Some handy links I just discovered on Cisco's website for the new CCNP:
CCNP Cert Combination Tool: Figures out what CCNP exams to take based on what you have
ESIM Tutorial: A walk-through on how to work with the new CCNP question types
TSHOOT Demo Simulation: Give you an idea of the question types on the new TSHOOT exam (wow - this looks intense!)
I was on a call with someone today who said they just ordered an ISR G2 from Cisco. Huh? (That'd be my response). Wow - just looked into this; welcome to the "next level" of ISR routers:
Comparing the ISR to the ISR G2
I'm just excited about the "one IOS image" finally coming to consumer-level routers!
I stumbled across this link when I was looking for CCIE Voice study information. Pretty nice way of delivering design guides while giving a visual look at some solid network builds! Those Cisco folks are such studs...
Cisco has made the Powerpoint Icons into a Visio Stencil format. Hurrah! No more cut-and-paste from Powerpoint to Visio. Very nice all-in-one stencil.
Just came across this from Cisco. The CCIE is being updated to include 4-5 "open ended questions" about the various technologies being configured. Is this another method to catch braindumpers? I wouldn't think it'd be possible to braindump an entire CCIE...but who knows?
...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....
Here's the link to the full article: https://cisco.hosted.jivesoftware.com/docs/DOC-3834
Cisco apparently has refaced the look of all the certification logos for use on resumes, business cards, etc... for certified individuals. I'm anxious to see them, but completely forgot my logon information (you need your CSCO number...) for the Cisco Certification website. Here's the scoop direct from Cisco:
Cisco has published a complete white paper on how to block IM and P2P applications using the Cisco IOS Firewall (the artist formerly known as CBAC). While there are many commands to be discussed for IOS Firewall, here's the core syntax needed:
appfw policy-name abuse-control
application http
port-misuse default action reset alarm
The complete white paper can be found here.
If I get one more email about this from Cisco...I'm adding them to my SPAM list. Cisco is HEAVILY pushing the new "Smart Call Home" feature, implemented primarily on Cat 6500s and data center gear. Just to save you some reading, this feature allows Cisco devices to automatically create a secure connection to Cisco TAC to transmit troubleshooting / diagnostic information. It's supposed to hit the ISR series (800, 1800, 2800, etc...) in "Late 2009". Seems nice...as long as your device still has Internet access...
I never knew this, but Cisco has a "Cisco Learning Network Job Portal" to help you find jobs by certification level. Looks pretty awesome!
Click here to check it out: Cisco Learning Network Job Portal
This guide rocks - it's every router, switch, or miscellaneous widget that Cisco makes and the modules each can handle. Very handy when trying to figure out what to buy for a project.
You can conveniently download it from here.
-Summer 2008 Edition
It looks like Cisco has now come up with an official CCIE training. It's a 6-month program through a Cisco Learning partner that uses a "blended" lab/e-learning/mentoring solution. Businesses who sponsor CCIE students will now have a way to check up on them (accountability for their studies). Sounds interesting! It's nice to see a "Cisco official" study path for the CCIE rather than just all the CCIE bootcamp processes.
Here's the scoop: https://cisco.hosted.jivesoftware.com/community/learning_center/cisco_360/
Wow! Just stumbled on this one today. Cisco now allows "quick searches" from Firefox (yey!) and IE 7 (sigh...).
You can use this feature to search the following:
* BugID Lookup Tool
* Command Lookup Tool
* Error Message Decoder Tool
* TAC Service Request Query
* Search Cisco
* Search Cisco Brazil
* Search Cisco Japan
* Search Cisco Latin America
* Search Cisco Russia
(My favorites are bolded) This allows you to do a quick search of any of these tools/websites without navigating to them! Sweeeet! Just navigate to the following link to add them in:
http://www.cisco.com/web/tsweb/searchplugins/plugin_homepage.html#
Okay...maybe it doesn't do EVERYTHING the ASA does...but it's definitely a step forward in the Firewall Feature Set of the IOS. Routers running this version of code now support zone-based policies, which really helps with multi-interface restrictions (rather than just one outside & one inside interface with individual access list applications). Likewise, it now supports application inspection to catch those scandalous peer-to-peer programs.
Check out the whole scoop here.
Much thanks to Joshua Walton for sending me an email on this and slightly brightening the most dismal CiscoWorks installation day I've ever had. Oh look - CD #12 is done...on to 13.
