My CCIE Journey Has Officially Begun.

jamesp1983

I have decided that it is time to pursue the first goal I had when I entered IT, the CCIE. I know its going to be an EXTREME challenge, but I'm just pushing forward and trying to stay confident. I'm going to use this thread for tracking my progress throughout my CCIE journey. I purchased the INE Ultimate bundle last week and have been studying and labbing ever since. I'm still trying to figure out what the right balance of lab vs study is at this point, but I'm just reviewing all of the ATVOD material now (over 80 hours), to refresh myself. I'm open for any suggestions on how I should balance lab vs study time. I've been running Dynamips and working with my home switches while watching the videos as a way to get more hands on. I passed BCMSN, BSCI, and ISCW back in 2008, and wrapped up ONT in August of 2010. I have been working with the equipment at my job so that has kept me fresh on a lot of the info, but I'm still studying like I'm just starting out. I research topics in the videos that I don't really remember and that seems to be really helping. I will keep this updated as a motivator and also as a way to keep track of all that I have studied when it comes time for my final review. It feels great to finally get started on this path. My wife and I worked out a schedule and I'm going to try to hit 30-36 hours a week.

My resources:
-INE Virtual Lab
-The INE workbooks
-INE Written VOD
-Routing TCP/IP, vol I.
-Home lab (a few routers and some 3550s.)
-Cisco LAN Switching by Ken Clark
-Routing and Switching, Time of Convergence?
-My CCNP Library.
-Dynamips
-Cisco.com
-INE ATVOD 4.5

Should I buy Odom's exam guide? I think the Boson Exsim for CCIE will be the next addition.

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Comments

jamesp1983

This is a good link for basic FRTS:
Understanding Frame-Relay Traffic Shaping | INE

jamesp1983

I just wrapped up WB2, Lab 17. It wasn't that bad and I've noticed my QoS skills are beginning to come around. That is a huge relief.

Here's what's next:
Week 40: Mock Lab 3 (scheduled for 1/6, but may try to move this up)

Week 41: VOL1 Missing Topics (Core/QoS/IPv6/Multicast)
Week 42: VOL1 Missing Topics (System Management/Core)
Week 43: VOL2 Lab 18
Week 44: VOL4 Labs 7+8

Week 45: VOL2 Lab 19
Week 46: VOL4 Labs 9+10
Week 47: VOL2 Lab 20
Week 48: Mock Lab 4 (I will take this 2 weeks before my Lab, but I have several Mock Labs scheduled between now and then consisting of labs 3, and 5-7)

I feel like I have a pretty good idea of how to complete most tasks, but I want to spend more time fine tuning my configs and locking down the details. I will probably try to crack open the QoS Exam Guide and Routing TCP/IP volumes to hit some weak spots/review. I've been trying to write all of my configs in Notepad and this has certainly helped. Occasionally I just think of configs to write out and I'll write out the whole thing in Notepad and then check it out. This has been really helpful especially with MPLS, ZBFW, and I want to start doing it for some of the multicast features next. Anthony S once said to create network designs utilizing various features and then write the configs out in Notepad from memory. This will really help with retention. I want to start doing that soon.

jamesp1983

I was also thinking that I might go through these again before Mock 3:

Bridging & Switching: 1.1-1.15
Frame-Relay: 2.1-2.8
IP Routing: 3.1-3.11
RIP: 4.1-4.11
EIGRP: 5.1-5.10
OSPF: 6.1-6.14
BGP: 7.1-7.12
IPv6: 9.1-9.9
Multicast: 8.1-8.10
MPLS VPN: 14.1-14.7

Zartanasaurus

jamesp1983 wrote: »

I just wrapped up WB2, Lab 17. It wasn't that bad and I've noticed my QoS skills are beginning to come around. That is a huge relief.

PITA lab. The last two tasks in the QoS section conflict with each other per the stated requirements. I tried like hell to find some way for it to work, but it wouldn't.

The ZBF section also breaks the BGP peering between R6 and R5 and they don't even mention it. When you apply the configs, it's fine, but if you reset the peering, they won't come back up. When we talked to the proctor at Narbik's bootcamp, he said they don't reboot your rack before the grader, but power issues do happen. Definitely something to be mindful about when configuring any type of security on a transit router.

I've also gotten in the habit of hard coding all MPLS/OSPF/BGP router-IDs because of the above and the possible creation of loopbacks later on. That combined with a power reset could tank a huge portion of your lab.

sides14

It would be interesting to know exactly how the lab is built. Is the hardware DC powered utilizing a DC power plant with battery back-up or is strictly AC powered. Either way....it's like they have always told us...save your work frequently.

jamesp1983

Happy holidays!

Zartanasaurus

jamesp1983 wrote: »

Happy holidays!

My Christmas present is lab 18 today.

jamesp1983

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

My Christmas present is lab 18 today.

Nice! How'd it go?

jamesp1983

I just paid for my lab. I'm scheduled for 3/29/2013.

Zartanasaurus

jamesp1983 wrote: »

Nice! How'd it go?

When I first saw the diagram and how simple it was at L3, my first thought was "OMG what are they gonna do to me in here?".

The IPv4 section is pretty straightforward though, although there's a few points you can miss if you aren't careful. The QoS is also straightforward, especially if you're comfortable with all the L2 QoS stuff.

The Services section wasn't to my liking though. I think task 7.7 (mislabeled as 7.4) is blatantly unfair. If you're going to require a vlan access-map for non-standard traffic types, they should provide the EtherType code. I get that they were trying to not come right out and tell you to use a vlan access-map, but at last pick a protocol that's in the DocCD somewhere. And I say this as someone who has a bunch of EtherType codes memorized: IPv4, IPv6, IPX, ARP, RARP, CDP, VTP, DTP, UDLD and STP. Guess I have one more to add to the list.

After it was over, I googled around trying to see if that protocol code was mentioned on the DocCD somewhere. Best I could find was a couple of links on Cisco's site that I don't think you have access to during the lab.

The Traceroute task was just a stupid router trick IMO. One thing I need to get in the habit of, is doing things that break the rules if I think that's the only way to solve the problem since they ask you to do things that break the "no static routes, no additional IP address, no PBR" rules in the solution and I'm trying to find another way to do it. That was Narbik's suggestion in the bootcamp as well, especially if it affects core connectivity. Just get it working however you can.

jamesp1983

Zartanasaurus, thanks for the review. This sounds like it's going to be interesting. I will probably complete that lab next week.

jamesp1983

Only have the following left from my mini review before Mock Lab 3:
IPv6: 9.1-9.9
Multicast: 8.1-8.10
MPLS VPN: 14.1-14.7

I've been deviating from that layout as necessary to touch on my weak areas. I'm looking forward to going back to WB2 and 4.

jamesp1983

I didn't get in any labbing in at work today because it was too busy (11 hour day), but I stayed up until 1:30am to get some time in.

I only have MPLS VPN: 14.1-14.7 left before I move forward in Petr's plan. (to Week 40)

I have ML3 this weekend so that will be fun.

jamesp1983

Mock lab 3 today...

Zartanasaurus

jamesp1983 wrote: »

Mock lab 3 today...

Starting ML5 in 30 minutes. Enjoy, I thought 3 was the hardest of the first 3.

jamesp1983

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

Starting ML5 in 30 minutes. Enjoy, I thought 3 was the hardest of the first 3.

I actually found this one easier than 1 and 2. I guess its all in what your strong points are. I worked up until the very end though.

jamesp1983

I am starting to figure out what I need to change about my time management to make sure I can finish in time. I feel much more confident in my IPv6, multicast, and security. However, I do need a lot of work on QoS.

I'm anxiously awaiting my Mock Lab 3 grade.

jamesp1983

I just got my ML3 grade back... That was my best grade yet. I need to stop wasting so much time verifying after every single step. I should wait until the end.

jamesp1983

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

Starting ML5 in 30 minutes. Enjoy, I thought 3 was the hardest of the first 3.

How'd ML5 go?

Zartanasaurus

jamesp1983 wrote: »

How'd ML5 go?

I never know for sure until I get my score.

Zartanasaurus

jamesp1983 wrote: »

I just got my ML3 grade back... That was my best grade yet. I need to stop wasting so much time verifying after every single step. I should wait until the end.

I don't know what the right call is here. Time is generally not my issue. If the technology is something that is completely out of left field for me, I just make a note to come back. I verify everything as I do it, but I also do a hard stop with 1 hour left to use for verification. Any extra time I have after that and I'll try to figure out those last 2-3 tasks that I couldn't get.

One thing I do know is, almost everyone who posts a success story on INE emphasizes verification. It's probably +EV to spend more time assuring you got the tasks right that you should get right vs trying to spend that time on some task you're completely unfamiliar with.

jamesp1983

Good links on NAT-PT:

Understanding IPv6 NAT-PT
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk648/tk361/technologies_configuration_example09186a0080b9a911.sht

jamesp1983

I tried TS Lab 1 and got crushed. I started 15 minutes late because I got stuck in traffic and it was downhill from there.

I need to really start studying more each day because that was awful. I've done really well on the TS sections of ML1-3, but this one killed me.

jamesp1983

Excellent write-up on troubleshooting by Deepak on IEOC.com:
Troubleshooting last-ditch tactic - IEOC - INE's Online Community

jamesp1983

I just wrapped up Lab 18 in WB2. It was fun. It wasn't too difficult.

What's left:
Week 44: VOL4 Labs 7+8

Week 45: VOL2 Lab 19
Week 46: VOL4 Labs 9+10
Week 47: VOL2 Lab 20
Week 48: Mock Lab 4

jamesp1983

I dont know if anyone else has seen this, but here is a guide to where topics are located in the DocCD:

Cisco DOC-CD Locations « Routing-Bits

3560 Guide:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3560/software/release/12.2_44_se/configuration/guide/3560SCG.pdf

jamesp1983

On to WB4, Lab 8...

jamesp1983

Regular expressions in the DocCD:
Cisco IOS Terminal Services Configuration Guide, Release 12.4 - Regular Expressions* [Cisco IOS Software Releases 12.4 Mainline] - Cisco Systems

EEM:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/customer/docs/ios-xml/ios/emb_mgmt/12-4t/emb-mgmt-12-4t-library.html

jamesp1983

AAA:
Authentication Authorization and Accounting Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS Release 12.4 - Configuring Authentication [Support] - Cisco Systems

SteveO86

Awesome links!

Looks like you'll be wrapping up the WB's soon enough, the finish line is coming into view for you!