CCIE Written Exam

Sorry for not been able to update my blog for some time. Had been busy studying for my Written Exam. Passed the CCIE written exam today. Got 87 and i think it is a good result. I sucked big time on QOS getting only 33 % only. QOS always has been my weak point and it has been proved as well. Now i know where to put some more efforts on. Planning to schedule my lab around MAY. I know i still need to put a lot of hardwork. Will talk to Narbik about renting one of his racks and take it for one month or preferabbly two months if he gives me a better deal on rack rental. Otherwise will rent Narbik's rack rental for one month and rent some rack time from IPEXPERT as i had bought BLS from them. So i can do some of their labs as well. Will try to update the blog with my daily study schedule. Thanks again to Dave and Rick who kept me motivated during my CCIE written learning process.

Virtual Links

Virtual Links

• Used to connect an area to the backbone thru another area.
• Configuration uses router-id.
• Used to connect discontinuous Area O's.
• Any discontinuous area is a bad idea.
• If authentication is configured on Area O it must be configured on the far end virtual link router. Use " Area O authentication " on remote end

Nested Virtual Links

• You can extend to more than one area away.
• One Hope at a time.
• As you install Virtual link, you bring Area O outwards to the remote area.

OSPF without Area O

• In a single area system, Area O is not needed.
• Once you have more than one area, Area O is required.
• A virtual link by itself is part of Area O.
• To make a virtual link come up though, some area must exist in Area 0 already.
• Loopbacks work perfectly fine.

Link Metrics

• Router advertised dont include local link.
• Received Router have local link cost added.
• Frequently use " SH IP RO OS" to see changes.
• May influence simple path changes on Per Router Basis.
• May influence Area exit point choices if multiple ABR's exist.
• Use "SH IP O I | IN IS UP | COST"

Changes to CCIE Lab and Written Exam Question Format and Scoring

Effective February 1, 2009, Cisco will introduce a new type of question format to CCIE Routing and Switching lab exams. In addition to the live configuration scenarios, candidates will be asked a series of four or five open-ended questions, drawn from a pool of questions based on the material covered on the lab blueprint. No new topics are being added. The exams are not been increased in difficulty and the well-prepared candidate should have no trouble answering the questions. The length of the exam will remain eight hours. Candidates will need to achieve a passing score on both the open-ended questions and the lab portion in order to pass the lab and become certified. Other CCIE tracks will change over the next year, with exact dates announced in advance.


Effective February 17th, 2009, candidates will also see two other changes in CCIE written exams. First, candidates will now be required to answer each question before moving on to the next question; candidates will no longer be allowed to skip a question and come back to it at a later time. Second, there will be an update to the score report. The overall exam score and the exam passing score will now be reported as a scaled score, on a scale from 300-1000. This change will not affect the difficulty of the current set of exams and will assure CCIE written exams will be consistent with Cisco’s other career certification exams.

OSPF - Things to Remember

Few things to remember about OSPF

- Always match Network Type
- Timers wont matter if interface types are different
- Broadcast and Non Broadcast always try to elect DR/BDR
- Always use Broadcast statement when using Frame-Relay Maps.

Things about Network Types

- If you cant change the network type use NEIGHBOUR command
-Configure all OSPF frame relay interfaces for Point to Multipoint.

Types of Network Types

-Broadcast -- DR election takes place -- Timer 10/40
-Non-Broadcast - DR election takes place-- Timer 30/120
-Point to Point - NO DR-- Timer 10/40
-Point to Multipoint - NO DR - Timer 30/120
-Point to Multipoint Non Broadcast - NO DR timer 30/120

Where to use OSPF Neighbour Command

- Neighbour Command is used to Signify where a Peer is when it cant be reached via multicast.
-Only necessary on one side of connection
-Hub site will configure the neighbour command

CCIE Written Exam scheduled.

Last few days had been really busy. Dint study at all last few days as the family as the family is back from the UK after celebrating Christmas and New Years. I dint get time to blog at all. After i finished switching i managed to finish OSPF and a little bit of BGP before New Years. I have booked my CCIE written exam on 28th January 2009. So its time to get serious again and knock the Written exam and start preparing for the Big one. Thanks to RICK TYRELL, DAVE AROUNSACK , OMKAR (all buddies from CCIE BOOTCAMP in PASADENA, US) for following my blog and keeping in touch with me. Congrats to DAVE for Passing his CCIE Written exam.