April 6th 2008: CCIE #20450

Yup, that's right. Cisco's CCIE is now up to "The Number" #20450, at least up until April 6th '08, and counting. Brad Reese reports a resume uploaded to his site by a recent successful CCIE candidate from Cisco Dubai test lab. Another story about Terry Slattery, the "first-true" CCIE i.e. non-Cisco guy. Interestingly, the VP at the time that championed the CCIE program was none other than John Chambers, current Chairman and CEO! Hopefully, i'll slay this lab or that written (and lab, when it's out) before #25000 or #3000...

What's Cisco co-founder - Len Bosack - been up to lately?

Well, 17 years later after leaving Cisco, much, apparently. His new company XKL has in "semi-seclusion" been developing a new product line of fibre-optic switches based on wave division multiplexing which would greatly increase traffic bandwidth.
Some insight.

Great News for F-1 Students Pursuing STEM Degrees

In the previous post I posted a release from the DHS stipulating the program changes in the post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) available to students on the F-1 visa.
This is indeed great news for a couple of reasons:

• Those on OPT can now spend a longer period of time (29 months!) gaining valuable work experience without having to (necessarily) worry about leaving the company after the brief 12 months
• One now has, theoretically, at least two opportunities to apply for the H1-b visa with your current employer
  

It is important to note that this 17-month extension is only for those that have attained (or are currently pursuing) a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM). Check out the previous post to see a description of these degrees.
More to follow...

17-Month Extension of Optional Practical Training for Certain Highly Skilled Foreign Students

April 8, 2008

On April 8, 2008, DHS published the interim final rule that changes several key aspects of F-1 optional practical training (OPT). This is an interim final rule with request for public comment. The rule is effective April 8, 2008. Written comments must be submitted to DHS on or before June 9, 2008.

USCIS reports that it has revised Form I-765 and accompanying instructions and plans to post the new edition April 8, 2008. The revised form I-765 will have additional fields under a new #17 for:

• Education level and Major field of study
  
  • Note: the student will also need to submit a copy of the conferred degree with the application. However, the student will not need to include CIP code on the I-765 as the CIP code will be reflected on the student's new I-20 following the DSO's recommendation for extension.
• Employer name as listed in E-Verify
• E-Verify company identification number of employer (or E-Verify client company identification number of the employer's agent)

Summary of Key Provisions

• OPT extension to 29 months for STEM students. The 12 month limit on F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) will be extended by 17 months, for a total of 29 months, for certain STEM degreeholders (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in the following fields:
  • Actuarial Science. CIP Code 52.1304.
  • Computer Science Applications:
    • CIP Codes 11.xxxx (except Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications, which are CIP Codes 11.06xx)
  • Engineering. CIP Codes 14.xxxx.
  • Engineering Technologies. CIP Codes 15.xxxx.
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences. CIP Codes 26.xxxx.
  • Mathematics and Statistics. CIP Codes 27.xxxx.
  • Military Technologies. CIP Codes 29.xxxx.
  • Physical Sciences. CIP Codes 40.xxxx.
  • Science Technologies. CIP Codes 41.xxxx.
  • Medical Scientist (MS, PhD). CIP Code 51.1401

Specifically excluded from the above codes, however, are all CIP codes ending in xx99, which are "catch-all" categories usually designated by "Other" in the CIP lists. Degrees associated with CIP codes ending in xx99 are not eligible for the 17-month extension.

A full list of CIP Codes is available online at Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2000).

• Other requirements for 17-month extension. Additional requirements for the 17-month extension include:
  
  • Student must be currently participating in a 12-month period of OPT, working for a U.S. employer in a job directly related to the student’s major area of study.
    
  • Student must have successfully completed a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in a field on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List, from a SEVIS-certified college or university.
    
  • Student must have a job offer from an employer registered with the E-Verify employment verification system.
  • The student has not previously received a 17-month OPT extension after earning a STEM degree.
  • The DSO must recommend the 17-month OPT extension in SEVIS, after verifying the student's eligibility, certifying that the student's degree is on the STEM Designated Degree Program List, and ensuring that the student is aware of his or her responsibilities for maintaining status while on OPT.
  • Student will have to apply for the 17-month extension on Form I-765 with fee.
  • Students who timely file an application for the 17-month OPT extension will be able to continue employment while the extension application is pending, until a final decision on the I-765 or for 180 days, whichever comes first.
  • The employer must agree to report the termination or departure of the student to the DSO or through "any other means or process identified by DHS." An employer must consider a worker to have departed when the employer knows the student has left employment, or if the student has not reported for work for a period of 5 consecutive business days without the employer's consent.
  
  
• H-1B cap-gap extension of D/S and work authorization until October 1. Duration of status and work authorization will be extended for a student on OPT, who is the beneficiary of a timely-filed H-1B petition requesting an employment start date of October 1 of the following fiscal year. This would apply to all students on OPT, not just STEM students. The extension of duration of status and work authorization would automatically terminate upon the rejection, denial, or revocation of the H-1B petition filed on the student's behalf.
  
  
• I-765 filing window. Under the current rule, the I-765 must be filed no later than the student's program end date, and it is not specified how soon before the program end date the application can be filed. Under the new rule, a student will be able to file his or her I-765 up to 90 days prior to his or her program end date, and up to 60 days after his or her program end date.
  
  
• Duration of employment authorization
  • Employment authorization will begin on the date requested or the date the employment authorization is adjudicated, whichever is later.
  • Exception: The employment authorization period for the 17-month OPT extension begins on the day after the expiration of the initial post-completion OPT employment authorization, and ends 17 months later, regardless of the date the actual extension is approved.
  
  
• Reporting Requirements while on OPT
  • All students on OPT are required to report to the DSO:
    • any change of name or address, or
    • any interruption of such employment
  • In addition, students with an approved 17-month OPT extension:
    • Must report to the student's DSO within 10 days of any change of:
      • legal name
      • residential or mailing address
      • employer name
      • employer address, and/or
      • loss of employment.
    • Must make a validation report to the DSO every six months starting from the date the extension begins and ending when the student's F-1 status ends, the student changes educational levels at the same school, the student transfers to another school, or the 17-month OPT extension ends, whichever is first. The validation is a confirmation that the student's name and address, employer name and address, and/or loss of employment is current and accurate. The report is due to the DSO within 10 business days of each reporting date.
      
  
  
• Limited Periods of Unemployment to Maintain Status
  • During post-completion OPT, F-1 status is dependent upon employment.
  • Students may not accrue an aggregate of more than 90 days of unemployment during any post-completion OPT carried out under the initial post-completion OPT authorization.
  • Students granted a 17-month OPT extension may not accrue an aggregate of more than 120 days of unemployment during the total 29 month OPT period.
    
  
  
• F-1 students currently in the United States will also be able to take advantage of the rule's new provisions once they become effective.

Source: NAFSA

Barack Obama: On Net Neutrality

Maintaining net neutrality, for those of us that use the internet on a fairly regular basis - for business, blogging etc, is a big deal. It's sometimes referred to as the "First Amendment of the Internet".
So, what is Net Neutrality? Simply put: creating a level playing field on the internet such that data can traverse networks transparently without regard for where data is sent from or heading to or the actual content.
To drive this home, here's a (more simplified!) definition and couple of examples from democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, while on MTV:



While on Candidates@Google, Obama had this to say on the subject and open internet:



To be fair: I checked Hillary's website for any mention on net neutrality and open internet and didn't find any specifics from her Innovation agenda. Let me know if i missed something!
Another aside: I really think this guy is brilliant, and as it stands, has a good chance at leading this nation. He has some great ideas on Technology and Innovation.

Update#1: Check out the Google guide to Net neutrality for more info on this.

#1 Tip for Certification Exam Prep - Schedule Exam Early!

That's right! Registering for your exam early is one of those gems of wisdom that, if practiced, could account for a couple of extra points on your score report. Once you "see" the dollar$ leave your account when you click "Submit" during registration, there's almost like a fire in you seat that makes you want to start doing something... like getting your study plan together, if you've not already.

WHEN should you do it? As soon as you've made up your mind that you're indeed pursuing a Cisco certification to better (and validate) your knowledge in a particular aspect of networking with Cisco gear. By the way, you probably know this, but taking one of these Certifications is one of those decisions you will not regret having taken down the road.

WHY should you do it? Because it definitely keeps you focused and motivated. You realize that you have a finite amount of time to LEARN (emphasis: not cram) all the material, and that what you should be doing is structuring your study around this schedule.

ALSO: Do keep in mind that Cisco and their exclusive testing partner, VUE, have now updated their registration policy, now requiring test centers to collect digital photos and digital signatures as part of the admissions process.
Read about this here.

CCNA Practical Studies, Part III: Rent Cisco Practice Racks

There's a great article on the subject of renting Cisco practice racks from online providers written by David Davis on the subject.
The take-away:
"You don't have to be a network engineer working full-time on high-level Cisco routers to get practical experience with the equipment."
If you're interested in pursuing a Cisco certification or you're hoping to land an IT job that includes managing Cisco networking equipment, you must get hands-on experience with Cisco equipment. It's as simple as that.

Read more..

Exploiting Cisco Routers

Cisco routers are everywhere. In fact, most network architectures are built on Cisco routers. It is because of this ubiquity that security researchers (white-, gray- or black-hat's) look to these boxes for network penetration testing and access.
An (older, but still applicable, sadly) well-written article by Mark Wolfgang for Security Focus highlights exploitation of vulnerabilities and poor configurations in Cisco routers.

Take a read.

CCNA Practical Studies Part 2: Simulation Software

When you are on a tight budget and you want to get your CCNA, software simulators are the way to go. Aside from building your own CCNA lab, one can also rent rack time online, which we will talk about in part 3 of this series.

Here are great alternatives I found:

1. Boson's NetSim for CCNA
   
2. RouterSim's CCNA Network Visualizer
   
3. Dynamips Router emulator
   

Special note: Dynamips is a hardware emulator which allows actual IOS images to be loaded and run on it. It's free, but needs a little extra memory and processing capacity on the host that it runs on. The other two alternatives cost $249 and $229 respectively.
So check them out and your fit.

CCNA Practical Studies Part 1: Build Your Own Home Lab

To really gain hands-on experience with Cisco routers and switches to prepare for the exam, it is recommended to get yourself some actual Cisco routers and switches. What models and how many pieces of equipment you get really depends on your budget. Software simulators are a great convenience but, by their nature, do not allow you to learn-by-practice Layer 1 (Physical layer) fundamentals. The available simulator alternatives will be covered in the second installment of this series.

Routers
One must at least have two routers to begin with. To apply configuration commands and to "see" their effect, for instance, in propagation of routes, population of routing tables, loops etc., reinforces theoretical material learned on the same. Examples of routers that could be used include the Cisco 2501 which has one ethernet port and two serial. This is a cost effective investment since these come cheap on eBay. The Cisco 2514 has two ethernet interfaces for more flexibility. To experiment with more complex configurations one can get more than two routers (especially for frame relay configurations which need at least three routers, one dedicated frame relay switch) and/or use the 2600 series routers which provide modularity. You may notice that the 2600 series has two designations - XM and, I guess, non-XM. The difference between the two is that XM supports LAN trunking and provides 100Mbps ethernet ports; non-XM versions do not, hence cost less.

Switches
Same applies for switches: for one to be able to experiment with and appreciate Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) configuration - in all its flavors - you need at least two switches. In contrast to routers, there are alot more switches out there. Most are layer two switches but there are also several layer three switches on which routing functions can be configured e.g. on the Catalyst 3550. Which would be appropriate for the CCNA? The Catalyst 1900, 2924, 2950 and 3548-XL would be good bets.

Miscellany
Remember to get cables! In general, for same-layer configurations get crossover cables, otherwise straight-through's are needed. Serial cables would also be used for router-router configurations. Also, if you get 2501's with AUI ports remember to get transceivers which convert the ports to ethernet.

Introducing Cisco's Nexus 7000: The Stuff Data Center 3.0's Vision Is About

Cisco recently introduced the Nexus 7000, an enterprise data center switch seen as the successor to the highly successful Catalyst 6500 series switch which has generated over $20 billion in revenue since its debut in the mid-90's. Starting price for the Nexus is at $75,000 although typical configuration runs to $200,000 according to Jayshree Ullal, senior vice president of Cisco's Data Center, Switching and Security Technology Group.

So what exactly is Data Center 3.0?
The SVP explains it this way: data center 1.0 involved centralization of mainframes connecting various terminal-sharing users; data center 2.0 was heralded by client-server computing, a move from a centralized to a distributed system. Data center 3.0, dubbed "recentralization", is the best of 1.0 and 2.0 - server and storage virtualization, highly distributed, yet at the same time centralized in a resilient, real-time and scalable network fabric.

The Need for Speed
The Nexus consists of a modular 10-slot chassis (two supervisors modules, running dual core Intel processors, and 8 interface modules) that promises to deliver "up to 15 terabits per second of switching capacity in a single chassis, supporting up to 512 10-gigabits-per-second (Gbps) Ethernet and future delivery of 40- and 100-Gbps Ethernet".
Okay, so what exactly does that mean? Well, it is claimed to be fast enough to either:

• copy all the searchable Web in less than eight minutes;
• download Wikipedia’s database in 10 milliseconds;
• download 90,000 Netflix movies in less than 40 seconds;
• run 5 million concurrent high-quality videoconferences between New York and San Francisco;
• or send a two-megapixel digital photograph of CEO John Chambers to every human being on earth in 28 minutes.

Good grief!

Operation "Cisco Raider": $76M in Counterfeits

Here's an interesting story I ran into today from the AFP:

"US authorities announced Thursday they had seized more than 76 million dollars' worth of counterfeit Cisco Systems computer equipment manufactured in China over the past three years".

Wow. That's quite a haul. The probe dubbed "Operation Cisco Raider" was carried out by US and Canadian agencies. The culprit? China. The unfortunate issue is that for the end user it's not that easy to tell apart counterfeit from working product by inspection. Could the security of network architectures built around these (faulty) products be compromised?

This just begs the question: how serious of a problem are we looking at here? To what extent have these goods sourced from "gray markets" or otherwise counterfeit equipment penetrated the 'legit' market?

Cisco's response to their customers is buy from authorized channel partners only. If you need to go for a less expensive alternative, consider the Cisco Refurbished Equipment program, available through authorized dealers.
This is not just a Cisco problem. In Fakes: Can you tell the difference it is estimated that the IT industry loses about $100 billion annually to counterfeit products.

Now that's big business.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

What is the CCNA?
The CCNA is an industry certification which according to Cisco, validates the candidate's ability to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot medium-size routed and switched networks, including implementation and verification of connections to remote sites in a WAN. It is an entry level certification offered by Cisco along with the CCENT and CCDA.

Prerequisites?
There are no prerequisites for taking the CCNAs so anyone can register for and take the exam.

How do I register? How much does it cost?
The exam can be taken at any Pearson VUE testing center. The currently exam costs $125.

What's covered on the exam?
The good news is that Cisco has offered a comprehensive list of possible topics that could be covered on the exam. You can find the exam topics here.

How do I prepare for the exam?
Read my post about this on Top 5 Resources for CCNA Test Takers. Also, not mentioned in the post are the recommended training courses ICND1 and ICND2 which can be taken from Cisco's learning partners.

More information about the CCNA can be found on the Cisco CCNA site.

The CCNA has for many been an entrance point into the networking industry either as a first-choice career path or also for those switching from a different industry discipline.

Good luck to all who decide to go for this certification!

Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE)

What's the CCDE?
According to Cisco, it's an expert-level certification that focuses on network design. The emphasis is on the design principles and theory at Layer 3 (network layer). Successful candidates need to be able to translate business requirements into technical specifications which are incorporated to successful network designs. The CCDE went live on January 22nd, 2008. The lab component is due sometime in the Fall of '08.

Who can/should do this?
Anyone, of course! There are no formal prerequisites, just like the CCIE. However, it is recommended that you have at least 7 years of solid networking experience under your belt before making an attempt, or have attained the CCIE. This exam is costly in terms of preparation (time, finances) let alone the exam itself. Currently the CCIE written now is $325 and the practical lab is $1400USD; it's likely that the CCDE may follow this path.

The Titans: CCIE v. CCDE
The choice of one over another depends on one's (perceived) career path - CCIE is more focused on the implementation and operation of networks, while CCDE is network design. However, both are parallels in terms of level of difficulty and depth of expertise.

For more information check out the CCDE page at Cisco.com.

Aside: Network architecture and design has always interested me and so sometime in the future I may tread down this path. For now, i'm slowly but surely preparing for the CCIE lab and will probably sit for the CCDP while i'm at it. Good luck to all that attempt this and kudos to those that pass; the race for the coveted number CCDE#1 (should that be the numerical scheme of awarding numbers Cisco adopts) has just begun!

NAT Configuration on a Cisco Router

Check out this great video I found on configuring Network Address Translation (NAT) on a router.

Core Books That Will Get You The CCNP

So you’ve decided: the CCNP it is. Congratulations! That’s a positive first step down this very rewarding, albeit challenging, path.

For those of us not familiar with the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification you can look it up here on the Cisco website. Take note that there is a prerequisite one has to successfully complete before you can attempt the CCNP – the CCNA, which examines apprentice or foundation level knowledge on internetworking technologies.

Keep in mind that there are many other fine, well-written books out there that convey CCNP-level knowledge but these are the ones I used to study for my CCNP and, in my humble opinion, take the cake.

So here we go:

1. Routing TCP/IP Vol. 1 2nd Edition by Jeff Doyle
An absolute must-have for any serious networking professional. The TCP/IP stack is explained in great, practical detail. This book covers mainly Interior Gateway Protocols (IGPs) like RIP, IGRP, EIGRP, and OSPF. It’s very well written and the content is presented in a manner that’s intuitive and generally easy to understand. Note that this book is not a certification guide; it's a reference book. It details material in much greater depth than does the study guide. To pass the Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks (BSCI) or Composite exam you need to peruse through volumes 1 and 2 of this title.

2. Routing TCP/IP Vol. 2 by Jeff Doyle
Another must-have. Get familiar with the nitty-gritty of Exterior Gateway Protocols, Border Gateway Protocol 4 (BGP-4). A range of other topics are covered as well, for instance multicasting, Network Address Translation (NAT), IPv6. This book is chock-full of theory and configuration information on TCP/IP internetworking. By the time you've read through and followed through the case studies four, five times you will have more than journeyman-level knowledge expertise on internetworking. An update of this title is (long) overdue - so we're crossing our fingers hoping for a new edition soon.

3. LAN Switching by Kennedy Clark
The authority on all things "switching" (layer 2 and 3). The subtleties in such topic areas as VLANs, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), bridging, LAN segmentation and many more are covered in a complete and concise fashion. The Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN) exam is based on this content, so you will want to gain mastery of the material presented. This title too is in dire need of an update, especially since CatOS is in its sunset years (topic of a later posting). That notwithstanding, the content is still applicable to a great extent and you are MUCH better off with it than not.

4. CCNP Official Exam Certification Library (5th Edition) by Brent Stewart, Dave Huucaby, Brian Morgan, Neil Lovering, Amir Ranjbar
Buying the certification library saves quite some change as opposed to buying individually (economies of scale). Get four books for a steal, almost. You will probably notice that most of the content in these books is in summary form, hence the reference books. The study guides typically address all the specific milestones highlighted in the list of objectives for the exam. So before taking the exam ensure that you’ve canvassed the books multiple times.

5. QOS Exam Certification Guide by Wendell Odom
A nice-to-have, excellent complement to the study guide, specifically targeting the Optimizing Converged Cisco Networks (ONT) exam. Some of the relevant topics covered include traffic shaping and policing, classification and marking, AutoQOS, modular QoS command-line interface (MQC). Understanding QoS is paramount if you intend to spend time in the networking field and particularly if you go for the CCIE or CCDE.

The good news is all these books can be had for a fraction of the MSRP ("sticker price") from Amazon.com.

In what order should I read the books?
Well, it really depends on your mode of study. I would typically make a first pass through the study guide to be able to get the scope of the material I will need to cover, then use the reference books to “fill in the blanks”. Whichever method works for you, as long as the route you adopt will allow you to synthesize and retain the content you have studied.

You may realize that by the time you've gone through all this material for the CCNP you'll be probably 80% ready to tackle the CCIE Routing and Switching written exam.

So go for it!

Top 5 Resources for CCNA Test Takers

In no particular order, the following resources are arguably the most useful in preparation to take the CCNA exam:

1. CCNA Exam topics list
This list should be the starting point for any candidate. It lists all the relevant topics that will possibly be tested on the exam. A few months ago when the new CCNA exam was rolled out (640-802) the list was updated to provide slightly more detail in the objectives - take advantage of that and KNOW all those topic areas without exception. Neglect that and the probability of passing begins to drop exponentially. The list can be found here, at the Cisco website.

2. Network Simulator or the Real Deal
The exam has simulation questions. Expect a couple of questions that require you to type in command line interface (CLI) directives to perform a task e.g. configure EIGRP on a set of routers. For practice you need to get a simulator such as Boson's NetSim for CCNA or RouterSim's CCNA NetVisualizer. Those will probably cost you some change, but are worth it if you get to use them. Of course the Real Deal is having an actual router or switch then the experience gets as real as can be. Some have scored great deals on CCNA racks from EBay or Amazon. There's a free router emulator, Dynamips, that supports the Cisco 7200, 3600 series, 3700 series and 2600 series IOS images. Check out the hardware requirements before installing. Also, there is a learning curve to this though but once you get the hang of it, you'll realize how useful and cost-effective (free!) it is.

3. CCNA Study Guide by Todd Lammle (Sybex)
Many people have found that this book is easier to read than many other tech books because of the casual manner in which it is written. I've read an earlier edition of this book and found this to be so. The content covers well the objectives for the exam. Practice tests are also included, so take advantage of them; the same concept tested may show up in the actual test. Amazon.com is a great place to get this title from.

4. CCNA Official Exam Certification Library by Wendell Odom (Cisco Press)
Wendell Odom has a great deal of experience in the networking industry and it shows in the level of depth in technical content his books have. This book is no exception. In fact I consider most of his books not just written for the exam but for the work place too (indeed, i've kept most of mine). Use the simulation tests offered to hone those configuration skills. Again, Amazon.com is a good place to check out for this book.

5. CCNA Forums
Go register at the CCNA Prep Center; there's a ton or resources to peruse over. Also head over to Group Study; there are plenty of people in the same boat as you either taking the exam or technically competent to answer your questions. Be certain to read the forum guidelines first before you post, else you may suffer the wrath of other forum members or get banned by the webmaster altogether. There are a lot of other forums out there, find your fit.

Extra mile:
Still have that nudging question or missing piece in the puzzle that just isn't adequately covered in the study guide? Or your thirst for deeper technical knowledge surpasses what the book has to offer? Well, you're in luck because Cisco Documentation at the Cisco.com site has all that and more. It's a treasure trove. This is the same (and only allowed) documentation set used when taking the CCIE lab. Initially, navigation through the site may take a little getting used to.

Last Word:
Need motivation to carry you through your studying? Register for the exam! Some of us work better with deadlines set. Register early, weeks in advance. Once you pay, you'll get motivated to study.

Good luck!

Articles on the way

I will update with articles i'm working on once complete... i'll probably periodically post snippets as i author. Stay tuned!


For starters though, a complete list of Cisco's certification offerings can be found here.