Kevin Thanks for your kind words and, again, HUGE congratulations!!
Enjoy your holidays, well deserved :) Regards, Piotr Kaluzny : Sr Instructor : iPexpert <http://www.ipexpert.com> CCIE # 25665 :: Security *:: World-Class Cisco Certification Training* Direct: +1.810.332.1444 :: Free Videos <http://www.youtube.com/ipexpertinc> :: Free Training / Product Offerings <https://www.facebook.com/IPexpert> :: CCIE Blog <http://blog.ipexpert.com/> :: Twitter <https://twitter.com/ipexpert> On Thu, Nov 21, 2013 at 4:09 PM, Kevin Sheahan <sheaha...@gmail.com> wrote: > Gents, > > > > It is with great pleasure that I can tell you I’ve passed my CCIE Security > Lab on Tuesday in RTP. It has been a very difficult year both personally > and professionally to prepare for this exam. This was my third attempt. For > study, I leaned very heavily on IPExpert’s material/intructors/racks. Piotr > Kaluzny – I can’t speak highly enough about this guy – suffice it to say > that if you are feeling lost, get his attention and he will lead you in the > right direction. His expertise, patience, and all around cool-dudeness are > sincerely appreciated and valuable when you start to feel like you’re > drowning in the blueprint. I also used my own personal hardware and read A > LOT of Cisco configuration guides pertaining to blueprint (There are a lot > of “Notes” in those config guides that provide great info). > > > > Lessons learned: > > > > - My strategy played a very large role in time management and > organization during the exam. > > o Build a table to keep track of…. EVERYTHING: > > § Obj | Points | Desc | V1 | V2 | Comments > 1.1 4 ASAMC F Unable to ping <subnet>, > check later > 1.2 5 IPS-IVP P Re-verify @ end, core > objective. > > § I would create and fill out this table (first 3 columns) as I’m > reading through the lab at the beginning. The “Comments” section became > extremely useful for me to shorten the amount of end-lab verification > because instead of re-reading the objective for verification I would only > have to see what I wrote down from previous verification failures. Anything > with a “P” for pass in the V2 column should be money in the bank, ensure > that you’ve paid attention to the fine details in the objective which can > cause loss of points. > > o Prep the lab: > > § Pager 20 / Term length 20 > > · This will allow you to execute long-output show commands later > in the day without the screen scrolling away from you. This should be done > on ALL devices. > > § Logging > > · ASA > > o Logging console warnings / Logging on – This will tell you throughout > your lab when your ASA is denying traffic due to ACL and/or NAT failures. > Very useful! > > · IOS > > o Logging console – This will tell you when routing processes drop, > when ISAKMP is ON/OFF, etc. As well, this will allow for your debug output > to show up. > > § Suspicion > > · Switches and Routers > > o Show access-list – Check for ACLs, you may find some that were > designed to screw with you and you may find some that are legitimately > necessary. Don’t change/add/remove ACL’s at this point, just make note of > them at the bottom on the page where you created your tracking table. This > will make troubleshooting simpler and faster later on. > > o Show run – This is not a fine-tooth-comb type check. Just briefly > scroll through the running-config for every IOS device. If something looks > out of place (CoPP, CoPr, STP/Routing manipulation, etc), jot it down below > your tracking table for reference later. > > o Draw a diagram? > > § I didn’t do this, but it’s up to your personal preference. My feeling > is that the topology on the monitor is in great detail and only a few > clicks away. That, and I’ve managed to make a distracting mess everytime in > my life I’ve tried to draw a quick diagram. > > o Quicksand > > § This may be the same for you, maybe not. But for me, there is a point > (or a few) where I feel like the lab is swallowing me. Something is not > working the way I want it to, logs are scrolling, devices are misbehaving…. > DON’T PANIC. Move away from that objective, mark it down in your table and > move on. That feeling, like you’re sinking fast in quicksand, is the enemy. > > o Close it out > > § I’m not sure of the rules/points impact of some of the above changes, > namely changing the term length and enabling console logging. To be safe, > script changes for the end of the exam to remove this changes quickly if > time permits. Better safe than sorry I guess. > > > > I’m very excited to enjoy the holidays and a nice long study break. Good > luck and work hard at it, absolutely worth the achievement! > > > > Kevin Sheahan > > CCIE # 41349 (Security) > > > _______________________________________________ > Free CCIE R&S, Collaboration, Data Center, Wireless & Security Videos :: > > iPexpert on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ipexpertinc >
_______________________________________________ Free CCIE R&S, Collaboration, Data Center, Wireless & Security Videos :: iPexpert on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ipexpertinc
