Introduction

We have been exactly where you are now. We read countless theory books and worked through the few practical ones available that generally tackled subjects in isolation, but there was something key missing in our study planthis book. We wrote this book to fill the study void and show you what it is like to actually take the CCIE exam. While we cannot offer you exactly what you will find in your own exam, we can take you as close as possible without breaking strict Cisco NDA policy.

The CCIE program has been running for 10 years and only 3 percent of certified individuals go on to attempt the CCIE, let alone pass it. The majority of candidates that take the exam fail at the first attempt because they are not fully prepared. They generally find to their own cost that their study plan did not match what was expected of them in the exam. By the time you complete this book, you will know if you have what it takes to become CCIE qualified. You might find that you have some additional work to do, but do not be disheartened as you will be far better prepared in the long run.

Objectives

The purpose of this book is twofoldthe primary reason being to evaluate your technical ability to demonstrate if you are ready to take the CCIE Lab examination. The secondary purpose is to show you what you can expect in terms of format from the examination by taking away the mystery of the exam. This book will help prepare you for your big day by coaching you. It will improve your technical knowledge, speed, and your ability to analyze questions successfully. You will be guided through six full-blown labs that are as close as you can get to the real thing, and you will be using the same equipment running the same IOS level as found in the lab. You will need to be strict with yourself to get the maximum benefit from these practice labs. You will have to treat them as if you were taking the real exam.

Audience

This book is primarily aimed at CCIE Routing and Switching candidates who have previously passed the CCIE written examination and are about to schedule their practical exam. The common format and content ensure that other CCIE track candidates will also benefit from these practice exams. This book can also be used by network engineers looking for a challenge and testing the waters to see if they feel capable of taking the CCIE exam for real in the future. CCIEs who are due for recertification will also benefit from this book by using it as a practical revision tool to reinforce the theory with which they are already conversant.

All readers of this book are assumed to have attained a solid understanding of networking theory. Cisco Press offers the following titles, which should be considered if readers require detailed theory or further information:

• Routing TCP/IP, Volumes I and II, Jeff Doyle and Jennifer DeHaven CarrollCisco Press

• Internet Routing Architectures, Second Edition, Sam HalibiCisco Press

• IP Quality of Service, Srinivas VegesnaCisco Press

• Cisco LAN Switching, Kennedy Clark, Kevin HamiltonCisco Press

• CCIE Practical Studies, Volumes I and II, Karl Solie and Leah LynchCisco Press

Organization

This book has six full-blown lab exercises and is split into two main parts:

• Part 1: Chapters 13, covering Lab Exercises 1 through 3, have been created using one distinct equipment topology with one switch.

• Part 2: Chapters 46, covering Lab Exercises 4 through 6, have been created using a different topology and introducing an additional switch.

Each chapter consists of the following components:

• Pre-lab tasks You will be guided through the requirements for each lab including physical cabling, Frame Relay, ATM, and ISDN instructions and finally IP address details, which should be entered before the lab commences.

• General Guidelines Here you will find the specific instructions and rules for each lab exercise.

• Practice Lab The timed examination with the questions and points rating for each topic.

• Ask the Proctor You will find clues to the questions should you require them.

• Lab Debrief Each question will be analyzed detailing the required answers along with point ratings to gain an overall score for your lab.

• How did you do? A post-lab evaluation with further reading references.

In addition, the three appendixes provide details on the following topics:

• Appendix A, "Frame Relay Switch Configuration"

• Appendix B, "LS1010 ATM Switch Configuration"

• Appendix C, "Troubleshooting Tips"

Finally, the book is accompanied by a CD-ROM, which contains initial configurations on a per chapter basis for loading onto your routers and switches and the final configurations you can load onto your equipment for testing and verification purposes.

You should work through these lab exercises sequentially, paying particular attention to the instructions and lab guidelines. Like the real exam, each lab has an eight-hour time constraint. Do not run over the time limit on the initial run through but do use all eight hours. Then see how you have done with the aid of the supplied debrief section that will walk you through the questions and supply you with the required configuration and points score. You should use the "Ask the Proctor" section for clues if you are having difficulties but try not to use this too often. Plot your progress throughout the book and see how you improve. After you have completed a lab under exam conditions, go through the questions in your own time and experiment. Look at the clues, take the time to research any topics with which you are not familiar, and get to a point where you are comfortable with each lab before moving on. Each chapter concludes with a "How Did You Do?" section where you will find a post-lab evaluation and further reading details for the topics that may require attention.

As you will find in the "Are You Ready Section?" do not be afraid to change your lab date if you have already booked it and you find you have more work to do. It is better to take the exam one or two months later after you have discovered your weaknesses and turned them into your strengths. This is ultimately how you will pass the hardest examination this industry has ever known.

Are You Ready?

This became a well-known Cisco Systems slogan that identified the Internet revolution. By the end of this book you should know if you are ready. Will you feel confident working through the labs or will it be a complete shock to the system? Are you more used to being spoon fed solitary scenarios than actually having to analyze questions and piece together parts of a complex network jigsaw puzzle?

Life is full of challenges. During your education and career, the CCIE Certification is as tough as it gets. The exam is designed to test your technical skills, your understanding and analysis of complex topologies, and your capacity to build a network with IP routing protocols and features. Problems might occur during the exam that you will need to rectify, and you only have eight hours to achieve a minimum score of 80 percent to pass. You will be well prepared to take the real exam when you have achieved 90 percent in eight hours for each one of the six labs. It pays to ensure you are ready to take this challenge.

Preparing for the Exam

The preparation for the Routing and Switching Lab Exam involves immense training and study, including at least two years' experience in designing, implementing, and troubleshooting medium to large networks, mostly containing Cisco hardware and software. The years of experience along with the theory and concepts you gained from training will give you the building blocks required to take the exam. This book is the icing on the cake and the final stage of your study program. Follow our tips to ensure you are fully prepared for your big day.

• Look at http://www.cisco.com/go/ccie for the latest information regarding the CCIE Certification, including suggested training and reading

• Keep your schedule flexible during your preparation. Include time for breaks and relaxation, you will often find that five minutes away from the keyboard can help you consider possible solutions. Most importantly do not forget the people you care for and make time for them also.

• Build your study plan based on a balance between theory and practice. You need to understand the concepts through the theory and then consolidate this during your rack time.

• Begin with simple topics in isolation and then work up to complex lab scenarios. Spend as much time repeating your configurations as possible to improve your speed and ability to perform basic configurations with your eyes shut. This will save you time for when you need it during the exam.

• Explore the Cisco CD documentation or the URL http://www.cisco.com/univercd/home/home.htm. This will be your research lifeline during the exam where you can find information, concepts, and samples regarding all technologies involved in the exam.

• Start to plan for your exam at least six months before the lab date. This will ensure you have sufficient time to come up with a sound plan, which will help alleviate stress.

• If you find this book has highlighted weak areas, do not be afraid to postpone your lab date. Cisco is very accommodating with dates since the change to the one-day format.

We believe if you keep these tips in mind, you will be ready to take the Routing and Switching Lab Exam with confidence.

What Else Do You Need to Do?

We tried to fit within the six labs the greatest variety of topics to guide you to all possible content that can be found within the real Routing and Switching Lab Exam. We have included all possible sections that you will find on the real exam, but unfortunately we could not cover all features and subjects of the program because of the size of the content and the strict NDA. In addition to taking and passing all six labs found in the book, you should consider exploring in further detail the following subjects:

• Frame Relay configuration

• 3550 switch configuration

• ATM PVC and SVC configuration

• IP Routing Protocol: RIP V2, EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS

• IBGP and EBGP

• IP multicast

• Security

• IP and IOS features

• DLSw over Ethernet

• Voice over IP

Practice all these subjects exploring different scenarios and features.

How Can I Schedule My CCIE Lab Exam?

As stated previously, go to http://www.cisco.com/go/ccie, and you will find all information on how to schedule your exam including locations, start times, and more. You must have a CCO user ID, your CCIE written exam date, and score to be able to view your profile and schedule your exam.

The Day Before…

If you are traveling to take your exam, try to arrive the day before to familiarize yourself with the area. Take a tour to the lab location, so you will not be late on the day; the last thing you need is to arrive flustered. The day before is a day to relax and not stress with last minute studies. Have a light dinner, go to bed early, and try to have a good night's sleep. Most importantly, save the beer until after the exam, pass or fail you will feel like one or two for sure. If you are taking the exam in Brussels, you will be spoiled for choice!

What Actually Happens During the Exam?

On the day of the exam, you should plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the exam begins for registration. The proctor will walk you to the lab and will give you a briefing before the exam starts telling you about the lab environment, on which rack or station you will be working, and the general guidelines for the day.

The proctor will not discuss solutions or possible solutions for a given question with you. The proctor will be available to help you understand the wording or meaning of the questions; make sure the backbone routers, ISDN switches, and Frame Relay switches are working properly; and the hardware and software on your rack are working perfectly so your exam runs smoothly. Ask the proctor for any assistance or verification, the worst he or she can say is, "Sorry everything looks okay from my side, please check your configuration." Read the entire exam before you start to see the bigger picture ensuring you fully understand each question and its requirements. Begin by performing easier tasks, leaving the most difficult to later. Take some small breaks during the morning and the afternoon to refresh yourself and to relieve the stress.

What If I Fail?

Do not worry and do not take it personallymost people fail the first time around. You will have to chalk it up to experience and get back on your kit as soon as you can to work out what went wrong. You will more than likely be successful next time around and will ultimately become a better engineer for your extra rack time.

We hope the book and these tips will be helpful and guide you to take your exam with success. Good luck and, if you do pass, we know you will be looking in the CCIE store. Just please think twice before buying that leather jacket.