From: ccie2be (ccie2be@nyc.rr.com)
Date: Thu Aug 05 2004 - 12:05:15 GMT-3
David,
I agree with you that it's important to have a strategy and a good solid
preparation plan. That will get you far.
That said, I think it would be prudent of you to purchase a practice labs
workbook. I'm using Internetwork Expert's workbook and Solution Guide which
I feel is fantastic. Now, even though each lab covers a broad range of
technologies, you don't have to do a complete lab before going on to the
next lab. If you want and I think this is a good idea, you can focus on one
particular technology at a time. For example, you can do just the ATM
portion of all 20 labs and thereby become very proficient in configuring
ATM. As a side benefit, you also will get a sense of the level of
difficulty and the scope of what's expected as far as ATM is concerned.
Then, after you're very proficient with one technology, you can do the same
with each of the other technologies.
If you take this approach, there is one caution I have for you. Don't get
the false impression that if something isn't covered in any practice lab,
then you don't need to be concerned with knowing it. As you probably know,
Cisco says that anything that can be done in IOS is fair game for the lab.
So, for example, although so far I haven't seen any QoS over ATM stuff on
any practice labs, knowing how to configure the various ATM traffic
parameters and knowing where to find the details on the Doc CD would
probably be a wise move. But, on the other hand, you can probably safely
assume, that if something isn't covered in any practice lab, it probably
isn't something that will kill your chances of success in the real lab. So,
continuing with the ATM QoS line of thought, if you don't know how to
configure this, you'll either lose a couple of points or precious time
trying to figure it out if it's on the lab, but not knowing this won't make
your IGP's not work. In other words, you can consider this topic a non-core
topic.
By focusing intently on one technology at a time, you'll become much faster
at configuring that technology plus you'll also learn where to find things
on the Doc-CD which is also important to your success in the lab. You'll
also learn some things that aren't explicitly covered in any labs. For
example, if you have to configure alot of vlans on a 3550, there are a
couple of ways accomplish that. You can first create each vlan, then go
back and assign ports or you can just assign a port to a vlan and let the
3550 automatically create the vlan if it doesn't already exist. However,
there are scenarios when this method can't be used. But, by focuses
intently on 3550 technology, you'll learn this stuff so well that when you
take the lab, you won't need to spend any time thinking about these things.
And, you'll also learn quick ways to verify config's.
Now, there's something you said which I have to disagree with. Personally,
I think 2 1/2 hours to complete all the L2 tasks is too long by about an
hour. I suppose it's possible to take 2 1/2 hours to complete the L2 stuff
and still pass the lab, but I also think it's highly unlikely unless the lab
has 30 or more points on L2 stuff.
A while ago I would have also recommended taking the lab for the first time
before you were 100% confident you could pass it. This was so you could get
a feel for what to expect. Now, a number of firms offer a simulated lab
which is far less expensive than the real lab and will also give you a good
sense of what to expect but with the added benefit that you'll get some
detailed feedback which can help you identify areas of weakness.
My last recommendation is to read the postings on this forum. There are a
bunch of truly great and knowledgable guys that participate on this forum
and you can learn a great deal from what they have to say. Since you
already mentioned some of these guys, it appears you're already on the right
track.
HTH and good luck in your preparations. Tim
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Duncon" <david_ccie@hotmail.com>
To: <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 2:17 AM
Subject: Strategy to tackle this beast :-)
> Hi Folks,
>
> As I am in the process of designing the required strategy towards my 1st
lab
> attempt which is happening in the next 6 months, just want to capture
> thoughts of numbered people out here. Being a passive listener since last
> few weeks, I have noted few success as well as failure stories. To my mind
,
> any body who came this far and willing to subject to this long and
demanding
> (both from time as well as monitory point of view) path , are diligent and
> capable people. From the offset what appears to me is, to tackle this
beast
> , we need to have a strategy in place , besides willingness to work hard
and
> invest required funds.
>
> This is what I am currently put in my head and appreciate if you add your
> valuable input which can help any new comers like myself.
>
> 1) Lower the pressure on my self from very beginning by preparing to go as
> far as 3 attempts (or even further if I am not good enough even at my 3rd
> attempt) to get my number. That will immediately leave me out as "favorite
> to take the number home on my first attempt". So I am not feeling any
> pressure from now on and I will try NOT to panic during my first
> attempt/exam as well. With this school of thinking , I hoping to exercise
> realistic expectations on myself.
>
> 2) Secondly as I said above, strategy is what makes the difference between
> success stories and failure stories. So my strategy is to have a "building
> block" approach. That is with out getting intimidated with the vast nature
> of this exam blue print and also to certain extent by other CCIEs around,
> for example like in this Study group forum where some lower numbered
> member's posts are very in depth and very intimidating for a new comer.
But
> that is OK.Because as Howard once said in his post, all CCIEs are NOT
> Surgeons , some are just Doctors. And you got to work hard even further
even
> after you become a CCIE. To become Surgeons like people such as Scott ,
> Brian's , Bob , Andrew, Howard , Mark and Chuck ..etc , all new CCIEs need
> to continue their "quest" for knowledge as long as they are in Comms
arena.
>
> So now my aim is to become a Doctor/i.e... CCIE to begin with and there
> fore I am not trying to fathom the whole Internetworking technologies to
the
> extent of Surgeon.
>
> 3) Instead focus the exam blue print . And even then Not to get carried
away
> with continuous research with out giving or delaying the exam. For example
> like the other day, some one asked the question of "how far to study the
> ATM" or "how far to study the IPSec" or for that matter this morning I
was
> thinking about how far to study Bridging ?
>
> Since *time factor* is critical here , I am planning to be very clinical
and
> deliberate in my approach. For example , there is no need to try and
invest
> time to understand how the RIF in Token ring builds or for that matter how
> the translational bridging work. Instead worry only about Ethernet
Bridging
> and that is what will be tested in the exam. On you way if you pick up
> broader understanding on various Bridging technologies , then that is
fine.
> But because if you do not have time to digest RIF or MPLS (just for an
> example), then do not worry.
>
> The reason why I am saying this because , most of us who are working in
the
> industry already must be exposing ourselves to various technologies. For
> example besides my bread and better Routing and Switching operations ,
since
> last few months I am also involved in few Security (reasonably familiar
> with VPN 3k ,PIX & CPNG ) and Voice ( VoFR, Voice Gateways. Transcoders ,
> CMsetc) projects. But the bottom line is , from exam point of view as far
> as Voice is concerned, I only need to go as far as configuring FXS voice
> ports, configuring pots and Voip peers , Digit manipulation and MLS Qos on
> Voice vlans ..etc. Nothing more , at least for this R & S exam and do not
> worry about on how SRTS works or how to build complex Translational
> rulesetc.
>
> But knowing that well in advance is a welcome step to me. That way my
target
> is not a * moving target* or ever expanding target.
>
> 4) Coming to my strategy again, in my first attempt itself, I am aiming to
> pick up full allotted marks on L 2 technologies like 3550s,Dlsw+,Frame
Relay
> and ISDN. Because I think it will be pretty disappointed after all this
> effort , you can not even bring up the L2 in a decent time in the exam. I
am
> aiming to clock around 2 to 2 1/2 hours to bring up L2 in my lab practice
as
> well. And then I will really be aiming to pocket marks on multi services
as
> well such as Qos , Multicast , DLsw + and Security and IP Services ..etc.
>
> That will give me 50 % of the marks already , I reckon. And I will be
happy
> if I score that much in my first attempt. And I will also aim to score as
> many points as possible in the other 50% which occupies the meaty portion
of
> L3 stuff.
>
> 5) As far as L 3 is concerned , that 50 % of the marks are unknown and you
> can get bamboozled on any single protocol. Correct if I am wrong , even
> though you know how independently configure every single L3 protocol, and
if
> you screw up the *Redistribution*, then basically you lost the game and
you
> can not ping all interfaces and you can not see the appropriate Route
tables
> on all devices.
>
> Having realized this from beginning , at worst case scenario, I will be
> aiming to score as many full marks as possible on independent L 3
protocols.
>
> 6) Redistribution being one of my weakest areas besides Multicast & Dlsw+
,
> I am planning to sort out that guy in my second or 3rd attempt as I am
> thinking it may be helpful for me to participate a physical or an online
> boot camp with any of these top vendors out here. And that way I can
develop
> that sort of logical to get my redistribution on my 2nd or 3rd attempts.
>
> I feel already lot better on this building block approach , in the sense I
> will not become terribly upset (neither about 6k to k odd investment nor
> about 3 or 4 attempts) about next 12 month road in front of me. And also
by
> being this positive , realistic & methodical , I am not making the lives
of
> my wife and kids miserable every time I reach home with a depressed out
look
> of life :-) After all this is just an exam where 14k people have already
> passed , so that this is by no means an "Impossible task". May be it is
> different/difficult than all the Uni exams we all have went through.
>
> That factor of "difference" in the exam is precisely what is making me
> exited because that different path of preparation is what making me a
better
> engineer from yesterday to today. And I am sure after 12 month of study
and
> after 3 or 4 times of failure, I can even get better and hopefully become
a
> Doctor by then in Howard words :-)
>
> Your input is much appreciated.
>
> David.
>
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