The CCIE RS is the first on the list... by Darby Weaver
Stage 1:
MPLS Labs: 25 Hours
CCNP Labs: 150 Hours
CCNP to CCIE Labs: 200 Hours
10 CCIE RS Labs - 100 Hours
Grade Pre-Assessment Lab: 2-4 Hours - Should take me 2-5 hours or less.
Step 2:
Equivalent Level of a Boot Camp - Home Based.
Cover a few topics in depth and perhaps a video course on each:
1. PPP / MPLS / MPLS VPN / DMPVN
2. Switching Topics
3. FHRP Topics (brief)
4. Routing Topics - RIP, EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, MCAST
5. Review of Security Topics
6. QoS
7. Testing, Show, and Debug Checklists - Update and Review for each of the above.
8. Graded Pre-Assessment
9. Graded Lab 1
10 . Graded Lab 2
--- Study Results - Repeat each Lab from Workbooks till 100% and within 5.5 hours
--- Study Results - Repeat each Pre-Assessment and Graded Lab - Goal is to beat 5.5 hours in configuration and master all troubleshooting assignments.
11. Prepare for the CCIE RS Written Exam
Stage II
1. Take Pre-Assessment Exams and the entire battery of graded labs available to me.
2. Complete 15 Workbook Labs - Purchase additional lab time on IOL after working out details and quick configuration on my own racks and virtual equipment.
3. A final and complete round of graded labs.
4. Schedule the Lab Exam - No rush.
That's the plan.
I expect to work my skills with the ASR9000 and CSR1000v quite a bit in the SP realm during this time by necessity, the same applied to certain DC and Security topics - selectively as required.
That's where I'm at and what I am doing to get there.
I get more time than usual during December and so... that's how I'm kicking off the ball.
I expect to take the Written in about 4-6 months using this plan this time around. If I take it sooner it will be to just renew my other exams.
Given my work load and present level of experience - I'm going to plan for a year or so before I'm planning to be ready for another lab attempt.
It's all new to me after so many years - except it's fair to say I'm fairly experienced in mostly every technology by now and reasonably comfortable and conversant with each with little exception.
Given my comfort level - maybe a year or so... Let's see if I can make the 1 year plan work.
I am using age old sage advice to try to keep it to a single vendor versus jumping around everywhere - I know as well as anyone that this can leave a person with spots and maybe even doubts.
I'm a fan of Cisco, so the Cisco Learning Network, Cisco Press, Safari, Cisco 365, and the Cisco 360 Program is my choice for this year's work.
I've already invested a quick $1500.00 or so on almost 600 hours of their rack time - on IOL is the main reason and I'll likely use the CCIE Lab Builder before I try my luck at the lab again. I did invest in VIRL - mostly for its licensed images. Can't beat the cost. So for $150.00 or so... I'm game. I bought a pre-configured server for both VIRL/GNS3, one for Collaboration, and one for each RS/SP just in case... Anyway... I like dedicated hardware and my physical lab is transforming from all physical servers to all virtual servers - saves money on the electric bill at most locations I have my labs at these days.
I've used the CCNP and CCDP to make good on my career and I've exceeded all expectations - this month is will gross no less than $50k and possibly $70+ depending on actual realization dates. Most CCNP's or even CCIE's I know have never confirmed similar earnings, except for one and RIP he died a few years back. So from a financial perspective - this is not my motivator at all actually.
I can honestly say I just want to beat the lab fair and square. That's it. Let's see if I can make good on my plans. Since I want to make sure I'm passing the labs on my skills - and without any hint of aids, I've taken precautions to ensure that prior to my visits the labs are to be refreshed each round. I try to think of everything. Basically, if I mention I'm scheduled for a lab, then I'd advise strongly if you or someone you know is scheduled during the same time frame to reschedule - as there will be absolutely no chance of anything resembling a shortcut if I can help it - not for myself, anyway.
I don't mind losing if I can't pass the lab, I don't even want to pass if I can't pass it fairly and with my own skills. So don't say I didn't point this out at the outset. It's a personal preference.
My logs this time around will probably just reflect, exam scores, labs scores, and how quickly I can finish a given lab correctly in a certain time and whether I am marching to the beat I believe based on my own experiences and knowledge of these labs exams to successfully pass a given lab.
That's it. I think that is a fair take on what I'm doing this time around and doing differently.
Darby Weaver
The CCIE Lab Candidate for 2019
Stage 1:
MPLS Labs: 25 Hours
CCNP Labs: 150 Hours
CCNP to CCIE Labs: 200 Hours
10 CCIE RS Labs - 100 Hours
Grade Pre-Assessment Lab: 2-4 Hours - Should take me 2-5 hours or less.
Step 2:
Equivalent Level of a Boot Camp - Home Based.
Cover a few topics in depth and perhaps a video course on each:
1. PPP / MPLS / MPLS VPN / DMPVN
2. Switching Topics
3. FHRP Topics (brief)
4. Routing Topics - RIP, EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, MCAST
5. Review of Security Topics
6. QoS
7. Testing, Show, and Debug Checklists - Update and Review for each of the above.
8. Graded Pre-Assessment
9. Graded Lab 1
10 . Graded Lab 2
--- Study Results - Repeat each Lab from Workbooks till 100% and within 5.5 hours
--- Study Results - Repeat each Pre-Assessment and Graded Lab - Goal is to beat 5.5 hours in configuration and master all troubleshooting assignments.
11. Prepare for the CCIE RS Written Exam
Stage II
1. Take Pre-Assessment Exams and the entire battery of graded labs available to me.
2. Complete 15 Workbook Labs - Purchase additional lab time on IOL after working out details and quick configuration on my own racks and virtual equipment.
3. A final and complete round of graded labs.
4. Schedule the Lab Exam - No rush.
That's the plan.
I expect to work my skills with the ASR9000 and CSR1000v quite a bit in the SP realm during this time by necessity, the same applied to certain DC and Security topics - selectively as required.
That's where I'm at and what I am doing to get there.
I get more time than usual during December and so... that's how I'm kicking off the ball.
I expect to take the Written in about 4-6 months using this plan this time around. If I take it sooner it will be to just renew my other exams.
Given my work load and present level of experience - I'm going to plan for a year or so before I'm planning to be ready for another lab attempt.
It's all new to me after so many years - except it's fair to say I'm fairly experienced in mostly every technology by now and reasonably comfortable and conversant with each with little exception.
Given my comfort level - maybe a year or so... Let's see if I can make the 1 year plan work.
I am using age old sage advice to try to keep it to a single vendor versus jumping around everywhere - I know as well as anyone that this can leave a person with spots and maybe even doubts.
I'm a fan of Cisco, so the Cisco Learning Network, Cisco Press, Safari, Cisco 365, and the Cisco 360 Program is my choice for this year's work.
I've already invested a quick $1500.00 or so on almost 600 hours of their rack time - on IOL is the main reason and I'll likely use the CCIE Lab Builder before I try my luck at the lab again. I did invest in VIRL - mostly for its licensed images. Can't beat the cost. So for $150.00 or so... I'm game. I bought a pre-configured server for both VIRL/GNS3, one for Collaboration, and one for each RS/SP just in case... Anyway... I like dedicated hardware and my physical lab is transforming from all physical servers to all virtual servers - saves money on the electric bill at most locations I have my labs at these days.
I've used the CCNP and CCDP to make good on my career and I've exceeded all expectations - this month is will gross no less than $50k and possibly $70+ depending on actual realization dates. Most CCNP's or even CCIE's I know have never confirmed similar earnings, except for one and RIP he died a few years back. So from a financial perspective - this is not my motivator at all actually.
I can honestly say I just want to beat the lab fair and square. That's it. Let's see if I can make good on my plans. Since I want to make sure I'm passing the labs on my skills - and without any hint of aids, I've taken precautions to ensure that prior to my visits the labs are to be refreshed each round. I try to think of everything. Basically, if I mention I'm scheduled for a lab, then I'd advise strongly if you or someone you know is scheduled during the same time frame to reschedule - as there will be absolutely no chance of anything resembling a shortcut if I can help it - not for myself, anyway.
I don't mind losing if I can't pass the lab, I don't even want to pass if I can't pass it fairly and with my own skills. So don't say I didn't point this out at the outset. It's a personal preference.
My logs this time around will probably just reflect, exam scores, labs scores, and how quickly I can finish a given lab correctly in a certain time and whether I am marching to the beat I believe based on my own experiences and knowledge of these labs exams to successfully pass a given lab.
That's it. I think that is a fair take on what I'm doing this time around and doing differently.
Darby Weaver
The CCIE Lab Candidate for 2019
3 comments:
Great article, helps motivating me :) What makes me jealous (in the good way) is your easiness in buying hardware to practice due to your income (I am committing myself to get to those levels of income), having the hardware makes a huge difference when practicing.
I have bought a couple of 3560s and a couple of 3750s I found at great prices as I'm pursuing the CCNP R&S, don't have much budget for new hardware, so the routers I'll do in GNS3.
I read in a post of yours a while back that you provide consultation for people starting as an NE, how could I access this?
Thanks for chiming in Pablo. Happy Holidays!
You'd be amazed at how much I'm spending this year and have spent as I complete 10GE upgrades, the Virtualization Makeover, and then still find time to complete Path to my first Petabyte of Data...
I've also upgraded each lab for each CCIE Track, Load Balancing, Automation/Orchestration, and not to leave off Optimization. In short, I've spared no expenses.
I purchased the training to boot this year to provide a path for my hardware and software upgrades as I work towards another year of skill upgrades to match.
I'm hoping to add a full-scale Cisco ACI Lab next year - I'm posturing for this upgrade at the moment. I'm intending to add Cisco 9K Switches and ASK 1000's to the mix.
It's a lot for most people but I just killed it this month and earned a whopping $56k in just two weeks of the month of working. So... it helps.
The truth is I'm staging my career for what I estimate ought to result in about $40k per day in about 2 years of my accelerated training program developing my own skills.
I was thinking about how to actually mentor others in doing what I'm doing. It seems to me that many are not. Some others took the idea and are now offering a mentoring service of some sort or another. I don't see where any of these offerings are the same.
1. I work remote and anyone I work with in this regard would have to commit to the same choice of workplace - it is almost mandatory. Did I say almost?
2. The next issue is that these other mentoring offers that may have arisen don't seem to have any guarantees on how to walk the path of the mentor. That is, can a mentor lead another person or several persons down the same path that has proven successful.
I am confident in my own style of working - it just works. It's simple and elegant and it a repeatable process. Example: I, myself, can repeat it, repeatedly to earn an exponential earning potential - such as I've already alluded to.
I've seen or met no one else yet in our field whom I can say has figured how to work this little process, however, someone may succeed in making a better mouse catcher.
Send me an email sometime and maybe we can work something out. I've helped lots of people out over the years who have reported doing well afterwards.
I want to give this exponential income increase a try which would by doing so also serve to verify that the plan works well for others seeking to follow the same path.
Recall: I use certifications and I use other tools that might seem obvious to find and retain my income streams. I'm pleased with the results. I can see no reason why others would not be as well.
I offered some advice to newly minted CCNA's on getting experience from using some of my old-school techniques which I indeed did use with great success.
However, the methods I'm perfecting at present are scalable and will produce a new generation of talented professionals who are also in demand. Which results in said professionals doing well in terms of earning potential.
Funny, I did say CCIE RS was first on the list and yet here I sit spending some 17 hours today and going into my 18th hour on the CCIE Security path.
I'm having fun with it. So it's working...
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