Malweth’s Metablog

I’ve completed Chapter 1 in CCIE Routing and Switching: Official Exam Certification Guide 2nd Ed. - given a few more weeks of repetition I should even have all the tables solidly memorized! I’d expect more of the CCIE, but Cisco does love to have useless fact-memorizing questions on their tests! Knowing that Gigabit Ethernet over Copper is IEEE 802.3ab or that UTP max cable length is 100m could possibly be useful (for the test). Well… unlikely, but it is setting up some good study habits from day 1 I suppose I just wish the book talked more about modern framing (it’s nice to know about DIX Ethernet and SNAP headers, but …) - it’s something I need to look up and add to my slides. (Mustn’t be afraid to search for more information)!

Chapter 2 is where the real fun starts. VTP isn’t far away, and the basics of switching is real. (More real than SNAP). Chapters 3 (Spanning Tree Protocol) and beyond should actually be fun! Chapter 4-6 may be a bear (IP, Transport Layer, and more) as there’ll likely be many more headers to memorize but it’s all part of the game!

<h2>CCIE as a Shodan (Black-belt) Cert</h2>

Anyone who’s reading this may know I play Go (a 3000+ year old Chinese board game). The game has a long history in China, Japan, and Korea and is said to be one of the four aspects of a cultured person (ref?). Go uses a ranking scheme similar to that used in martial arts. These ranks run from 30-kyu (beginner) to 1-kyu and 1-dan to 9-dan. Shodan (1-dan) is the marking point for black-belt in Japanese martial arts (a system begun in 1800s Japan).

Based on the level of effort and dedication required, the CCIE seems like a true Shodan Certification. This should not relate to Six Sigma, which also uses these terms (Black Belt, etc) but bears no actual resemblance to Martial rankings.

I passed the CCNP a couple of weeks ago. That’s old news… but in the mail today came the certificate and a nice surprise! The CCNA card was a laminated card the size of a business card. Perhaps the entire system has changed (my CCNA was in 2005), but my CCNP card is of much higher quality! It’s a plastic card - solid like a credit card or student/work ID (at most big schools / companies).

I also got the printed certificate, of course! It’s a very nice confirmation and more than suitable for the office This didn’t stop me from looking up the plaque you get for reaching CCIE… It’s quite nice - the only picture I could find was on Scott’s, CCIE# 14618, blog.

So what have I done today?

Not a lot! At least not much as far as CCIE is concerned. I planted some perennials, fed my son, showered and slept (while he was sleeping), and then we went shopping for more gardening stuff. We’ve lived here 4 years and I still don’t have a shovel! Well, I bought one and spent more than I should have on dirt, summer bulbs, and garden hand tools (which we also didn’t own).

I did manage to do a bit of reading ahead (Spanning Tree Protocol) and my SuperMemo repetitions.

So what’re my plans? Some diet coke, heroes, and as much studying as I can fit in before 11pm. Tomorrow will be much of the same: gardening and studying.

An additional approach I’m using to study for the CCIE is to create my own labs for each step of the process. I expect there will be fewer labs at first, greatly increasing in numbers as I reach into Layer 3.

One of my philosophies behind this effort is that it’s the CCIE: Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert. If they describe the certification as “Expert” level, I plan on treating it that way. Part of being an expert in any given field involves notes and study. In a scientific field this would include labs which, at an advanced level, would be created by the student. I realize there are already products out there, but if I start with a knowledge of how I think it should work before I perform the lab I will have 10 times the benefit of simply performing someone else’s lab. (This will also give me the added benefit of unique content… which I’m planning on publishing on Lulu to offset CCIE costs).

Technical Details Below

Let me give you the specifics. This lab is very simple, operating at the physical layer… Two routers are connected via FastEthernet (in my case, a pair of 2FE-2W cards). Speed and duplex settings are fiddled with in various ways, and the reactions recorded and analyzed. In performing this lab, I learned that the router dislikes a manual duplex setting with an automatic speed setting. Not only does this allow me to update the lab (for eventual publishing), but I’ve also learned something I wouldn’t otherwise have known.

Perhaps it’s because I’m reading CCIE Routing & Switching: Official Exam Certification Guide (Wendell Odom) or because the CCIE Blueprint is arranged in this way, or even because it’s how the OSI model works, but I’ve started studying for my CCIE with a bottom-up approach. I think it makes the most sense because greater understanding of upper level topics can be achieved with knowledge of lower level topics. An article I read recently on TechExams.net Forums said much the same thing.

A Review of Supermemo

As I said previously, I’ve started studying for the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert certification and have been at it for just about a week. I’ve read the first two chapters (from the book mentioned above) and have learned about 3/4 of the first chapter. The method I’m using is based on the CCIE Exam Blueprint, and intimately involves a computer program called SuperMemo. SuperMemo goes beyond flash-card software. I’ve created a “folder” hierarchy based on the CCIE Blueprint, and create slides (it’s html based and is 99.9% done in a WYSIWYG editor) inside the appropriate folders. Flash cards are created automatically when I select a word or phrase and press “ALT-z.” A new flash-card is placed under the slide (hierarchically) with the selected phrase “clozed” out (their term) as the answer.

The best thing about SuperMemo is that the slides I create I’m initially tested on, but my daily repetitions are only a subset of my entire collection! Each time I answer any given flash-card correctly, it’s scheduled for an even longer interval. This also means that my workload is very light currently because my retention is at around 99% (Supermemo guarantees 95% retention with the default settings). Retention is easier when it’s based on understanding, and I already understand many of the simple Layer 1 & 2 concepts. Retention is also easier with drive, and my interest and desire to learn CCIE material is high!

My Progress So Far

As I said above, I’ve completed 3/4 of the first chapter of the book (10 pages) and have read the first two chapters (47 pages). Topics completed include: Physical Layer Ethernet (Ethernet Wiring, Autonegotiation, Collisions, Configuration) and Data Link Layer Ethernet (History, DIX, 802.3, 802.2, SNAP, MAC). It’s fairly slow going, but my aim is mastery! I’m also just starting out with Supermemo and this book… I will be increasing my efforts over the next month until I reach an appropriate, average level of effort. My goal is at least 3 hours daily and I’m currently doing about 1-1.5 hours a day.

Family Concerns

My other problem lies with family and other activities. This is a major undertaking! So far there’s been little interference, but I expect it to become more of a problem as it continues (and as I spend more time on it). My son shouldn’t be a major problem - study time is after he goes to bed. Aside from family, my other problem is physical activity - this is a concern for me and something I need to work on. It’s always very hard to schedule in. It’s something that must be put into my daily routine. I expect this will continue to be addressed in my blog.

Everything is similar.

The quest for high level play in the game of Go (see the other part of my blog) is incredibly similar to the quest for a technical certification like the CCIE. I think the effort I’ve put into the game of Go, in addition to my current drive to reach an expert level of Cisco configuration and troubleshooting (and general networking technical ability), will carry me along the path toward CCIE certification.

For the non-initiate, the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert is the crux of the technical certifications. It’s been said that the tests are harder than the California Bar exam. The amount of knowledge required is extreme and the cost of obtaining the certification is high! The CCIE certification consists of a 2 hour written exam (currently $300 at any prometric testing center) and a 8 hour Lab exam (currently $1250 at two Cisco locations in the USA). It’s said that, on average, you pass on the third attempt of the Lab exam (3.25 or so).

This Blog (category) will trace my mission from CCNP certification (received 1-2 weeks ago) to CCIE certification. The process will be long and somewhat arduous, but hopefully worthwhile. My goal is to pass the CCIE written examination within 2 years and the Lab within 5. (The Fast-track goal is 1 year and 2 years respectively).