labs. Now you get to a point where the CCIE would basically mean nothing monetary to you, and hardly be more than a pat on the back for the first week back at work, then just hang on the wall (its not even a plaque anymore!). Obviously there are personal motivations, but when your whole day feels like labbing between meetings, projects and incidents, its extremely hard to come home and crank it out even more.

Im pretty sure I would need close to a month away from work completely to get properly prepared. Every time I get into it something comes up at work, and studying is the last thing on my mind again.

That's right. There is a formidable backlog of timeconsumers in the design and improvement space that are necessarily taking up all my time and focus at work. That's what Im paid to do at this level. Im working later too. No studies ensue on works time at all and there's no time for a proper lunch break. You are either preparing aggresively for a meeting or attending one that you have to either lead and pull everyone together or show leadership on a technical level when services are affected and we need a rescue, and that requires lots of energy and preparation time. Im cool with all that, but throw in a commute and a family waiting at home and Im getting nothing done on workstime and Im too boiled to do anything at 10pm. It's a quart in a pint pot at the moment so I have to just jettisoned the lab work until some sanity takes place. Doing lab work late when Im tired out just wont help me when I face work the next day. Need to regroup after work, refuel and rest. It's frustrating at the moment but results coming at work at least.

Turgon

Wednesday. Too much on at work. Study time wiped out.

Turgon

Another shocker ahead at work today so most likely no studies again. The weekend is wiped out for studies as we have a family London trip arranged. Next week should open up some daylight though as things at work get under control. I am at least doing some QoS design work which is useful.

Turgon

Yep another busy Thursday, no chance to study. Time to relax now in the evening. Commute tommorow and many meetings. London trip this weekend! Cool

Bl8ckr0uter

Sorry if I missed this but when are you taking the lab?

Turgon

I will take the lab once I have had a sufficient 3 months to prepare properly for it. Not enough study time at present due to work pressure. My written expires around April time so its looking like next spring.

Many design meetings for MPLS, QoS, IPS and Firewall replacements in the week ahead as well as research and High Level Design to do for Internet Failover and a services presentation to work on. Studies very unlikely next week.

Turgon

August has been a very difficult month in terms of lab prep as I have had to connect 100% on the workfront with nothing left in the tank to do labs. Plenty of stress ahead in September on the work front, but with the bedding in on the new job over I think I know enough now about how to get stuff done in this company properly at a level that meets expectations to make things a little easier. So I expect to be getting some study hours in during September. However, a serious preparation for the lab requires pretty much daily lab work for two months straight and given the work responsibilities and a baby due in December it is now impossible or sensible to go for a 2010 lab slot. I shall bring what I can to the boil in terms of revision in time for the new year and shoot for a test in March.

Seems sensible and allows me to remain very strong at work and at home. Im needed in both areas of my life. There is just no time or juice left over to be a labrat right now.

Turgon

A full day of design meetings. No studies today. A very busy week ahead and hopefully then a chink of study daylight will emerge.

Turgon

Work from home day today. With some juggling I may get a few hours racktime in.