certification

CCNP - BCMSN Next!

Hi folks, so I’m almost done preparing for the BCMSN exam which is part of the CCNP certification. The exam is called Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks. I’ve already written the routing one and this is the next one on my list.

These Cisco exams are pretty tough and sure take a lot out of you but with enough practice and preparation you should be able to do them. I find that using simulators and real equipment (real world experience) helps a ton to pass these exams. A combination of both is just great.

After the BCMSN is done I will only have two more exams left to get my CCNP and then it will be on to my CCIE training. Right now I’m just focusing on passing the CCNP but if anyone has any good suggestions for CCIE training feel free to post and let me know. I know everything is changing this year with the CCIE in October I believe,  so there probably won’t be as much study material out there for it as there is for the current CCIE.

-RP

My first CCNP exam is coming up soon - BSCI 642-901

Hi folks, so my first exam is coming up soon, exam # 642-901 otherwise known as BSCI - Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks. Rumour has it that this exam is at least 10 times harder than the other 3 exams in the CCNP series so it’s going to be interesting.

Some of the things I’ve been really focusing on in the exam are BGP, IPV6 and multicast as those are my weak points. The exam guide on the Cisco web site states that they can quiz you on anything from EIGRP and OSPF, to IS-IS. I feel fairly comfortable with EIGRP, OSPF and IS-IS which is why i’m focusing on BGP, multicast and IPV6. Those are 3 areas I haven’t had as much experience in as the other stuff.

I built a lab at home out of some of my equipment to help me test stuff out. I also rented rack time through the Bryant Advantage. The question is will this be enough for me to pass? I sure hope so! We’ll see if my focus yields the results I want. Stay tuned!

-RP

IPV6 and what it means to you

So after all this training at Boson for the CCNP, I have come out of there with a lot of Cisco knowledge bouncing around in my head. Over the next little while you will see me blogging about a lot of things Cisco related as that is what I’m currently working with a lot and also preparing for exam-wise.

One of the things that is prominent in my CCNP training is IPV6. As most of you know the problem witih IPV4 is that we are quickly running out of IPV4 addresses. We will probably run out of addresses between the years 2011 to 2012. That is not that far away. Companies need to seriously start thinking about how to address these issues now.

Luckily Cisco is one of the companies that has actually forseen this as an issue and has taken the pro-active step to include IPV6 training in their certifications. I commend them for that and realistically how could they not when their routers are largely responsible for running a good chunk of the Internet’s network.

Already desktop operating systems are giving you the ability to setup IPV6. I encourage you to setup some test labs and try it out. I find that a lot of people are afraid of it because they are not familiar with it. But if you take some time to sit down and learn it, it’s actually not that bad.

-RP

Writing the latest version of the VCP

So some time in February I’m getting set to write the latest version of the VCP. I figured it’s time to get that out of the way.

I work with VMware so often it should be a pretty straightforward exam I figure. From what I hear there are a lot of questions regarding very specific requirements or answers as opposed to case study type questions. From the sounds of it it’s more of a memorization certification than a real test of VMware knowledge.

I will write the exam and then let you guys know my thoughts on it. Sometimes I wish these companies would just make the exams harder so not just anyone can get them as I’ve ranted about in the past. From the sounds of things the VCP exam should be a joke.

-RP