1 More to go: QoS

Well, I was able to knock the BGP+MPLS exam today, so now I'll continue onward in my goal to get my CCIP by the end of 2011.. Sadly enough my biggest challenge is getting away from work to actually take the exam. (Who would have thought)

I've had a decent amount of exposure to QoS in the last month and a half (but not as much as BGP).. So I do want to learn this more in-depth anyway.

For the most part I am going to be following Down77's lead since he recently took this exam.

I'll be using:

INE QoS Videos
QoS Exam Guide
End To End QoS Network Design

PrepLogic Material.. I got their QoS stuff when I still had their unlimited access 2 years ago (long story.... I will never do business with them again.. for another thread) So if this material turns out to be less then useful then I'll drop it all completely.

I'm already 3 modules into INE's videos, and tomorrow I'll probably start listening to PrepLogic audio on my drive into work.

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advanex1

Congrats Steve! Let me know how it goes. I plan to follow down that route as well; CCNP - CCIP as my goals next year. Good luck with QoS!

unclerico

SteveO86 wrote: »

Well, I was able to knock the BGP+MPLS exam today, so now I'll continue onward in my goal to get my CCIP by the end of 2011.. Sadly enough my biggest challenge is getting away from work to actually take the exam. (Who would have thought)

I've had a decent amount of exposure to QoS in the last month and a half (but not as much as BGP).. So I do want to learn this more in-depth anyway.

For the most part I am going to be following Down77's lead since he recently took this exam.

I'll be using:

INE QoS Videos
QoS Exam Guide
End To End QoS Network Design

PrepLogic Material.. I got their QoS stuff when I still had their unlimited access 2 years ago (long story.... I will never do business with them again.. for another thread) So if this material turns out to be less then useful then I'll drop it all completely.

I'm already 3 modules into INE's videos, and tomorrow I'll probably start listening to PrepLogic audio on my drive into work.

Congrats on the pass and good luck with QoS!

SteveO86

Thanks guys!

I hate to say it but this QoS stuff doesn't seem too bad.

Turns out I've been working with CBWFQ and LLQ configs at work without knowing it.. The MQC setup is just like working with ZBFs, just a different principle.

I am finding out I can do much more with QoS then I've been doing previously (This should leave with days of labbing, I'll use Scapy a bit to test the configs with) and I should be able to implement this stuff at work.

Or maybe it's because I found BGP/MPLS material a bit more challenging.

Bl8ckr0uter

How much do you work with scapy? I plan on labbing with it later today (and this week) to test some snort rules and such.

SteveO86

I don't work with it often. So far I've just used it to spoof ethernet and wireless packet for security reasons (test ACL, or port security), and now to test QoS

I only load scapy up on rare occasions, its definitely not one of my everyday tools.

nel

congrats on the pass man! good look with QoS.

down77

IMO, QoS is a lot easier than MPLS. You should have no problem with the material!

cisco_trooper

Yeah, the QoS exam is the easiest exam I've ever taken. I'd say it was even easier than the CCNA itself.

SteveO86

Wow really, this might be a little anti-climactic then.

I've finished with the INE QoS videos already.. although I will probably review them again. Trekking my way through the QoS exam guide and labbing with GNS3. You know I've used nbar in the past, but I just didn't know how powerful it really was.. NBAR with the power of CiscoWorks or SolarWinds NCM could make for a poor-mans web filter.

I think I'm going to give up on the PrepLogic audio.. about every audio track asks you to refer back to a document which I can't really do while driving so it's almost defeating the purpose of listening to it on my way to work... (at least until I memorize the document)

Question:
Am I expected to memorization the formula's for serialization delays (along with the other delays)?

cisco_trooper

I don't know if I'm allowed to answer that question having taken the exam....It would be a good idea to understand what all the different delays are given the fact that delay is a significant factor in QoS in general. That's the best I can do without breaching the NDA.

ipSpace

Hello,

You can checkout a good QoS book http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccie/72048-qos-book-free.html

It almost the same like End-to-End QoS.

Hope it helps.

SteveO86

Thanks I saw that in your previous and downloaded it already! I'll give it a read after I finish up with the QoS Exam Guide.

Good enough Cisco_Trooper, I've remember the delay types from CCDA studies. I'll add the formula's to my notes.

Now my next question...

In a real life QoS design/deployment does anyone calculate out the delays? In what I've been involved in so far it has been:

What codec are you using?
How many VoIP phones are at this site?
Then calculate out the required bandwidth to reserve for the VoIP traffic and signaling.

What else do you guys consider for QoS deployments? (I'm sure I'll pick up of a few more things from my studies, but I am curious what you guy see that do in real-life deployments compared to what I read in a book)

jamesp1983

Congrats man! Let us know what you think about this exam after you take it.

SteveO86

Still reading the QoS exam guide, there are quite a few more details in the exam guide then what was mentioned in the INE videos. Also going through various labs from GNS3. Spending most of my time picking apart the exam guide at this point.

SteveO86

Well I lost a few days to TACACS.. I've got a TACACS deployment coming up to a couple 100 devices so I spent some time create a TACACS lab and banging away on it....

However I did forget I got a few days off this month

so I should be finish my reading this week. Then I'm going to lab everything... I've been labbing as I've been reading but I'm going to focus on the stuff I haven't used at work first hand.

Of course I might lose a day or two next week due to the Sonicwall class but we will see...

I am so looking forward to time off and the holidays

you guys have no idea!

tomaifauchai

TACACS is cool, i haven't went deep into it like command authentications but i practiced some login auth and other basic stuff to compare with Windows dot1x features.
-
For the QoS, it is really mind blowing. Since i started to study, i think QoS is the most difficult stuff to understand. For me, shaping, mutations and converting AF to DSCP to Precedence and keeping everything in my mind is the hardest part. I will need to re-read everything again soon enough. Take a lot of notes!

SteveO86

Yea TACACS is pretty sweet, the authorization and accounting is just awesome.. Taking away commands from certain people/groups is just what the doctor order. Plus the whole centralized username thing is a major advantage in itself. It kept occupied for a few days as I debugged different portions of it. Especially before I got it up and working.

As far as QoS goes i'm still finding it very detailed, to say the least. I finished the QoS Exam Guide but I am still skipping through various topics just re-read them and get them in grained in my head.. Keep in mind I've already read each chapter twice the first time around.. The first go through to read the second go through to lab and re-read.. not mention the pages I've read off Cisco.com.

Out of the 3 Topics MPLS, BGP, QoS.. MPLS seemed to be the toughest for me so far.

down77

I had the same experience. MPLS was the toughest for me since I have the least experience with it while BGP and QoS weren't so bad since I tend to use it a bit more often.

QoS is one of those tools that is good to know and can help turn good networks into great networks if applied appropriately. I'm actually working on updating a QoS policy right now in support of OTV on the Nexus platform. You never know when this will come in handy!

SteveO86

Well.. oddly enough I found myself reading QoS material in the middle of my SonicWall class..

Going to be spending more time labbing and reviewing QoS.

SteveO86

Been through the QoS Exam Guide book, and the End-End QoS Design hit various chapters more then once, and I've been labbing off and on since last update.. I'm gonna try and hit this exam middle next week if I can sneak out of the office.. Which usually tends to be pretty impossible in itself. Also depending on whether or not I end up going to Chicago for work next week.

SteveO86

Perhaps I should stop setting deadlines for myself... I rarely make them..

Between getting sick during the holidays, the holidays, and work I couldn't make it to the testing center. Maybe this week as I'm working from home. O well, CCIP in 2012 is just as good as 2011 right? Just gives me more time to lab and review.. I'm feeling confident so I really want to take a shot at this.

SteveO86

Well testing center has an opening this afternoon and I am able slip away from work for a bit, looks like I am finally going to get my shot at this later afternoon!

SteveO86

Passed!! Finished the exam with like 10-15 mins to spare. Its nice to have this one finally behind me. Took me 6 months but I finally got there.