Passed SP lab...

I passed the Service Provider lab, which makes me very happy... now to get back on track with the JNCIE-M.

Written Prep:

Follow the blueprint. Configuration guides, tech notes, white papers from Cisco's website, and command references. Many tidbits can be found for free in Google's book archive. Safari helps too! Sometimes the substantial bits are spread out across several books that are otherwise loaded with non-essential information (for the purposes of the CCIE). MPLS Fundamentals, and the Optical networking book from CiscoPress, along with above resources, pretty much is all you need for the written part. A lot of people also do the MPLS VPN Architecture books, but I did not use these at all.

Lab Prep:

Follow the blueprint. Skipped those features that are not supported on the IOS that they are using in the lab (I wouldn't do that now though.. see below).. Also relied heavily on configuration guides, and command references. I used Safari pretty heavily when investigating some features. I need the condensed version first and at least one CiscoPress book out the many out there will have a good condensed explanation of what a feature does and the basic configuration. I did this in conjunction with the INE CoD. I also completed both workbooks. I also watched the lab walk-through for the first four practice labs from the second workbook. I also did a sort of final scrub of the command reference for MPLS, IS-IS, L2TPv3, and BGP... and took some notes on the various knobs and tweaks.

The night before the lab, I went over the command reference again, but that was mostly a nervous behavior...

All in all, I think I probably completely blew the lab out of the water. I left there feeling like I did every single thing they asked me to do and I did *not* do all the things they told me *not* to do.

Note that there are definitely changes coming to the Service Provider lab. If you already have your R&S, you can safely knock out the Service Provider before Q2 next year. Get the written out of the way.. 60-90 days, and then I believe you probably only need another 60 or 90 days for the lab...

Now that its done, I would like to point out that maybe I was a little harsh on INE in my review of the SP materials. They definitely over-prepare you in some ways.. but then again, maybe its about right. There are some blueprint features they don't cover in great detail and don't show up in their practice labs.

The real lab covers the blueprint. You do need to know the blueprint... I'd say now just to be safe, you should cover even those things that are not supported in the tested IOS's... because if the changes come sooner rather than later then you may regret skipping those things. BUY THE IOS XR FUNDAMENTALS BOOK. That is one of those coming changes...

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Comments

networker050184

Congrats and thanks for the review of the materials.

Good luck on the JNCIE!

shednik

Congrats on the pass!!

kryolla

Congrats to the Double CCIE

ITdude

Congrats and thanks for the great feedback!

Bl8ckr0uter

Congrats!!

ColbyG

Congrats! You make it should so easy, haha.

ccie15672

Thanks everyone..

Also, I wanted to point something out I think is sort of odd an funny. For both of the labs I took, there was only a few books I read in their entirety in preparation for them... Three actually in all.

For the R&S, it was Williamson's multicast book from Cisco Press, and also Kozierok's TCP/IP Guide (which is available free: Welcome to The TCP/IP Guide!). I used other books in parts and pieces like Doyle's books, but I did not sit and necessarily study them end to end.

Throughput SP preparation I used MPLS-Enabled Applications by Minei and Lucek. Also not a Cisco Press book. But, this book is hands-down the best MPLS book I have ever read.

nullrouter

noticed your post on ieoc first... congrats!

Ahriakin

mikej412

Congratulations!!

CCIEWANNABE

thanks for the inspiration, like mentioned earlier i saw your post on the ieoc forums. congrats and good luck on your jncie!

a543047

Now you got me all nervous! I'm sitting the SP lab at RTP on Oct. 27th. Congrats on the pass!

Turgon

Good job Derek, Well done.

Turgon

ccie15672 wrote: »

Thanks everyone..

Also, I wanted to point something out I think is sort of odd an funny. For both of the labs I took, there was only a few books I read in their entirety in preparation for them... Three actually in all.

For the R&S, it was Williamson's multicast book from Cisco Press, and also Kozierok's TCP/IP Guide (which is available free: Welcome to The TCP/IP Guide!). I used other books in parts and pieces like Doyle's books, but I did not sit and necessarily study them end to end.

Throughput SP preparation I used MPLS-Enabled Applications by Minei and Lucek. Also not a Cisco Press book. But, this book is hands-down the best MPLS book I have ever read.

I may pickup that last book you mentioned. Thanks for that.

Feedback on INE materials for SP has been mixed. How many hours do you reckon you put in on an average day to prepare? Was is mostly evenings and weekends? Congrats again.