From: Scott Vermillion (scott_ccie_list@it-ag.com)
Date: Wed Aug 22 2007 - 17:22:59 ART
Very interesting Colin. I worked a project last year where I did the
physical network part of a project and another sub did the virtual
machine stuff. Thus, my exposure was more indirect than anything (I had
my own hands full, couldn't really ghost over those guys as much as I'd
have liked). What I recall was that they had a virtual switch for
inter-VM connectivity w/in the physical server. It was a basic "frame"
mover w/out much in the way of fancy capabilities. Just a GUI with the
capability to drag connections between VM instances.
So Cisco sees a role for themselves in this arena. I guess I can see
where that might be the case. But I'm not clear whether or not this will
have direct value for CCIE candidates? I suppose if their virtual
switches are made with the intention of connecting out to the physical
network (and now that I think about it, why wouldn't they?), then they
would need to support many, if not most, of the major capabilities that
real switches do. Very interesting, indeed. I wonder when this will hit
the street and on what kind of platforms this will be able to be ported
to? Will you be able to run a stand-alone VS (virtual switch?) or will
such a thing only be bundled with other licensing? Etc?
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Virtual CCIE's? - 3550/3560
From: Colin McNamara <colin@2cups.com>
Date: Wed, August 22, 2007 1:56 pm
To: ccielab@groupstudy.com
I don't know if anyone has seen the press-releases but Cisco is
developing a virtual switch for VMware. There are no hard stats on
features yet, but what has been released hints to at minimum layer 3
switching in the virtual switch being made for ESX. I would guess
that
if you fast forward to next year, many peoples labs will consist of
Dynamips (probably running on a vmware image) integrated with these
virtual switches.
--
Colin McNamara
(858)208-8105
CCIE #18233
"The difficult we do immediately, the impossible just takes a little
longer"
On Tue, 2007-08-21 at 19:42 +0100, Gary Duncanson wrote:
> Makes sense.
>
> Thanks David.
>
> Gary
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Prall" <dcp@dcptech.com>
> To: "'Scott Vermillion'" <scott_ccie_list@it-ag.com>;
> <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 5:58 PM
> Subject: RE: Virtual CCIE's? - 3550/3560
>
>
> > SIMICS is hardware emulation. It actually emulates the processors
and
> > asics.
> > Putting together a switch would be rather difficult unless you
worked for
> > Cisco since the ASIC's are proprietary and the processor to asic
linkage
> > is
> > part of the design. Also a license for Simics is rather
expensive.
> > Packages
> > like this are typically used in the design phase, since an ASIC
can be
> > simulated rather easily, where as having it produced for
debugging
> > purposes
> > can take months. So the software emulation of hardware is well
worthwhile
> > during the design phase.
> >
> > --
> > http://dcp.dcptech.com
> >
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: nobody@groupstudy.com [mailto:nobody@groupstudy.com] On
> >> Behalf Of Scott Vermillion
> >> Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 12:28 PM
> >> To: ccielab@groupstudy.com
> >> Subject: RE: Virtual CCIE's? - 3550/3560
> >>
> >> The good news is that they appear to offer an "academic" license
for
> >> individual use (approval time ~1 week). The bad news is that
when I
> >> google "virtutech cisco switch," I come up with precious
> >> little. Here is
> >> a link to a presentation where Cisco is mentioned in passing:
> >>
> >> http://www.deserec.eu/files/first_workshop/pdf/DESEREC_IABG_Si
> >> mics_Workshop_2006.pdf
> >>
> >> It may indeed be possible to emulate a Cisco switch, but it
> >> appears as if
> >> there exists no "Dynagen equivalent" for we mere mortals. And no
real
> >> history to indicate CPU/memory requirements (could you
> >> emulate one switch
> >> with a given hardware configuration or could you emulate
> >> 12?). Certainly
> >> there doesn't appear to be any "body of knowledge" out there.
> >> Also, not
> >> sure how to take it, but that presentation makes mention of only
being
> >> able to bridge "TCP and UDP" from the simulated environment
> >> to a physical
> >> NIC (so no control plane traffic directly over IP? etc?). Thus,
I'll
> >> keep my ear to the ground on this one, but I still plan to
> >> spend the next
> >> several months tackling the CCIE R&S lab vs. being one of the
first to
> >> figure SIMICS and Cisco switches out...
> >>
> >> -------- Original Message --------
> >> Subject: RE: Virtual CCIE's? - 3550/3560
> >> From: "Lamine BOUAFIA" <b_lamine@yahoo.fr>
> >> Date: Tue, August 21, 2007 6:48 am
> >> To: <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
> >>
> >> Anyone who know mode about
> >> http://www.virtutech.com/products/ and how
> >> to
> >> simulate Cisco 3550/3560??
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >>
> >> -----Message d'origine-----
> >> De : nobody@groupstudy.com [mailto:nobody@groupstudy.com] De la
part
> >> de
> >> Brian Dennis
> >> Envoyi : mardi 21 ao{t 2007 06:42
> >> @ : Scott Vermillion; Cisco certification
> >> Objet : [Bulk] RE: Virtual CCIE's?
> >>
> >> When teaching a class at Cisco recently one of the students
> >> said that
> >> the
> >> 3550 or 3560 can be "virtualized" using software from this
company:
> >>
> >> http://www.virtutech.com/products/
> >> https://www.simics.net/
> >>
> >> Personally I never looked into it but someone here may be
familiar
> >> with
> >> the software and it's capabilities.
> >>
> >> Brian Dennis, CCIE4 #2210 (R&S/ISP-Dial/Security/SP)
> >> bdennis@internetworkexpert.com
> >>
> >> Internetwork Expert, Inc.
> >> http://www.InternetworkExpert.com
> >> Toll Free: 877-224-8987
> >> Direct: 775-745-6404 (Outside the US and Canada)
> >>
> >> >----- Original Message -----
> >> Subject: RE: Virtual CCIE's?
> >> Date: Mon, August 20, 2007 21:30
> >> From: "Scott Vermillion" <scott_ccie_list@it-ag.com>
> >>
> >> > Unfortunately, the more recent posts I've seen from him would
> >> indicated
> >> > that, due largely to ASICs that cannot easily be
> >> reverse-engineered, a
> >> > switch equivalent or extension is all but dead as a concept.
This
> >> is why
> >> > I chose to go ahead and purchase some 3560-8PCs and just
> >> move on...
> >> >
> >> > -------- Original Message --------
> >> > Subject: Re: Virtual CCIE's?
> >> > From: "darth router" <darklordrouter@gmail.com>
> >> > Date: Mon, August 20, 2007 9:18 pm
> >> > To: ISolveSystems <support@isolvesystems.com>
> >> > Cc: "Scott Vermillion" <scott_ccie_list@it-ag.com>, "Cisco
> >> > certification" <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
> >> >
> >> > That depends on the devs, and if they can continue to support
> >> future
> >> > platforms, whether it is possible or feasible. No switches
yet,
> >> maybe
> >> > never, but who knows, chris has some posts where he wanted
access
> >> to
> >> > 6500 switches. Might be workin on it :P I hope so. Here
> >> is the site
> >> > with the history.
> >> >
> >> > http://www.ipflow.utc.fr/index.php/Cisco_7200_Simulator
> >> >
> >> > On 8/21/07, ISolveSystems <support@isolvesystems.com> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > You said that Dynamips is in its infancy. I am curious to know
> >> > how old is
> >> > Dynamips? How do you see the continuing development of
Dynamips
> >> > to support
> >> > future IOS development?
> >> >
> >> > Regards,
> >> >
> >> > On 8/20/07, Scott Vermillion < scott_ccie_list@it-ag.com>
wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > Gregory,
> >> > >
> >> > > Were a person to acquire the CCIE cert w/ nothing more than
> >> > time on
> >> > > Dynamips, that person may indeed face a few embarrassing
> >> > moments
> >> > > early on. So it should be outlawed and shunned by the
> >> > CCIE-seeking
> >> > > community at large? I'd wager that 90% or better using
> >> > Dynamips for
> >> > > CCIE study have sufficient experience w/ real HW to know
> >> > which side
> >> > > the power switch is on.
> >> > & gt;
> >> > > Do you think you'll normally have physical access to all of
> >> > the
> >> > > routers on which you are expected to perform your work? If
> >> > you
> >> > > require that to do your job, are you effective?
> >> > >
> >> > > Recall that this is real IOS -- not some training
> >> > simulator. So the
> >> > > chassis, the power supply, the interface cards, etc. are
> >> > lacking in
> >> > > your CCIE lab, where you are intensely focused on subtle
> >> > protocol
> >> > > interplay. So? Can you even touch the HW during the CCIE
> >> > practical
> >> > > exam?
> >> > >
> >> > > I have posted this as recently as a few hours ago on the
> >> > professional
> >> > > board:
> >> > >
> >> > > "I have now been dealing with Dynamips since (roughly) Dec
of
> >> > last
> >> > > year. I generally trust it (yes, bugs now and then and even
> >> > the
> >> > > occasional crash, but can IOS itself claim otherwise?) and
> >> > actually
> >> > > prefer it over real hardware for a couple of reasons:
> >> > >
> >> > > 1. Recabling a HW lab takes longer than launching a new .net
> >> > file. I
> >> > > keep every .net file I've ever created, along with all of
the
> >> > router
> >> > > NVRAM files, etc. Modifying one lab for another purpose gets
> >> > easier
> >> > > and easier as your collection grows. Take good notes on why
> >> > you
> >> > > created a given environment and your results. This becomes a
> >> > highly
> >> > > valuable reference resource when you've grown a little fuzzy
> >> > on some
> >> > > details of a prior battle.
> >> > >
> >> > > 2. The capture function of Dynagen is killer. Definitely
> >> > beats debug
> >> > > output when you're really trying to understand what's going
> >> > on under
> >> > > the hood. If you're proficient w/ Wireshark or any other PA
> >> > that can
> >> > > open a .cap file, this is a "ki ller app" for sur e."
> >> > >
> >> > > Dynamips is nothing short of revolutionary for
understanding,
> >> > > troubleshooting, prototyping, and generally poking and
> >> > prodding
> >> > > network-related protocols. It has some limitations, yet in
> >> > its
> >> > > infancy. Know those and live with them. And then leverage a
> >> > tool
> >> > > that can only be bested by some seriously deep pockets...
> >> > >
> >> > > Regards,
> >> > >
> >> > > Scott
> >> > >
> >> > > -------- Original MessageGr --------
> >> > > Subject: Virtual CCIE's?
> >> > > From: "Gregory Gombas" < ggombas@gmail.com>
> >> > > Date: Mon, August 20, 2007 6:19 pm
> >> > > To: "Cisco certification" <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
> >> > >
> >> > > Guys,
> >> > >
> >> > > I was checking out Dynamips and its pretty cool and all,
> >> > but it
> >> > > does
> >> > > worry me a little bit....
> >> > >
> >> > > How will employers view the CCIE certification after
> >> > they've been
> >> > > burned by hiring a CCIE who has never touched a real router
> >> > in
> >> > > their
> >> > > life?
> >> > >
> >> > > Do you like the idea of a pilot flying your plane whose
> >> > only
> >> > > training
> >> > > was with a virtual flight simulator?
> >> > >
> >> > > ; I remember the days when the MCSE was a hot cert until an
> >> > army of
> >> > > paper CCIE's hit the job market.
> >> > >
> >> > > Maybe they won't call it a paper CCIE, maybe they'll coin a
> >> > new
> >> > > term
> >> > > like virtual CCIE.
> >> > >
> >> > > Just food for thought...
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> >
> >>
> >> ______________________________________________________________
> >> _________
> >> > > Subscription information may be found at:
> >> > > http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> >
> >>
> >> ______________________________________________________________
> >> _________
> >> > > Subscription information may be found at:
> >> > > http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >> ______________________________________________________________
> >> _________
> >> > Subscription information may be found at:
> >> > http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >> ______________________________________________________________
> >> _________
> >> > Subscription information may be found at:
> >> > http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
> >>
> >>
> >> ______________________________________________________________
> >> _________
> >> Subscription information may be found at:
> >> http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
> >>
> >>
> >> ______________________________________________________________
> >> _________
> >> Subscription information may be found at:
> >> http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
> >>
> >> ______________________________________________________________
> >> _________
> >> Subscription information may be found at:
> >> http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
> >
> >
_______________________________________________________________________
> > Subscription information may be found at:
> > http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
>
>
_______________________________________________________________________
> Subscription information may be found at:
> http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
_______________________________________________________________________
Subscription information may be found at:
http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Sep 01 2007 - 11:32:12 ART