CCIE service provider lab exam topics
Certification: Cisco CCIE Service Provider - Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert Service Provider
Cisco is one of the leading network-related products providers worldwide, their certifications being front-runners as well. The CCIE service provider exam is for expert engineers able, through knowledge and skill, to build an extensible Service Provider infrastructure.
About the exam
The CCIE Service Provider certification, like all CCIE-level certifications, is a two-parted exam featuring a preliminary 90-110 questions written exam, that takes about two hours and an eight hour lab exam. The written part is needed in order to take the lab portion of the exam. The written exam will test the technical knowledge of the candidates, asking them to describe, implement, optimize, and troubleshoot complex service provider networks. The topics for the written exam are pretty much in line with the lab topics, which include Core IP Technology, Access/Edge Connections, Remote Access, L3VPN and L2VPN technologies. The written part is also pretty much the only pre-requisite to the exam. While the lab part is the actual graded portion, not taking the written exam will result in an inability to pass the lab one anyway. Do not think that failing the written exam was chance, and that you could’ve passed the lab one. If you can pass the lab one, the written part should be a breeze actually.
The Lab Exam
The lab exam is an 8 hour exam in which you will be tasked to configure some pre-built networks, and set up an extensible Service Provider infrastructure capable of delivering rich managed services to given specifications. Candidates are expected to have abilities in Configuring and Troubleshooting as they will also be asked to diagnose those networks. Points will be awarded only on fully functioning networks. Exam is marked as Pass/Fail, with failing scores also indicating areas/topics where further study may be helpful. The topics of this exam are pretty much those of the written exam. The ration over the lab-exam topics are as follows: Core IP Technologies 50%;L3VPN Technologies 35%; Access and Edge Connection Technologies and L2VPN 15%.
Core IP Technologies
The Core IP Technologies topic of the exam, which comprises about 50% of the questions and points on the exam carry everything about transferring data in the network, and especially their hardware components. Candidates will have to implement, optimize and troubleshoot packets over Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Gigabyte Ethernet and 10GE in the core, Interior Gateway Protocols(IGP), MPLS (with traffic engineering) and LDP, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), multicast, will ask about security in the core, SP QoS, convergence and high availability. As this is worth 50% of the exam, you should pay great attention to it and should not attempt the exam if you do not feel that you are confident in this subject.
L3VPN Technologies
The L3VPN technologies topic of the exam, which measure up about 35% of the grade will probe your mind of both Layer 3 Virtual Private Network architecture as well as troubleshooting and technical and practical knowledge of the subject. Candidates will have to implement, optimize and troubleshoot Intra/Inter-AS L3VPN, CSC, VPN extranet and internet access, VRF service, multicast VPN and GRE L3VPN. Meaning they should know pretty much everything there is to know about the topic. Winding it out won’t do it. Make sure you got it covered.
L2VPN Technologies
The L2VPN Technologies comprises 12% of the exam questions. It will test practical and theoretical knowledge of the Layer 2 VPN. Candidates will work with AToM, VPLS and carrier Ethernet, L2TPv3 for L2 VPN and GRE L2VPN. Expect everything from layout to common attacks and such. The more you know from your job experience, the better. Hopefully you weren’t slacking in the office.
Access and Edge Connection Technologies
The Access and Edge Connection Technologies topic makes up only about 3% of the total exam question and points. It will ask candidates to implement, optimize and troubleshoot FE/GE and Ethernet trunk connections, frame relay connections and Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connections. Even if it is only 3%, do not mistake its importance. That little 3% can make the difference between a pass grade and a fail grade.
Further Documentation
If you need any other help on the topics or exam, your best place to look is the CISCO Main site and forums. Further information on the lab topics can be found here, while general information on the exam can be found here. It is also recommended to create an account and join the community, as they will be your most valuable source of information. The community is very friendly and helpful. No question is too dumb or unnecessary. You can join the community here. Information about each part of the topics, such as the SONET, BGP, etc… is usually found on Wikipedia in some degree. For more help than that, CISCO has special training programs for candidates wishing to take the exam here.
However, remember! Winding it won’t do. You have to actually study if you want to take it. This certification is hard. Going in with two or three topics just barely known will result in you not even being able to enter the lab exam. Be sure you have actual study guides or official study materials, if you do not feel confident in the knowledge you got during work. And always try to keep up with the latest products and their specifications. Being up-to-date with the latest toys is the prime difference between a junior and a pro. You have internet, you can stay on the top of your game. Leave at least one day/month to search for the newest gadgets. After all, what’s a superspy without his gadgets?
Conclusion
The CCIE Service Provider is an expert level certification, and like any other expert-level certification, it is immensely valuable, and a great gem to have in your CV. So be sure to check up on the exam topics carefully, so you can enjoy this piece of jewelry.