CCCNP SWITCH book grumble

DevilWAH

AS we know CISCO are getting hot on planning in the new CCNP track,

So one of the topics is what does good network management archive? and it lists 4 points in the book...

now I would think things like, increase availability of network, reduce managment over heads, track the traffic, reduce costs, + 100 other things.

but what the book tells you ?

1. See network is working well as expected
2. Ability to baseline the proformance of the network
3. Ability to see how much and where traffic flows to and from
4. Helps trouble shoot the network


But to me they are all part of the same thing? points one and two are the same, or at least go hand in hand. And again points 3 and 4 are two sides of the same coin, you can't trouble shoot with out knowing what's happening? The other benefits of management you are expected to forget...

To me its as though CISCO think this planning is to big a topic to cover completely so just have a few bits thrown in.

But it has become so disjointed that its hard to rembver what you need to include and what you "know" but need to forget you "know" for the exam...

CISCO should either had taken the time to strip down network management and planning to a stand alone logical subset that you can later build on.

Or just forget it completely and leave it for the CCDP track.

chrisone

DevilWAH wrote: »

Or just forget it completely and leave it for the CCDP track.

Agreed.

Netwurk

Here's another reason to grumble about the SWITCH book

I've heard that it was not very well edited

And they can't even get it right in their errata

Here's a quote from their latest update:

107 Chapter 2, Example 2-20, Add new line in between lines 13 and 14 Add:
RSwitch(config-if)#swtichport tundk encapsulation dot1q

Exactly what is a swtichport? Or a tundk?

See it for yourself at

Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks (SWITCH) Foundation Learning Guide: Foundation learning for SWITCH 642-813

Hurry before they fix it

peanutnoggin

I didn't know they had errata released for this book... albeit small and incomplete, at least I know they're working on it! I made a post earlier regarding a question from the same chapter 2... here's the link.

I'd looked a few weeks ago for errata for this book but hadn't seen it! Oh well... hopefully they'll continue to fix the errors!

-Peanut

chmorin

I remember reading somewhere they released a revised version... I'll have to dig that up somewhere.

DevilWAH

now just there books.

Just been running through the boson CCNP Exam, that comes with the cert guide.

Question. What commands have been configured to get the following output.? (chose 2)

#show port-security int f1/0/1

Port Security              : Enabled
Port Status                : Secure-shutdown
Violation Mode             : Shutdown
Aging Time                 : 0 mins
Aging Type                 : Absolute
SecureStatic Address Aging : Disabled
Maximum MAC Addresses      : 1
Total MAC Addresses        : 0
Configured MAC Addresses   : 0
Sticky MAC Addresses       : 0
Last Source Address:Vlan   : ad45:3564:ac4e
Security Violation Count   : 1

A. #Switchport port-security violation protect
b. #Switchport port-security violation restrict
c. #Switchport port-security violation shutdown
d. #Switchport port-security
e. #Switchport port-security maximum 1

Well D is clearly important, so its that and one other.

A and B are wrong because the violation mode is shutdown

So its D + C or E....

Now according to the explanation, E is wrong because it is the default setting so does not need to be configured. Therefore C must be right...

But hold on C is also the default setting? so you don't need to configure that one either. In fact all you need to configure is D.

out of the 85 questions, this is the 5th or 6th ~I have noticed that is either clearly wrong or at least misleading, that's 7%so far and I know there are a few more.

Lets hope they clear it up like they have done for the other 3 I told them about.

Really boson are a bit shoddy!

larue38462

I don't think C is a default setting is this situation. If you look at the configured MAC address and the Sticky MAC address, you will see a 0 for both. This means that this port doesn't have the switchport port-security mac-address <mac-address> configured and that the port hasn't learned of any addresses via the sticky command. To me, this means that there was no mac address specified, which would mean the default max mac address for the port would be 1 and the first (and only) address would be dynamically learned. In order for the switch to get to a secure-shutdown state, a couple different combinations of configuration have to take place from what I understand.

If you were to go this route, I would agree that C would be a default command and that the port could enter a secure-shutdown status:

switchport port-security
switchport port-security mac-address <address> or sticky

On the other hand, the output shows that there is no static mac config and no mac has been learned via the sticky config, but something besides the general port-security command must be configured for the port to reach a secure-shutdown status.

Cisco documentation states that mac-address configuration on a port-security port is optional. If you configure fewer mac-addresses than allowed on the port (1 in this case), the mac-addresses are dynamically learned (without a sticky command). This means you can use the following config and reach the port status displayed, in which command C is not a default command:

switchport port-security
switchport port-security violation shutdown

I could be wrong, maybe someone else knows for sure.

lrb

Which book are you referring to? The foundation book seems to be pretty decent.

tanix

lrb wrote: »

Which book are you referring to? The foundation book seems to be pretty decent.

I think the issue expressed is that of all the books, the test itself still throws a lot of questions on concepts not explained or only very briefly explained in the books.

The foundations seemed pretty solid on content (though there are errors here and there). The Official cert was lacking quite a bit but David has updated the book recently with additional topics, so unless I am mistaken, I think it is close to complete.


I am kind of concerned about the test myself. I have used the foundations/official cert, Boson's Netsim and exam software, as well as any additional material from the book updates and quick references.

I would be equally frustrated as DevilWAH has been if I go to take the test and find that a lot of the content on it is not covered in the books.

It is bad enough that I have a constant battle with test anxiety, having to answer questions on concepts I have not prepared for would be... well... annoying to say the least.

Dr_Atomic

I see that you have a zoology degree. I guess you had wanted to enter a different field initially, and you decided on networking later, or how did that play out? Just out of curiosity.