study books for bsci 642-901

bowlersp

just wondering what you guys have found to be the most helpful book studying for the 642-901. So far I am seeing the following two books:

1) Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks (BSCI) (Authorized Self-Study Guide) (3rd Edition) (Self-Study Guide)

2) CCNP BSCI Official Exam Certification Guide (4th Edition) (Exam Certification Guide) (Hardcover)

Too bad they don't make an exam cram book for the new bsci, or do they?

mikej412

I'd say this quote from the "What use to Study [BSCI]" thread says it all

Deadmaster200 wrote:

I wouldn't use the Exam Cram even if I could download it for free.

I found Exam Cram books "uneven" at best and "useless" most of the time. But they would give you something to read to kill time after you're prepared for the exam but have a few days before your scheduled exam date.

Also check out these previous CCNP threads for book ideas -- but after the CCNA, Cisco Press is usually the "only game in town" except for the official class courseware. The Doyle Routing TCP/IP books are the most suggested for "extra credit" reading.

Books for CCNP Exam Preparation
How Hard is the 642-901 BSCI?

There's links to the Cisco Documentation useful for the BSCI in one of my posts in the "Got the BSCI wednesday 14th, tips? Failed, big time" thread, but I'll quote the "good stuff" here too.

mikej412 wrote:

The easiest way to learn and understand the stuff is lots of hands on practice after lots of reading.

In addition to the suggested Cisco Press CCNP books, the Doyle book(s) is(are) also a "good read"
Routing TCP/IP, Volume I, Second Ed.
Routing TCP/IP, Volume II

One thing we forget to mention sometimes -- at the Professional Level you should start checking out the Cisco Documentation.

Start out in the Cisco IOS IP Configuration Guide (I usually use the 12.2 IOS version) and definitely spend a bunch of time in Part 2: IP Routing Protocols. Part 3 is IP Multicast. I'll leave searching the Cisco Documentation for IPv6 information as a extra credit homework assignment.

GT-Rob

Great post Mike.


I would like to add to this topic, a question.


What do you think of this book?
CCNP Building Scalable Internetworks (BSCI 642-901) Lab Portfolio (Cisco Networking Academy Program) (Paperback)


Unfortunately it is not out for another month, but I plan to take BSCI in January sometime, and was wondering if these lab manuals are worth ordering and going through? Or is there enough exercises in the Self study/exam guides?

Ferret999

To study for BSCI from scratch there is really only one book in town Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks (BSCI) (Authorized Self-Study Guide) (3rd Edition) (Self-Study Guide). It has lab exercises at the end of each chapter. So try out the labs in this book and then see if you feel you need to do anymore labbing.

bowlersp

the only reason i posted about using the exam cram books is because that is what my brother used for all 4 tests and he never failed. however, my brother is a freak and got his ccnp in 5 months just using the exam cram books.

kafifi13

wow..more power to him. 5 months is un real. It's probably going to take me 6 months to do the BSCI. I'm not studying with as much intesensity as i did with the CCNA.

mwgood

I would say that this particular Exam Cram may be an exception to the rule.

I remember finding it very helpful for the 642-801 - it may be a little outdated, but for plain English presentation of the BSCI topics at that time - it was pretty darn good.

It was written by Michael Shannon - one of the core CBT Nuggets instructors. Most people find him a little on the "boring" side, but he does organize his topics and presentation very well.

bowlersp

kafifi13 wrote:

wow..more power to him. 5 months is un real. It's probably going to take me 6 months to do the BSCI. I'm not studying with as much intesensity as i did with the CCNA.

yeah, i hope to take the bsci in feb 2008. I'll be on night shift in jan-mar so i'll have plenty of time to study!!

mikej412

GT-Rob wrote:

What do you think of this book?

Ah.... CCNP Building Scalable Internetworks (BSCI 642-901) Lab Portfolio (Cisco Networking Academy Program) (Paperback)

Should be shipping now, just in time to make it under your Christmas tree

Since I did the CCNA Network Academy, I also did all the Labs. I thought they worked well with the courseware and the eLabs within the courseware.

The first thing to check is how well do the labs match up with the regular Cisco BSCI books. I'm thinking the Lab Portfolio books probably match up with the "book versions" of the courseware, better, but probably will be useful for someone who wants some step-by-steps labs.

The second thing to check -- how do you get answers to the labs? In the Academy the Instructor graded the labs (and had an instructor version of the labs with the answers).

Whoever gets this book first gets to do a book report.

0ctavianus

Hi, I've studied the Full description for Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN) (Authorized Self-study Guide) and the official bsci online documentation and it seems that the book has the same labs with the online curriculum.

Just waiting for you to confirm

mikej412 wrote: »

Ah.... CCNP Building Scalable Internetworks (BSCI 642-901) Lab Portfolio (Cisco Networking Academy Program) (Paperback)

Should be shipping now, just in time to make it under your Christmas tree

Since I did the CCNA Network Academy, I also did all the Labs. I thought they worked well with the courseware and the eLabs within the courseware.

The first thing to check is how well do the labs match up with the regular Cisco BSCI books. I'm thinking the Lab Portfolio books probably match up with the "book versions" of the courseware, better, but probably will be useful for someone who wants some step-by-steps labs.

The second thing to check -- how do you get answers to the labs? In the Academy the Instructor graded the labs (and had an instructor version of the labs with the answers).

Whoever gets this book first gets to do a book report.

billscott92787

kafifi13 wrote: »

wow..more power to him. 5 months is un real. It's probably going to take me 6 months to do the BSCI. I'm not studying with as much intesensity as i did with the CCNA.

I have to say that it really depends on the individual themselves. He probably spent a lot of time studying and was able to pick everything up quickly. If I stick to my schedule, and pass each test the first time, like I hope that I do, I will do it in 5-6 months. Spending about 1 1/2 - 2 months on each test. I've been studying about 3-5 hours per day. BSCI is 1/25/2010.

SysAdmin4066

GT-Rob wrote: »

Great post Mike.


I would like to add to this topic, a question.


What do you think of this book?
CCNP Building Scalable Internetworks (BSCI 642-901) Lab Portfolio (Cisco Networking Academy Program) (Paperback)


Unfortunately it is not out for another month, but I plan to take BSCI in January sometime, and was wondering if these lab manuals are worth ordering and going through? Or is there enough exercises in the Self study/exam guides?

If that book is anything like the other lab portfolio books, they are very good. The answers are throughout the book as you progress through the lab. They basically guide you through the lab, through each step. Then at the end there is a running config section for each device. At the beggining of the lab, there's a diagram for each lab so you could not run through the step by steps once you're familiar with what you need to do and just compare your running config with the ones at the end.

There werent any answers for the written open ended questions though, which kinda sucked, but you would just look those up and verify your answers are correct. All in all, this book looks like the ones that came before them, just a newer version.

AlexMR

I watched and did all thee labs in the testout bsci material and also read Chris Bryant material. I havent passed the exam but those cover all the topics very very well. I think both sources are great, and the both cover the material 100%. I'v done most of the labs in the lab portfolio and everything i needed to learn was in both mmaterials. I also read a lot of chapters from Doyle's Routing TPC/IP Vol I and it is superb. It makes the CCNP material look shallow .

I think I'll take the exam before new year...