Cisco Official IOU labs for CCNA CCNP CCIP

An email i received this morning, does the website work for anybody?

Cisco Announces a Networking Education Breakthrough with Cisco Learning Labs
Cisco announces a networking education breakthrough with Cisco Learning Labs. For the first time, IT learners can now access real Cisco labs with both routing and Layer 2 core switching features.
Cisco Learning Labs are powered by Cisco IOS® Software on UNIX and enable critical, hands-on lab experience for future networking engineers interested in attaining Cisco certifications.
Elevate your study program with Cisco Learning Labs today and enjoy the variety of lab bundles for Cisco CCNA®, Cisco CCNP®, and Cisco CCIP® certification preparation.
Cisco Learning Labs are available exclusively on the Cisco Learning Network Store.

Review all lab bundles and pricing information now.

An article from M Wendell Odom who seem to explain it very well

http://www.networkworld.com/community/CLL-1

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mikej412

The labs match up almost exactly with the Official Courseware Lab Guide.....

The 4.1 Inter-VLAN routing Lab is missing from the SWITCH bundle, but the 4.2 task(s) is/are there. The SWITCH Bundle has Lab 4.2 split into 4.2A, 4.2B, and 4.2C Troubleshooting Inter-VLAN Routing labs.

The Courseware 1.1 New Hire Lab has Etherchannels shown in the diagram (and I guess in the task list) -- and more VLANs than just VLAN 1.

The Bundle diagram doesn't have the Etherchannel shown. And the Voice routers/ and IP Phones from the 1.1 Courseware Lab aren't in the IOU Bundle diagram.

The first IOU Bundle lab seems to be "dumbed down" quite a bit from the original Courseware Lab.

And my mouse is back in IE/SWITCH IOU Labs without rebooting -- so it seems the mouse loss is a "feature" of the Lab Interface programming and not a "bad mouse."

CTRL-P brought up the IE Print function -- and it let me print to PDF. The diagram on the main Lab page where you can launch your terminal windows didn't render in the PDF -- so someone may still want to try a physical print. The smaller diagram in the "All Tasks" menu option "printed" to the PDF just fine.

I just noticed that the Pod Physical Port Table has a couple physical ports listed for some of the "P" ports listed in the diagram. The P5 link on the DSW1 switch in the diagram uses the physical ports E0/0 and E0/1.

I don't see any Etherchannel commands listed in the Command List exhibit under the Tasks & Diagrams menu option. And no Etherchannel configs in the "Final Configuration" exhibit for the ASW1 switch.

In Lab 1.1 the ASW1 final config is the only one shown as a menu exhibit. They do mention the other switches are similar and that you have to change some of the values....

Can't find a link to the terms -- so I don't know if I can screen print and copy/paste sample configs. I'll try to remember to read the terms when I buy the ROUTE Bundle.

Hum.... -- from the FAQ:

Each individual lab exercise can be in one of three states. Pending state refers to the state of a lab exercise that has not been started. Running state refers to the state of a lab exercise that is currently being used by a learner. Suspended state refers to the state of a lab exercise that has previously been active, but the learner has exited the lab exercise.

So I guess there is no automatic grading/evaluation. I was looking for a Completed or PASS status -- and hoping it was automatic.

Considering the minutes I've just burned poking around while posting, the print and notepad config option sounds like the way to go. You definitely don't want to lean back in your chair and "rest your eyes" while the clock is ticking.

I'll try and compare another IOU SWITCH Bundle Lab tomorrow with the corresponding Official Courseware Lab. Hopefully they just decided to take it easy on the CCNA review tasks for Lab 1.1 in the bundle.

tomaifauchai

Nice review mike

QHalo thanks for the vid! It's simple and look great!

They take Paypal, cool

I will paste in the TOS if i'm able to copy it

tomaifauchai

2.1 Confidentiality. You agree that the contents of the Cisco Learning are confidential and that the disclosure of that information could compromise the integrity of Learning Labs, the Program and of Certifications and other Cisco or third party confidential information provided as part of Learning Labs. Cisco makes Learning Labs available to you solely to assist you to learn and practice skills and subject matter in preparation for possible Certification testing. Except as expressly permitted herein, you are expressly prohibited from disclosing, publishing, reproducing, or transmitting any exam and any related information including, without limitation, questions, answers, worksheets, computations, drawings, diagrams, length or number of exam segments or questions, or any communication, including oral communication, regarding or related to the exam (known collectively as “Proprietary Information”), in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, oral or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose. A disclosure of Proprietary Information by any means in violation of this Agreement undermines the integrity and security of the Program . If you have purchased or otherwise received or obtained a version from Cisco which permits access by more than one person (such as for use by students in a not-for-profit setting) then “you” as used herein shall apply to each user of Learning Labs and the original purchaser is responsible for ensuring that the terms of this Agreement are adhered to by each user. You are not permitted to use Learning Labs to run a for profit testing or practice program unless expressly permitted to do so in writing by a director or higher at Cisco with such testing or practice program managed in accordance with Cisco requirements.

2.2 Intellectual Property Ownership. Cisco retains all rights, title and interest in and to Learning Labs and Proprietary Information and related information, content, data, exams, materials, and all copyrights, patent rights, trademark rights and other proprietary rights therein. All rights in the Proprietary Information are expressly reserved to Cisco. Any unauthorized access, reproduction, distribution, or disclosure of Proprietary Information is a violation of U.S. and international intellectual property laws and treatises. Cisco may pursue all available remedies, which may include prosecution to the maximum extent possible under such laws and may result in severe civil and criminal penalties.

tomaifauchai

Not a big feature, but it seem that if the counter doesn't reach the :00 and you exit, you gain the minute or half of it, so plenty of time to print what you want.

I printed the 1st task of my lab and did a screenshot of the topology. (The images doesn't print out)
As Mike mentionned, there's no automatic gradation, but in the tasks there's an Activity Verification
They provide you with the needed command list also

tomaifauchai

I've completed my first lab on MPLS and it was a nice revision about a L2 technology! Had 8 routers, configuring addressing and other stuff + a bonus troubleshooting problem because i entered a bad IP address. Managed to did it in 1 hour !

Well, from what i'm seeing the interface is well done and it load an embedded putty terminal. I think the max console you can have open is 2. I've tried 3 and it didn't prompt anything while pressing enter on the 3rd window.

Worth the money i think
It's late now, that Cisco toy is interesting !

chmorin

Off topic but, I'd love to see the thread that involved Mike's experiance with The Abomination!

Also, they don't have any voice options yet =( That will be the day...

mikej412

The agreement sounds almost like the exam NDA -- which makes sense since they are both copyrighted material. So no giving away the labs to a friend to run in Dynamips (or on real hardware).

I had at least 6 terminal sessions open to the switches in the lab I was playing with -- and probably went up to 7 or 8 when I opened up a router and PC session to ping end-to-end.

Here some output of the terminal sessions to give you an idea of the "Solaris Switch" with it's three four port modules.

CSW1#show version
Cisco IOS Software, Solaris Software (UNIXL2-UPK9-M), Experimental Version 12.2(20100709:174404) [dstivers-july9-blue_flag 100]
Copyright (c) 1986-2010 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Fri 09-Jul-10 11:10 by dstivers

ROM: Bootstrap program is Solaris

 CSW1 uptime is 0 minutes
System returned to ROM by reload at 0
System image file is "unix:/iou_root/iou_images/Cisco-IOS/Catalyst-upk9-ms.july9-blue_flag"


This product contains cryptographic features and is subject to United
States and local country laws governing import, export, transfer and
. . . 
. . .
. . .

Solaris Unix (Sparc) processor with 80283K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID 212999
12 Ethernet interfaces
16K bytes of NVRAM.

Configuration register is 0x0

CSW1#

CSW1#
CSW1#show ip int br
Interface              IP-Address      OK? Method Status                Protocol
Ethernet0/0            unassigned      YES unset  up                    up
Ethernet0/1            unassigned      YES unset  up                    up
Vlan1                  10.1.1.111      YES NVRAM  up                    up
Ethernet0/2            unassigned      YES unset  up                    up
Ethernet0/3            unassigned      YES unset  up                    up
Ethernet1/0            unassigned      YES unset  administratively down down
Ethernet1/1            unassigned      YES unset  administratively down down
Ethernet1/2            unassigned      YES unset  up                    up
Ethernet1/3            unassigned      YES unset  up                    up
Ethernet2/0            unassigned      YES unset  up                    up
Ethernet2/1            unassigned      YES unset  up                    up
Ethernet2/2            unassigned      YES unset  up                    up
Ethernet2/3            unassigned      YES unset  administratively down down
CSW1#

CSW1#show int status

Port         Name               Status       Vlan       Duplex  Speed Type
Et0/0                           connected    trunk        auto   auto unknown
Et0/1                           connected    trunk        auto   auto unknown
Et0/2                           connected    trunk        auto   auto unknown
Et0/3                           connected    trunk        auto   auto unknown
Et1/0                           disabled     1            auto   auto unknown
Et1/1                           disabled     1            auto   auto unknown
Et1/2                           connected    trunk        auto   auto unknown
Et1/3                           connected    trunk        auto   auto unknown
Et2/0                           connected    trunk        auto   auto unknown
Et2/1                           connected    trunk        auto   auto unknown
Et2/2                           connected    1            auto   auto unknown
Et2/3                           disabled     1            auto   auto unknown
CSW1#

mikej412

chmorin wrote: »

Off topic but, I'd love to see the thread that involved Mike's experiance with The Abomination!

http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccie/59956-who-pursuing-ccie-2011-a.html#post470004

I can still feel my blood pressure shoot up and my temples throb if I think about it.... But I am at the point now where I can mention The Abomination -- pause, go to my happy place -- and then get by it without having a stroke.

The Pearson Vue Professional Test Center was Great. The Pearson Vue CCIE Lab experiment would have worked if they used the normal Lab software and REAL remote hardware racks for the configuration section. The only "flaw" (other than the #$&*@ *&#$^&@# @W#&** piece of **** software) was we got to leave the building for lunch -- but providing a box lunch or making candidates bring their own lunch and eat it there would be the solution to that security hole.

chmorin wrote: »

Also, they don't have any voice options yet =( That will be the day...

Don't hold your breath. The IOU IOS running may have code for voice support -- but there is no IOU voice hardware that the voice code could use.... (so it would be like Dynamips -- no analog or digital ports, but maybe a better selection of CME).

CCIEWANNABE

good review, thanks for all the helpful info Mike!

QHalo

mikej412 wrote: »

http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccie/59956-who-pursuing-ccie-2011-a.html#post470004

I can still feel my blood pressure shoot up and my temples throb if I think about it.... But I am at the point now where I can mention The Abomination -- pause, go to my happy place -- and then get by it without having a stroke.

The Pearson Vue Professional Test Center was Great. The Pearson Vue CCIE Lab experiment would have worked if they used the normal Lab software and REAL remote hardware racks for the configuration section. The only "flaw" (other than the #$&*@ *&#$^&@# @W#&** piece of **** software) was we got to leave the building for lunch -- but providing a box lunch or making candidates bring their own lunch and eat it there would be the solution to that security hole.

Don't hold your breath. The IOU IOS running may have code for voice support -- but there is no IOU voice hardware that the voice code could use.... (so it would be like Dynamips -- no analog or digital ports, but maybe a better selection of CME).

I think there could be a healthy shot at a security setup though. The ASA and IPS has been proven to run under QEMU and VMware so it shouldn't be that difficult to port over.

millworx

I've looked over the learning labs, pretty cool they finally provided this to the public. What I use is near identicle with the exception of I can load my own IOS images(like voice images), and edit the topology.

All in all pretty powerful. I wish this had come out 10 years ago, when I needed it more than I do now. lol

Forsaken_GA

so apparently cisco was careless with their software, and let it fall off the back of the internet. That may be sounding the deathknell for dynampis/gns3

mikej412

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

so apparently cisco was careless with their software, and let it fall off the back of the internet. That may be sounding the deathknell for dynampis/gns3

IOU in the wild was mentioned in this thread: http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccie/63438-cisco-iou.html

I don't think it will kill Dynamips (with Dynagen or GNS3 front ends) -- unless Cisco actually decides to officially set it free and support it. And a lot of people couldn't figure out how to edit a text file or read the Dynagen tutorial to get Dynamips to work, so following translated instructions from China may also still be beyond a lot of people.

Forsaken_GA

mikej412 wrote: »

IOU in the wild was mentioned in this thread: http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccie/63438-cisco-iou.html

I don't think it will kill Dynamips (with Dynagen or GNS3 front ends) -- unless Cisco actually decides to officially set it free and support it. And a lot of people couldn't figure out how to edit a text file or read the Dynagen tutorial to get Dynamips to work, so following translated instructions from China may also still be beyond a lot of people.

I dunno, hypothetically speaking, I believe I'll find it to be alot less of a resource hog than GNS3, and a bit easier to get up an running than the first time I played with GNS3. Not quite ready to sell my physical gear if I do, but I suspect I'll have alot less need to power it up.