1.3 Juniper Networks Education Services | Juniper Networks Reference Guide: JUNOS Routing, Configuration, and Architecture: JUNOS Routing, Configuration, and Architecture

Until recently, Juniper Networks only offered a set of minimodules that together lasted a total of 5 days. This initial course was thus referred to collectively as the Five-Day Bundle. As a starting point, it was not bad, but the needs of the customers soon outgrew this course offering.

During the later half of 2001, Juniper Networks began releasing a whole new curriculum. The new courses provide customers with a complete education and knowledge-development track for Juniper Networks products. The full curriculum begins with introductory networking information and progresses to advanced subjects, such as MPLS and firewalls. If you want to see the latest educational offerings, as these are subject to change, go to the Juniper Web site at www.juniper.net/support/training.

Then, in late 2001, Juniper Networks Education altered their curriculum again and returned to a week of training that is made up of two courses: Introduction to Juniper Networks Routers 1 and 2.

Introduction to Juniper Networks Routers 1 (3 days)
Introduction to Juniper Networks Routers 2 (2 days)
Advanced MPLS
Advanced VPN Workshop
Advanced Policy

These courses are now available at Juniper Networks Knowledge Centers across the globe (the locations are listed later in this chapter). Since many people are familiar with the Cisco curriculum, Table 1-1 provides a rough mapping of equivalent Cisco courses. Juniper Networks recommends that students follow their curriculum using the course path shown in Figure 1-2 to develop their knowledge and prepare for Juniper Networks certification.

Figure 1-2. Juniper Networks Curriculum Path

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Table 1-1. Comparison of Juniper Networks and Cisco Courses

Juniper Networks Curriculum	Cisco Curriculum
Introduction to Juniper Networks Routers 1 and 2	Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices (ICND) and Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks (BSCI)
Advanced MPLS	Avanced MPLS VPN Solutions
Advanced VPN Workshop
Advanced Policy	No equivalent course ^[1]
Class of Service (not released yet)	Unknown

^[1] An equivalent course would cover Cisco access-control-list (ACL) development and deployment in depth.

The Juniper Networks Web site is a good source for any new information or changes. It can also help you decide whether these courses will help prepare you for the Juniper Networks Certified Internet Specialist (JNCIS) and Juniper Networks Certified Internet Expert (JNCIE) tests. These courses will not totally prepare you; however, according to Juniper Networks, the "curriculum will increase the student's knowledge plus improve the chances for quicker completion of Juniper Networks Technical Certification Program requirements. None of the courses are required to qualify to take the exams for the certifications" (Juniper Networks Web site, www.juniper.net/training/certification, August 2001). So, although these courses will increase your knowledge and give you insight into the Juniper Networks methodology, they will not, in and of themselves , guarantee that you will pass the exams.

JNIPE = Juniper Networks Instructor Proficiency Exam

It is a 4-day test currently being administered in Amsterdam and Sunnyvale. It has a written component, a practical (lab) component, and two days worth of presenting topics to a review board. If you pass JNIPE then you are given the title of JNAT (Juniper Networks Authorized Trainer).

Anyone wishing to teach the entry level course (IJNR) using Juniper Networks branded courseware, must first pass JNIPE (there are other requirements such as lab access, business case, training and center/partner status). After one passes JNIPE, there are written exams that can be taken for authorization to teach the branded advanced courses such as AJNR, Advanced Policy, and VPNs.

1.3.1 Course Descriptions

The following sections present an overview of each of the courses that Juniper Networks has released as of this writing. The course descriptions reflect many of the advanced topics and attention to detail that the new curriculum has in place. One of the most important reasons for including this information in this book is that Juniper Networks has published a series of stringent prerequisites.

1.3.1.1 Introduction to Juniper Networks Routers 1

Although this class is the beginning of the Juniper Networks Education curriculum, bear in mind that Juniper Networks lists certain expectations on its Web site regarding student knowledge prior to registering for the course (see www.juniper.net/support/training/prerequisites.html). This 3-day course provides an entry-level overview that combines lectures and labs in an instructor-led environment. It is taught by Juniper Networks “certified instructors. The course focuses on Juniper Networks products; however, a discussion of routing protocols is also presented.

1.3.1.2 Introduction to Juniper Networks Routers 2

Before taking this course, students should have solid knowledge of protocol troubleshooting and JUNOS software operation and configuration. There are no official pre requisites for this course, although it is recommended that the student first complete "Introduction to Juniper Networks Routers 1"; keep in mind that Juniper has expectations regarding student knowledge prior to registering for the course (see www.juniper.net/support/training/prerequisites.html). This 2-day course builds on Introduction to Juniper Networks Routers 1, providing additional information and coverage of more advanced topics, such as MPLS, multicast, and firewalls. This course is designed to prepare students for the more advanced courses.

1.3.1.3 Advanced MPLS

The following information is taken directly from the Juniper Networks Web site at www.juniper.net/support/training/EDU-JUN-MPLS.html. Students should be able to configure an internal BGP (IBGP) full mesh without assistance and should have knowledge of static LSP configuration and no-CSPF-signaled LSP configuration to the extent covered in the Juniper Networks Five-Day Bundle. This 3-day course provides a detailed examination of MPLS and how it is implemented in the JUNOS Internet software. The course starts with a review of MPLS, then provides detailed discussions of RSVP, constraint-based routing, and traffic protection. The complexities of implementing LSPs in the network with forwarding adjacencies and traffic engineering are then discussed. Other topics covered are controlling LSP performance through load balancing, IP-LSP prefix binding, the time-to-live (TTL) field, CoS behavior, circuit cross connect (CCC), which makes an LSP look like a Layer 2 circuit, Label Distribution Protocol (LDP), and network management and troubleshooting. All course modules have accompanying labs. The final lab of the course is a troubleshooting exercise in which the student diagnoses and repairs a broken network.

1.3.1.4 Advanced VPN Workshop

The following information is taken directly from the Juniper Networks Web site at www.juniper.net/support/training/EDU-JUN-VPN.html. Students should have taken either the M-Series Router Architecture and Configuration, Trouble shooting with JUNOS software, and JUNOS Routing Policy courses (now replaced by the Internet engineer course) or the Internet engineer course, or they should have the equivalent experience from working with JUNOS Internet software in a production environment. A working knowledge of an interior gateway protocol (IGP) ”OSPF or IS-IS ”and Border Gateway Protocol version 4 (BGP4) is required for the hands-on portions of this course.

This advanced workshop focuses on designing, deploying, and troubleshooting the VPN solutions available in JUNOS software. Day 1 focuses on general MPLS concepts with the intent of preparing students for the following advanced VPN material. After a brief lecture, students will perform key MPLS labs from the existing 2-day JUNOS MPLS course offering. Students who have previously attended the 2-day MPLS workshop should benefit from the review of these important topics and the additional hands-on exposure to the JUNOS software configuration and troubleshooting environment.

Day 2 begins with a standards-based lecture on L2/L3 VPN solutions with emphasis placed on the concepts surrounding 2547bis L3 VPNs. A JUNOS-software-specific module addressing VPN configuration options, scalability issues, and the interpretation of operational mode screen dumps follows the VPN technology primer. VPN troubleshooting methodology is demonstrated throughout the workshop.

The remaining 3 days are spent in the lab with students engaging in a variety of 2547bis configuration and troubleshooting scenarios. Each student team will be in control of its own provider edge (PE) and customer edge (CE) router pairing , with the class sharing three PE routers that make up the provider core .

1.3.2 Juniper Networks Knowledge Centers

Juniper Networks “owned and “operated training centers are known as knowledge centers. At these centers, you can take the courses discussed in this chapter from a Juniper Networks Authorized Instructor (JNAT). JNAT is yet another certification, which deals with the ability to deliver training courses effectively and accurately. The JNAT has an equivalent certification in the Cisco Certified System Instructor (CCSI). As of this printing, there are three locations where you can attend this training:

Herndon, Virginia, USA
Sunnyvale, California, USA
Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Juniper Networks does not currently offer any type of electronic or online learning programs. However, they have expanded slightly the places where you can get training through its Training Partner Program. You can find a listing of training partner program locations on the Juniper Networks Web site at www.juniper.net/contactus.html#education_services. Note that Juniper Networks offers onsite and customized training, on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Juniper Networks directly for assistance and information.

1.3.3 Authorized Education Centers

Juniper Networks' Training Partner Program is currently inactive, according to sources within the company; however, four legacy training partner centers are currently active, all of them international:

Belgium ”Telindus High-Tech Institute (www.thti.telindus.be/homepage/index.asp)
Brazil ”QoS Servi §os (www.qos.com.br/html_ingles/index.htm)
Japan ”Net One Systems Co., Ltd. (www.netone.co.jp/index.html)
United Kingdom ”Telindus K-NET, Ltd. (www.thti-telindus.co.uk/home.htm)

You can also locate this information, centrally , at www.juniper.net/support/training/authorized_education.html.

Ericsson, which has OEM agreements on the entire line of Juniper Networks routers, also offers training for these products. Ericsson has a product unit known as Ericsson IP Infrastructure that has offices in Santa Barbara, California; Rockville, Maryland; Brussels, Belgium; Hong Kong, China; and Stockholm, Sweden. They are not listed as authorized education centers owing to the OEM agreement. They are sold as Ericsson-labeled products.