Meh! Nothing to CCIE here...

down77

OER/PfR... I've put this off long enough. Time to go back through the INE Deepdive and some selected reviews. Here's an example of one I am reading this afternoon:

Cisco Performance Routing (PfR) / Optimized Edge Routing (OER) | CCIE Blog

MrBrian

down77 wrote: »

Almost forgot... I called the Vitamin Shoppe near South Point (Durham, NC) and asked them to have a case of Spike! (link below) and a few boxes of Quest Nutrition bars for me to pick up when I get there this sunday. At a minimum I'll be grabbing those, a case of water, and a few other healthy snacks to help fuel me through the bootcamp!

Spike Shooter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Now that's preparation! Haha.

Man you're really moving right now, lots of posts lately, that's awesome. I suppose you're gearing up for that INE bootcamp (in a few days right?). Good luck with that, I bet it'll be a blast! Can't wait to hear about it..

down77

Its quality preparation at that! Tastes like you are drinking a carbonated jolly rancher... just done exceed too many cans per day!

I've been silent in the background for a little while per works request. I have been working on lots of labs, workbooks, technologies etc.

I'm looking forward to the ~150hrs of concentrated/dedicated hands on lab time over the next 2 weeks. Yes you read that correct, 150hrs over ~2wks. That means I will be hands on doing labs for 10 days @ around 12hrs per day (or more) and two weekend days @ ~15hrs each. Needless to say I'll be resting up the day before the bootcamp and I'll also be taking the saturday/sunday that I return home as pure family days. My newborn (2mos old), 3yr old, and wife will need some time with me after I've been gone 2 weeks.

Finishing up some IOS Security (ACL work) tonight and pushed off OER/PfR until tomorrow. I know I need to deep-dive into that like NOW as I have neglected it.The only topic I have really skipped out on!

down77

Completely exhausted! Little one #2 kept us up all night and I got little sleep. No labs tonight... looking forward to a full night of rest!

down77

Some Vol 3 work tonight (2 1/2hrs) and off to bed before it gets too terribly late. I get to wake up early and configure OTV (unicast) for a client tomorrow AM.

down77

Taking it easy tonight. Packing for Raleigh and spending time with the family before heading out to the INE bootcamp!

yuddhidhtir

Been following your thread, you guys are the people i look when i need motivation, best wishes for the CCIE

down77

yuddhidhtir wrote: »

Been following your thread, you guys are the people i look when i need motivation, best wishes for the CCIE

Thank you very much. I have very simple motivation... a wife and two kids! I want to set an example for them that you can ALWAYS achieve what you set your mind to do.

On a slightly different note a man I sat next to on an airplane a while back told me it only takes 4 "D's" to succeed. Decisions, Dedication, determination, and drive. Make good decisions for yourself, stay dedicated at all costs, keep your determination high and never let it falter, and drive forward even in the face of set back.

Good luck!

down77

So I got a few strange looks on the flight from home to Charlotte this morning. I just happened to be working on lab #14 from Vol2! Lets see the looks I get when I keep chugging on with other labs on the shorter flight from CLT to RDU (Raleigh). Maybe this flight I'll just listen to an ATC video instead and review notes....

spiderjericho

I remember when I was working on CCNA voice and was doing labs on packet tracer on a flight and this girl was like wtf!! It was definitely an ice breaker.

Enjoy your trip and class.

jamesp1983

down77 wrote: »

Thank you very much. I have very simple motivation... a wife and two kids! I want to set an example for them that you can ALWAYS achieve what you set your mind to do.

On a slightly different note a man I sat next to on an airplane a while back told me it only takes 4 "D's" to succeed. Decisions, Dedication, determination, and drive. Make good decisions for yourself, stay dedicated at all costs, keep your determination high and never let it falter, and drive forward even in the face of set back.

Good luck!

Thanks for the 4 D's. Good luck!

down77

INE 10 Day Session: Day 1

Today was the first day of the INE R&S 10 day boot camp and we got off to a great start! Sitting in a class taught by Brian Dennis AND full of CCIE R&S candidates makes for a fun day, especially when more than half of them are Cisco employees. The day started with the classic introductions, what to expect, and then right into strategies for a successful lab experience! You could tell immediately that this class was not about "what is the command" but more of a "how do things really work and why do they work." After a short break we started to get right into L2 technologies with a full hands on approach! Like the website states "no power points," they aren't kidding. We get a few screens up in the room with topology diagrams, putty sessions, etc. Just like in some of the other recordings but, with a dedicated and rewritten set of scenarios just for the boot camp.

We had a laugh at lunch time as someone announced "here is where I got to spend my $1500 lunch." Most of us chose to eat on campus @ the Cisco cafeteria (korean bbq is always a great choice) and then right back into hands on configuration. "Lecture" (if you call it that) concluded for the evening at 7:30pm and we were released to continue working on Lab scenarios, videos, etc. Brian made sure that he is available for questions and such until about 11pm.

A great first day filled with valuable strategy tips for the lab attempt, L2 configuration, advanced debugging and validation of technologies and going deep into the how and why rather than "here are the configuration commands." I'm already looking forward to tomorrow for the Frame-Relay and OSPF sessions.

~8hrs Lab time today, probably 12+ hrs per day for each consecutive day!

down77

Wow what a week! I had to take today off of studying to give the brain a day off as well. So after spending 5 dedicated days with the INE staff I can say these guys REALLY know their stuff. We went EXTREMELY deep into understanding the "how and why" of a lot of things. I am already up to 30 pages of notes, a much better understanding of the RIB vs Routing Table vs FIB, and a realization that you need to verify every command you enter into the CLI so you can understand what you have changed.

We also got to spend a little time with one of the Proctors who was a very down to earth and polite guy. After meeting with him our INE instructor (Brian Dennis) gave the following tips for when you have your attempt:

CCIE stands for Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, not Engineer. Come prepared to think outside of the box, to do things that are against best practices, and most importantly know how to verify and validate EVERYTHING!
-An example of this is if you think you have a hardware problem during the exam. Come prepared with an expert level reason of why you believe its a hardware issue AND the steps you took to troubleshoot. They average 1 valid hardware issue on all tracks, all attempts per year.

Do not plan to arrive the day before your exam. Arrive a day earlier and schedule a preview of the CCIE Lab site to help calm your nerves.
Do not drink a lot of coffee before the test, having to hit the bathroom many times takes precious time away from the exam!
Only one person is allowed out of the exam room at a time REGARDLESS of gender.
You are allowed to bring snacks (and drinks) with you. These will be inspected before going into the room.
Keep ALL electronics (phones) powered off. Forgetting to power down and having a cell phone ring during the exam is a great way to get kicked out!
Lunch is mandatory. It can help to keep your strength up and to give you a needed digression from the exam!
EVERY question on every track is solvable. Chances are there are MANY solutions to the problem if you 'think outside of the the box.'
ROMMON happens, know what to do and how to get back to a working state. Again, you are there to PROVE you are an expert.
No one deserves as pass, you can only earn it!


The absolute most important thing we learned after meeting with the Proctor is this: There is a very very high chance you will fail during your first attempt at any track. Do not let this discourage you one bit! Study the areas that you know you were weak in and come better prepared the next time. The CCIE has been designed to test the very limits of your skillset.

With that being said, I spent from about 9 am until just after midnight every night going over configurations and labs. Yesterday was spent going over sections of Vol 1 that I knew I was weak in, and re-watching ATC videos for sections coming up this week that I know I need to refresh on.

Again, we did not go over stupid router tricks, CLI reviews, etc. The entire purpose of this boot camp is to be a very deep dive into the technologies to answer the "how and why" as well as to verify every command we entered at each step so that we get to the point that we understand the impact of every argument entered before we hit the enter button. I can't wait to see what week 2 brings!

spiderjericho

Thanks for sharing your experience. It sounded like a wicked learning experience, especially since it was on the Cisco campus.

I hope the class was the finishing touch you needed to pass the exam.

down77

spiderjericho wrote: »

I hope the class was the finishing touch you needed to pass the exam.

Makes two of us!

PsychoFin

So one week left now, right? Sounds really awesome! Good luck and don't slow down once you are back home!

spiderjericho

down77 wrote: »

Makes two of us!

Ugh, you just happened to quote me on your 666 post! You just may have hexed yourself and I. JK.

SteveO86

Sounds like it's a very worth it bootcamp! and a fun week to!

yuddhidhtir

Good Luck

down77

spiderjericho wrote: »

Ugh, you just happened to quote me on your 666 post! You just may have hexed yourself and I. JK.

Doh! Depends on your outlook... in some cultures its considered pagan-istic and not cursed/evil. Think of it as alternative blessings? All joking aside, I expect to get "hexed" on my first lab attempt. I was told outright it would whoop my tail!

down77

PsychoFin wrote: »

So one week left now, right? Sounds really awesome! Good luck and don't slow down once you are back home!

Last week of the boot camp and we are already DEEEEEEEEP into BGP/MPLS. The plan is to kick it up to a whole new level once I get back. I need to change my thinking and practice the new approach.

down77

SteveO86 wrote: »

Sounds like it's a very worth it bootcamp! and a fun week to!

Next time I'm down your way I'll fill you in more over a beer (or three)

SteveO86

down77 wrote: »

Next time I'm down your way I'll fill you in more over a beer (or three)

Sounds a plan bud shoot me a PM when your in town, can't wait to hear about!

Enjoy the second week!

down77

Getting ready to start Day 7 of the boot camp. I'd say so over the last 7 days I've been averaging 12hrs per day of lab time and an additional amount of time over the weekend hitting weak areas. I plan on going back over volume 1 over the first 2-4wks after the camp and then redoing all of volume 2 with a few different goals in mind!

Looking forward to Multicast and QoS sections. We have just a little bit to finish up on MPLS first.

down77

Today was day 9 of the boot camp. We spent 12hrs going deep into Multicast yesterday and another 12 hours today going through advanced OER/PfR. I was surprised to see that yes, OER can work properly running under IOS version 12.4T!!! Tomorrow is the last day and we will be finishing up some IP Services/IOS Security topics as well as a final review of exam strategies. For those who can stay, Brian Dennis is continuing on with a 5 day Advanced troubleshooting boot camp next week. I wish I had more time off of work to attend, but I was only able to get away for 2 weeks!

I will say that this has been one of the best training sessions I have been to and I will be reorganizing my CCIE preparation strategy on the flight home tomorrow night.

Off to continue with the labs!

down77

I flew back home today from the boot camp and now the real fun begins, rewriting my study plan with some new goals and a different focus. Here will be my plan for the next few months:

Phase 1: review vol 1 selected chapters. This should last about 3 weeks to review some sections that I now know I need more clarity/depth. I will put a lot more focus into validating/verifying everything rather than just entering configuration. It is CRITICAL to know the output of the commands you enter as well as how it could influence devices down the line.
-Take a Mock Lab

Phase 2: Rework Vol 2 labs and hit Vol 4 troubleshooting. Focus attention on establishing core reach-ability, using note pad/putty, verifying EVERYTHING entered, and finding multiple ways to solve the situation.
-Take at least 2 Mock Labs

Phase 3: Complete Vol 2 labs and add Vol 3 speed drills. Continue focus from previous phase but work on accuracy, speed, and fine tuning weak areas.
-Take at least 1 of the DIFFICULT Mock labs

Phase 4: CCIE Lab @ RTP. Fly in at least 48 hours early (72 preferred). Schedule a tour of the CCIE lab at least a day before the exam. Stock up on healthy foods/drinks to bring with me during the lab. Abstain from cramming the day before and get plenty of rest.
-Disabling email/text communication for at least 24hrs after lab attempt. Scheduling lots of frothy beverages for after the exam attempt (de-stress ritual of course). Just have to make sure I am sober enough to make it to the airport the day after the exam to fly home! Enable email access and schedule celebration or drowning of sorrows with family/friends.

Feel free to comment on the rough draft of the updated approach. I'll be fine tuning a few things over the next few days and hitting the material VERY hard. The lab date has been scheduled, but I will not announce when until it's close to that time. I will say it's a bit after the New Year... which reminds me I need to take time to study over the holiday breaks!

Taking tomorrow off to spend time with the family!

SteveO86

Sounds like a solid plan, good luck! 4 Mocks labs might be pretty expensive.

Essendon

Dont have anything to suggest in the way of lab prep, but I'd wish you all the luck you may need for the lab (though at your level it isnt about luck, it's about how much effort you've poured in - and you've done that in truckloads). I've read your posts and you and the rest of your clan (CCIE wannabees, that is) are a source of immense inspiration!

Go get that number!

P.S. When's the lab?

down77

Essendon wrote: »

Dont have anything to suggest in the way of lab prep, but I'd wish you all the luck you may need for the lab (though at your level it isnt about luck, it's about how much effort you've poured in - and you've done that in truckloads). I've read your posts and you and the rest of your clan (CCIE wannabees, that is) are a source of immense inspiration!

Go get that number!

P.S. When's the lab?

Thank you. I'll announce the lab date after new years... though I have to submit payment for the lab fairly soon!

You are correct, work effort is critical to having a fighting chance and from my best guess I am around 700+hrs of labs so far. There is a small matter of luck as well but the lab hours hopefully will pay off! If I don't pass I plan to re-evaluate why, refocus studying efforts, reschedule an attempt, and push forward. It's not if I will get my number but when!

down77

SteveO86 wrote: »

Sounds like a solid plan, good luck! 4 Mocks labs might be pretty expensive.

If you buy them one at a time it's pretty expensive! I was lucky enough to get 4 mock labs with the boot camp purchase, along with a voucher for exam fees ($1500) on the first lab attempt! So for $6k I got 2 years all access pass, all 4 work books, 4 mock labs, 1500 tokens for rack time, a 2 week boot camp (free re-sit as long as there is space), a voucher for the lab, a tshirt, an INE leather folder, and some more goodies. Work covered about 2/3 of the cost and I shelled in the rest.

Off to review some Frame-Relay switching and then right in to the IGP exercises!