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Cisco Live 2012 Recap

Fryguy — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:15:00 +0000

Well, the time for Cisco Live 2012 has come and it has gone. I have now been home a few days and have almost recovered, I said almost recovered. Cisco Live is a long week for anyone, there are endless after-hour “meetings” that occur with different vendors; there is the World of Solutions that you can spend endless time in collecting spiff and learning about vendor products; there is the John Chambers CCIE/CCDE NetVet reception and the CCIE Party, the CAE, etc etc etc. Add all that together and add in a 3 hour time zone difference (for me at least), and it takes a few days for the body and mind to recover. Tom, being his normal self, already has his post done at NetworkingNerd – guess that is what happens when you take a few days off! 🙂
Well, now it is time for a nice recap of the week and its associated events, as well as the highlights.

Cisco Live 2012 – San Diego – Tweetups!

Fryguy — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:59:45 +0000

Wow! Time seems to be moving fast, so fast in fact that Cisco Live is just three weeks away! Recently Tom over at Networking Nerd posted Cisco Live 2012 – The Place To Be Social on his blog about some of the social gatherings that are planned. His post on this is very good and you should definitely read it, but I did want to share some information as well. Tom is also maintaining a Cisco Live 2012 Twitter list – you should check it out and see who is coming, and if you are on Twitter, your name is on it!
Like Tom said, last year’s Cisco Live was probably one of the best Cisco Live events in a long time. The whole event was wonderful, from the opening of the show, to the Customer Appreciation Event, and the Closing guest speaker of William Shatner. Yet beyond all of that, the think that the real success of last year’s event has to go to the Social Aspect that the twitter verse people that brought with their attendance. It was not something that was planned, it was something that more of just happened. We had a Tom’s Corner – as we call it – right outside of WoS that we all gathered at between classes. It was a place that many of us met personally for the first time, yet knew each other because of all the communication that has happened via social media leading up to the event.

Cisco Live Attendee Expectations

Fryguy — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:00:56 +0000

A few months ago (wow, has it been that long) I did a post on Cisco Live 2011 – Why you should go… and wanted to now follow that up with what you should expect while you are there as well as what you should bring with you. If this is your first time I hope that this helps, if this is your 2nd, 3rd, etc time – please post in the comments with suggestions. Each and every one of us experiences the event a little different, so sharing is always helpful and appreciated.
What do you need to bring with you for this event and what should you do to prepare? Pack a good size suitcase and leave room! You have the chance to get so many shirts, bags, whiz bangs, and other nick-knacks at World of Solutions you will need the space. Not to mention if you shop at the Cisco Store there and get shirts, books, golf balls, pens, etc – you will need a place to take all that stuff back with you. The first few years I would up shipping things back, and that does get expensive real quick!

CCIE Lab at Cisco Live 2011

Fryguy — Sat, 28 May 2011 21:26:14 +0000

There was some quick conversation on Twitter this morning about the CCIE Lab being available during Cisco Live 2011. Well, after some digging around I was able to find a copy of the ad that talks about the availability of the lab. Based on what the ad says, seats are available on July 9th and July 10th only. This lab can only be scheduled via the Cisco Live registration site, below are the instructions on how to schedule.
I have to say that this is a long time coming, and lets hope they continue this with – say – the CCDE!?!? It does not say what CCIE labs will be available, and my best guess would be R&S only at this time.
UPDATE – 5/31 – It is my understanding (from a beautiful source) that the following CCIE Labs will be available:

Cisco Live 2011 – Why you should go. . .

Fryguy — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:06:30 +0000

Well, it is almost that time a year when all the “Networkers” get together at the annual Cisco Live event. It is still a few months away when I am writing this – but as we all know – time slows down for no one. I wanted to take a few moments and share with you why I attend as well as why you should consider attending. Please keep in mind that my experience is a bit different from the normal attendee as I am considered a NetVet as well as a CCIE, and being that we get a few additional perks during the event.

LACP Configuration and multi-chassis Etherchannel on Nexus 7000 with vPC, Part 2 of 2

Fryguy — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 23:47:25 +0000

This is the second part in a two part post on Etherchannel on the
Nexus 7000.  In the first part I covered how to configure vPC on
the Nexus 7000, here I will cover what it takes to get a remote
switch to uplink to the Nexus 7000 core switches using
vPC/Multi-chassis etherchannel.
Here is a diagram depicting the layout that we are using.  For
this part of the post, we will focus on the blue line that is
connecting both Nexus switches to the 3750 Stack.

On the Cisco 3750 switches (they are in a stack configuration of
two switches) we need to configure the interface to be in a
channel-group - for this example Iam using Channel-Group 6
(the switch is actually named StackSwitch06). What you will
also notice is that you configure the 3750 Stack just like it
was only connected to one switch, just one single port-channel
that consists of all the ports connected to both Nexus switches.
For this example we are using ports G1/0/1, G1/0/24, G2/0/1,
and G2/0/24. One thing I want to mention, when you are thinking
about your uplinks to your core switches, be aware of the switch
ASIC layout.  I say this because I have seen many times when
companies use ports 23 and 24 to uplink to a core switch.
The problem with this is that:
 1) The same ASIC is probably controlling both ports, and if
    it goes bad your links to the switch are gone and your
    switch is also isolated.
 2) You have a better chance of oversubscribing the ASIC
    before the uplink when utilization is high on the channel.
Now, onto the configuration, first up the Cisco 3750s.
    interface GigabitEthernet 1/0/1
     description [----[ Uplink to N7K1 - E9/10 ]----]
     switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
     switchport mode trunk
     channel-group 6 mode active
    interface GigabitEthernet1/0/24
     description [----[ Uplink to N7K2 - E9/10 ]----]
     switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
     switchport mode trunk
     channel-group 6 mode active
    interface GigabitEthernet 2/0/1
     description [----[ Uplink to N7K1 - E10/10]----]
     switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
     switchport mode trunk
     channel-group 6 mode active
    interface GigabitEthernet2/0/24
     description [----[ Uplink to N7K2 - E10/10]----]
     switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
     switchport mode trunk
     channel-group 6 mode active
    
Once the interfaces are assigned to the channel-group, we
can configure the etherchannel on the Cisco 3750s. Notice
that there is no vPC info nor anything else that says this
is connected to two switches.
     interface Port-channel6
      switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
      switchport mode trunk

Now, on the Nexus side we need to do some configurations
as well. Both Nexus switches are also configured the same,
so there are no differences in the switch configs.
     interface Ethernet9/10
       description [----[ StackSwitch6-1 ]----]
       switchport
       switchport mode trunk
       channel-group 6 mode active
       no shutdown



     interface Ethernet10/10
       description [----[ StackSwitch6-1 ]----]
       switchport
       switchport mode trunk
       channel-group 6 mode active
       no shutdown
Now, when it comes to configuring the etherchannel on the Nexus
switches, is is configured the same except for the addition of
a vPC identifier. I recommend using the same number that you used
for the port-channel for easy identification, but that is up to you.
   interface port-channel6
     description [----[ LACP EtherChannel for StackSwitch6 ]----]
     switchport
     switchport mode trunk
     vpc 6

Once you have it configured on the Nexus, make sure it is up and
in the vPC correctly.        

     N7K1# sh int port-channel 6  
     port-channel6 is up
     vPC Status: Up, vPC number: 6
     Hardware: Port-Channel, address: 5475.d04f.1165 (bia 5475.d04f.1165)  
     Description: [----[ LACP EtherChannel for RackSwitch6 ]----]   
     Members in this channel: Eth9/10, Eth10/10  
     N7K1#
Once you have confirmed that all is working correctly, you can
check out the StackSwitch spanning tree information: 

     StackSwitch06#sh spanning-tree interface port-channel 6 
     Vlan             Role Sts Cost      Prio.Nbr Type
     ---------------- ---- --- --------- -------- --------------------------------
     VLAN0001         Root FWD 3         128.656  P2p
     VLAN0002         Root FWD 3         128.656  P2p
     VLAN0003         Root FWD 3         128.656  P2p
     VLAN0004         Root FWD 3         128.656  P2p
     VLAN0005         Root FWD 3         128.656  P2p
     StackSwitch06#
You will see that even though you are connected to two switches,
the port-channel is seen as a single spanning-tree
path to the root.

Cisco Live 2010 – Day 4

Fryguy — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:24:37 +0000

Well, day 4 has begun for me here at Cisco Live 2010. My first class today is Keeping Your Sanity in a Virtual World with Nexus 1000v. This was an intermediate type class (2000 series) and was actually pretty good. It was not too technical (perfect for a first class after CCIE party) but just right if you want information and ammunition to move to the Nexus 1000v for a vm setup.
This press has some information that I will be sharing when I get back to the office and will try to push to the server guys. This solves the problems of who owns and controls the network in a vm setup. I am actually thinking about the appliance, Nexus 1010v, as that had a good overall solution for everyone. Not only that, but it also takes away the argument that the switch will take away server resources on the clusters.
See what happens, you never know. But regardless, i would love to pull out all the switches that we have for the vm network today.

Cisco Live Day 2 and Day 3 recap

Fryguy — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:52:10 +0000

Well, the days continue to tick away here at Cisco Live 2010.
Day 2 was rather uneventful to be honest, it is basically a day of classes and then the opening of World of Solutions (WoS). World of solutions is where all the vendors get together and try to get you to listen to a sales pitch for perhaps some free trinkets. At one time I would have listened just to get the free stuff, but I have learned over time that what you get is usually not worth the time.
The one nice thing about when WoS opens is that the Cisco store here opens as well. The Cisco Store is nice as you have an opportunity to purchase Cisco Press books at a discount as well as trinkets that you can bring back to co-workers. They also have shirts and other gear, so it all depends on what you are looking for.
Day 3 was the keynote from John Chambers, that is almost worth the price of admission itself. John is a person that is very good in front of an audience, he knows how to get them engaged and walks around and does eye-to-eye communication with people. He does not stay on stage and just speak, he engages.
During the keynote they always demo cutting edge technology, and this year was no different. On Day 3 they announced the Cisco Cius – a tablet type computer for a connected world. Here is a video to the ad and demo what was given at Live – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEk2MI4ZGlQ&feature=related
The Cius is an android based tablet, so it is based on open standards and code. This device has some great potential for education, home-office workers, as well as anyone who is a road-warrior as it is WiFi/3G/4G capable.
Also on Day 3 is the CCIE/DE NetVet reception with John Chambers. This is an invitation only event open to Cisco Live NetVets who hold a valid CCIE/CCDE certification. (A NetVet is a person who has attended as least 3 of the past 5 Cisco Live conferences. ) During this reception there is wonderful finger food as well as drinks in abundance. What makes this event wonderful is that it is an open forum between the NetVets and John where anything can be asked. There where may good questions asked from Partner relations with regards to Advanced Services; hardware lead-time issues; futures of the Certification Track (future CCIE tracks a well as perhaps something more advanced); to even the future of John’s role with Cisco.
To end out Day 3 for those who have CCIE/CCDE certifications was a part at Rio at the VooDoo lounge. Cisco reserved the lounge from 8pm to 11pm for the private party. Food was wonderful, alcohol flowed, and mingling was great. It is a chance to meet some of the more prestigious certification holders as well as see friends from last year that you sometimes do not get a chance to run across.

Cisco Live 2010 – Day 1 – CCDE

Fryguy — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:57:10 +0000

Ok, so it is actually Day 2 of Live but I wanted to recap on the CCDE Techtorial that I took. I will not give it all away, but want to cover the highlights for those who are studying or planning to test. I will disclose that i am interested in this cert and may pursue it next year, hence the reason that I chose to sit the class.
The CCDE class was called – TECCCDE-8005 – CCDE: The Cisco Certified Design Expert. The presenters where Mosaddaq Turabi, Russ White, and Bill Parkhurst.
If you are not familiar with the CCDE, it is similar in certification level to the CCIE but focused on the design track. It is the natural progression from CCDA -> CCDP -> CCDE whereas the CCIE is CCNA -> CCNP -> CCIE. It is not above or below the IE, but viewed as an equal-level certification.
The CCDE certification consists of a pre-qualification written just like CCIE. You do not need to have any other certification if you want to pursue CCDE – and that is just like the CCIE as well. If you think that you can pass the pre-qual, go for it!
Since it was mentioned in the class, I will briefly cover what they said about the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr). If you wish to pursue that certification, you must have a CCDE in order to apply for the certification. That certification is not a test per-se, but more of a real-world scenario that you need to address. It is still infrastructure focused but is more focused on business requirements, long-term architecture, budgets, dealing with internal business conflicts, as well as your communication skills. Out of all of that, the communication skills may be the most difficult to deal with. They look at both verbal and written skills. The fee for this certification is $15,000.00. Here is a link to the CCAr on Cisco – http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/cisco_certified_architect/index.html
Now, back to the CCDE stuff. I will skip info on the written as Cisco has the best info on that. http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/ccde/index.html One comment I will make is the study material for the pre-qual. One of the recommended readings was the CCDE Quick Reference Guide from Cisco Press. http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=1587058391 It is in PDF only via CiscoPress.
So, let’s get on with the practical information now.
When it comes to the practical they said that you should take what you know, keep that in mind, but read what the customer is saying. If you know that there is no box that can filter MPLS traffic but the customer says they have a box that can, assume the customer is right. Look at what they are trying to do and design to that. You should not necessarily design to best-practice methods that you have already done, but try to design to what the customer is asking.
The SRND guides that Cisco produces are good to review and understand. You should be able to read them, understand the technologies, and they figure out the how and why the solutions was done. Things like that can help you on the practical.
You need to be able to “listen” to their request, figure out what they are asking, and then know what questions to ask based on the information that provided. You will be presented with questions and answers that you might need to choose from. Like what additional information would you need in order to work on a solution. There may be some red-herrings thrown in to make you second guess yourself, so be confident on what you are doing. Trust yourself.
There is also extraneous information that you are provided and need to know how to filter it out. You are able to “highlight” on the test via software, so be sure to do that when you come across important information. Also know that there is info to ignore, so don’t get too bogged down in the details. You are not supposed to build the best network, but build the best network based on the requirements.
Understand underlying technologies. Stuff like how does QoS work with tunnels? If you create a tunnel, will Qos still work on the traffic? What tunnel will allow you to do this? Not the how to configure it, but what will do what.
There are two IGPs that you will see – OSPF and EIGRP. You will see BGP and ISIS as well, but they will be add-ons to an existing network and not a primary underlying protocol. Know how to merge networks or split them apart. What happens if a business spins off?
There are 4 work models that you are testing on. Merge/Divest — Add a service — Scaling — Replacing a technology. Within those work models you will get either a design and deploy or a design and failure scenario. When it comes to failures and such, fix the problem rooted in the design. ID it and design a fix.
You will get at least two design scenarios and at least 1 failure scenario to work on. The BGP and ISIS parts may appear on more than work model, but you will get them. And be aware, BGP will probably be somewhat in-depth as well. Also be aware that IPV6 will/may be on there. And more likely than not, it will be an additive to an existing network – think tunnels 🙂
Now there are some changes coming to the practical in the future. The CCDE practical will be split into two platforms each consisting of two work models. The first platform must be completed in the morning before lunch. There is a timer so you will know how much time you have left, but this must be completed before lunch. This is being done for two reasons 1) probably easier on the testing center with regards to lunch 2) Candidates can sit together for lunch and talk. The current testing model you need to eat lunch alone as you do now know what candidate is where in the test. This is a nice way to maintain the integrity of the test if yo ask me.
That split-platform is not implemented yet, but is something they are working on.
That covers most of the highlights of the session. There was other things discussed but those are probably too risky to share outside of the session. I just covered what most people already knew and they just confirmed.

Cisco Live 2010 – Day 1

Fryguy — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:46:34 +0000

Well, the first day of Cisco Live is now in the books for me. There have been a few bumps and scrapes on the first day, but all-in-all I would call it a success.
What problems did we encounter on the first day? Well, it seems as that some of the support staff was not sure of times and hours as well as where the registration line was. Minor things there, and to be honest that is expected on the first day. Most of them are locals who have not worked this conference before and need to get familiar with everything as well.
Another problem that we experienced was wireless. The CiscoLive SSID was not working for the first hour or so of class. Not sure what happened, but they did get it fixed quickly and we where back up and running. What was impressive about the wireless was the speed, there was no problems there at all. I ran a speed-test report and was pulling 13megs on my iPad.

The rest of the day was uneventful, which is a good thing. My CCDE class was wonderful – Russ White was one of the presenters for the class. If you do not know of Russ, you know of his work. He is one of the people who have written CCIE labs for probably all tracks, the CCDE tests, as well as I am sure he is part of the CCA board. Russ is an ubergeek without question.
The rest of the night, well lets just say if you see my tweets on Twitter, you know we had a good time. And that is the other part about Cisco Live that some people seem to miss. It is a chance and a time to meet new friends, have a good time, and enjoy renewing friendships from previous years.
Later on I will try to blog some excerpts from my classes, especially the 8-hour CCDE one that I took on Sunday.