First Impression Review of VoiceBootcamp's CCIE Voice Study Guid

First Impression Review of VoiceBootcamp's CCIE Voice Study Guide

I have recently purchased a copy of VoiceBootcamp's CCIE Voice Study Guide (329 pages) as part of their CCIE Voice bundle and have run through the study guide a couple times. As a Technical Trainer for a Telco, I looked at the material from both a user's and an instructor's perspective. Initially developed as the adjuct to their 5 day boot camp, the 14 sections are grouped by the day they are covered in the bootcamp.

The 14 sections are;
- Infrastructure
- Unified Communication Manager 7 Implementation
- Basic Unified Communication Express 7.0
- Voice Gateway - H323/SIP/MGCP/SIP Trunking/IP to IP Gateway/GK
- Dial Plan - Call Routing/Hunt Group/CTI RP/Transformation Mask
- Dial Plan Feature - Intercom, Call park, Directed Call park, SIP Dial Rule
- Media Resources - Moh, Conference, Transcoding, Mobile Voice access, ANN
- SRST with CallManager Express, AAR, CAC/RSVP
- Integration with Unity Connection 7.0, Advanced Unity Connection Configuration
- Integration with Unity Express 7.0
- Integration with Unified Contact Center Express / Advanced Scripting
- Integration with Cisco Unified Presence, Advanced Unified Presence & Microsoft OCS integration
- UC Application - IPMA, EM , Mobility, Single Number Reach, Mobile Access
QoS

The study guide starts with the requisite topology diagram for the network to be used for the bootcamp. The sections include key slides from the bootcamp and additional comments and diagrams as necessary. The embedded slides are very well done aesthetically. They are content-rich, contain a mix of topology diagrams, annotated IOS, and annotated screen shots. The additional comments are bulleted and to the point.

As for knowledge required to follow the workbook, I have a CCNA as well as a CCNA Voice, and have no difficulty following the material. There are some grammatical issues, as English is the author's second language, but it is readable and doesn't detract from the richness of the content. All-in-all I found it a very useful preparatory read prior to hitting the rack.

It sells for $449 stand-alone or comes free with the CCIE Voice bootcamp.

So What is SCRUM?

Scrum is an iterative, agile project management methodology. Its key goal is to get some usable functionality out the door with each iteration. It also recognizes that a customer can change their mind about the requirements anytime during the project and is designed to deal with that.

The iterations, known as sprints, run 2 to 4 weeks each and must result in some usable functionality. In normal software development, this means something that the end-user can actually use, and technically you analyze as you go. Of course its not that clean as it one really need some upfront analysis to flush out the initial requirements, known as stories, to include in the product backlog (list of prioritized requirements, as well as issues to be addressed).

From the product backlog, high-level requirements are selected for the next sprint and are recorded in sprint backlog. During the sprint the requirements are fleshed out, modified, or discarded. The goal for each sprint is to get something useful to the end user out the door. Now for networking, this will need to be modified to something useful to the network since, for instance, a new fiber run, may not be of immediate use to the users until the new high-speed switches are installed in the next sprint.

In each sprint their is a analysis/design phase, build phase, and test phase. At the end of the sprint the finished product is demoed to the product owner and other stakeholders to get signoff and feedback.

A key rule is that what is included in the sprint must be able to be finished during the sprint, if it is not, then the requirement must be broken up into chunks that can be delivered in a 2 to 4 week time frame.

Another key rule is that the people responsible for the work get to set the schedule via their estimates. If management says they must deliver by X date, then management via the product owner must decide what requirements will be dropped from the planned release.

SCRUM teams are small, running from 5 to 9 members. and consist of the SCRUM master, a product owner, and various other members, such as developers, testers, etc. SCRUM is usually used in conjunction with some agile development methodology, such as eXtreme Programming.

As someone who has successfully delivered agile projects involving virtual teams spread over multiple cities, companies, and even continents, the one thing that annoys me about SCRUM is the obsession with having everyone work out of literally the same room. Frankly haven't these people heard of Skype?, teleconferencing, and Netmeeting?

There is a lot more to SCRUM than I have outlined here, but my purpose is not to teach you SCRUM, but to modify it for use in data and voice network projects.

You can learn more about it at the SCRUM Alliance, or by Goggling SCRUM.

My future articles will go into my specific modifications, so stay tuned...

Award for employee excellence

Well my employer, Hawaiian Tel just awarded me their Hui Lanakila Award for Employee Excellence. Four people get this each quarter out of a staff of over 1400. So this is cool feedback on the job I am doing.

Planning several interesting execises

Right now I am busy reading the Cisco Press CCDA Study Guide and listening to the CBT Nuggets CCDA audio lectures. Once that is digested and I pass the CCDA exam, I plan pursue several interesting exercises. The first one is mapping the Cisco network design methodology into the Scrum project management methodology. Scrum is an agile project management methodology that I think is really cool.

My second exercise is one I plan to conduct in conjunction with my preparations for the CCIE Voice written exam. Basically I want to explore how a service provider could use the Cisco Voice product line to create a hosted VoIP product to be sold as a turn-key solution for small and medium businesses as an alternative to the the usual carrier-grade solutions such as Metaframe or Broadworks.

I think this would be a really cool design exercise that would both reinforce my Cisco Voice knowledge as well as satisfy my curiosity as to what that would look like.

So stay tuned...

First Impression Review of VoiceBootcamp's CCIE Voice Troubleshooter Video Series

As I have said in my first post, I have decided to go with Voicebootcamp's CCIE Voice products as they looked to offer the best bang for the buck. So far I am happy with the materials I've received.

Part of the packaged I recently purchased is VoiceBootcamp's CCIE Voice Troubleshooter Video Series as part of their CCIE Voice bundle and have run through the videos a couple times. As a Technical Trainer for a Telco, I looked at the material from both a user's and an instructor's perspective.

It is a new product which currently consists of 18 video labs; these are:
Lab 1 Troubleshooting IP Phone Registration Problem
Lab 2 Troubleshooting IP Phone status issue
Lab 3 Calls between two IP Phones are not completed
Lab 4 Calls between two IP phone on same site fails due to CoS
Lab 5 Call fails due to misconfigured class of service
Lab 6 Calls from PSTN to CallManager fails using h323 gateway
Lab 7 H323 call fails but shows connected on the IP Phone
Lab 8 H323 calls fail - unknown or unassign number
Lab 9 h323 calls not reaching end IP phone instead user gets dial tone
Lab 10 Calls to PSTN Emergency Number fails due to number type
Lab 11 Inbound PSTN calls fail due to resource unavailable
Lab 12 Inbound PSTN calls fails to reach IP Phone with unallocated number
Lab 13 Unable to register MGCP Gateway to CallManager due to DNS issue
Lab 14 PSTN call fails due to Layer 3 issue
Lab 15 MGCP Gateway Registration fails due to config issue
Lab 16 Calls to local number in PSTN fails due to digit
Lab 17 Call routing fails due to Class of Service
Lab 18 Inbound PSTN call to IP Phone fails due to Class of Service

Those of you who have watched CBT Nugget's CCVP videos will note that Faisal's style is similar to Jeremy's , in that he uses a highlighted cursor pointer to mark up his slides as he lectures. I personally prefer the use of a highlighter cursor in conjunction with the lecturing as it helps me focus on the point the lecturer is making. Content-wise, Faisal does an excellent job covering the topics.

While applicable to troubleshooting in a production environment, his focus is dealing with the more common problems one would encounter during the lab exam. These include everything from simple oversights to subtle configuration problems. The videos are scenario-based and cover;
what is the problem,
Why it occurs
How to resolve it
How to ensure it never happens again

By reviewing these videos and labbing them on a rack one not only will you be less likely to make these errors, but if you do, you can quickly identify and resolve them. This is key, as time is the killer on the lab exam. By either eliminating or significantly reducing the number of more common problems, you have more time to deal with any of the more unusual problems should they occur. Of course, reviewing and racking these problems is also a great confidence builder,

The production quality is good and the videos run well on both my Mac Book Pro and my old HP laptop.

There is a saying about Hollywood movies that is applicable here; a bad movie is always too long and a good movie is always too short. In this regard VoiceBootcamp's troubleshooting videos leaves me craving for more of Faisal's excellent lectures. Which I'm sure he has in the works.

While it lists for $699 you get it for free when you buy the UC ResourceKit bundle.

First Impression Review of VoiceBootcamp's UC ResourceKIT

First Impression Review of VoiceBootcamp's UC ResourceKIT

I have recently purchased a copy of the current version of VoiceBootcamp's UC ResourceKIT and spend the weekend taking a look at it. As a Technical Trainer for a Telco, I looked at the material from both a user's and an instructor's perspective.

For those who are not familar with the product, it is a set of over 200 video labs covering the key components comprising Cisco's UC product family. The components covered include;

• Unified Communication Manager7.X,

• Unified Connection 7.0 Voicemail

• Unified Presence Server 7.0

• Unified MeetingPlace Express 2.0

• Unified Contact Center Express 7.0 - Integration

• Unified Contact Center Express 7.0 – Scripting

• Unified Communication Manager Express 7.0

• Unified Unity Express 7.0

• CallManager Express 7.0

Delivered on a DVD, the format for each lab is a Web page that the user loads into their browser, the page then loads a Flash video file which can be played. Some of the labs also include an MP4 video file. I've successfully played the labs on both my old HP Laptop running Vista and on my MacBook Pro running Snow Leopard.

The labs are composed of a step-by-step video screencapture of of the task being executed on the actual software package in question or, UCCX Script editor, or router CLI, with Faisal Khan's voiceover explaining each step. Depending on the task being labbed, the videos run from about a minute, to over 15 minutes (for the ones I've seen so far). Faisal's lecturing style is easy to follow and gives the user the feel that they are sitting next to him while he walks them through the process.

While not as slick as some products out there, the videos and lectures are easy to follow and are meaty with no fluff. The emphasis is eminently practical, these videos teach the user the nuts and bolts of configuring and using the products in question without theoretical digressions. So this makes the resource kit not only a useful study aide, but also an excellent resource for anyone tasked with configuring and administering a live UC network.

Although listed at $1299, there is usually some promotion that alows you to buy it for significantly less and often bundled with other VoiceBootcamp products. There is an update coming out in March that will cover UCM 8.0

In future blog postings I will look at the other products that came in the bundle I purchased.

Working for a Telco

Right now, I work for a telco. Its not the first time I have, as I have also worked for SBC Ameritech. There are several cool things about working for a telco that really will help my CCIE Voice trek.

First and foremost, I have developed a solid understanding of traditional PSTN technology which really makes mastering how to integrate VoIP with PSTN a lot easier, as well as making VoIP in general a lot easier to understand. After all, we are trying to replicate the functionality, quality, and reliability of the PSTN.

Secondly, as part of my job I teach MPLS, and QoS and have had to really learn about what goes into the design and operation of a service provider core network. I no longer see just a cloud, now I see the individual water droplets and wind currents. This sort of knowledge can never hurt.

Thirdly, I have had to develop a knowledge of advanced SIP, as that is our protocol of choice for VoIP where I work. In fact I am expected to co-develop a SIP Trunking course by summer, and I currently lecture on translation between SIP and SS7.

Hawaiian Tel also has some awesome engineers who have been very generous with sharing their knowledge with this little grasshopper.

Teaching itself is a great knowledge-reinforcer as you need to know the topic cold if you are effectively going to teach it. I intend to use this as a core tactic in studying for my CCIE, by preparing course slides as if I was one day going to teach a CCIE bootcamp to a very questioning class.

Finally, on a personal note, it rekindled my long-dormant passion for VoIP.

All the best
Tim

The Case for the CCDA as a Prerequisite for the CCIE

I want to make a case for making the CCDA or at least reading a book covering the material at least once prior to pursuing a CCIE . Why, because a sold grounding on network design can not only benefit you once you get into the real world, but can provide a context for your track studies which can't hurt in fitting all the pieces of how the infrastructure fits in with, say Voice.

As a CCIE you will likely be expected to design some aspect of a network. I have heard plenty of stories of CCIE's producing poor designs, or even designing a VOIP network that thrashed the underlying R&S infrastructure...

Do you want to be the author of some network design horror story? I know I don't.

Now this doesn't mean we all need to rush out and get our CCDE's, but we all should at least have the basics covered in the CCDA blueprint.

And this is precisely what I plan to do as preparation for my ascent up Mount CCIE Voice...

On a side note, as a Certified ScrumMaster, I plan to figure out how to fit Cisco's PPDIOO design methodology into the Scrum lean project management methodology. Once I have, I will publish a series of articles on the subject.

Lets Pack Our Backpack in Preparation For the Trek

Well I have my map that tells me the route to the top of Mount CCIEVoice. I've steeled myself for the journey, gotten the blessing of my real boss (the wife), so its time to pack my backpack for the journey.

The backpack I'm using, is my routing & switching background (Cisco and Alcatel-Lucent), and my SIP-Based Hosted VOIP background (Broadsoft & Asterisk) along with my CCNA Voice. I am also writing my CCDA in a couple of months, and that will certainly help. That will hold the stuff I need, but I need more gear and provisions.

So what do I bring along? Well first of all are the usual Cisco Press suspects and SRNDs. That, along with the Voice Exam Study Guide I bought from Bob Webber will get me to the Voice Written Exam plateau.

But what about the treacherous climb to the Lab Exam summit without going broke in the process?

Well I've decided to draw my provisions from VoiceBootcamp as they offer a wide range of economically priced produces. The price point was key for me as I have no employer financial support for my trek. However, the has to be full coverage of the blueprint as well, the products have to be of good quality. Although a few people have dissed Faisal and Voice Bootcamp, many more have given him kudos. So, given the price point I figure I'd try their CBT's and work books, and if they're good, then I'd do a boot camp.

Given that, I've ordered a package that contains the following CBT's and workbooks.

• UC ResourceKIT which contains up to 200 plus video lab guide of Unified Communication products
• Dial Plan and Call Routing DVD
• CCNA Voice Lecture on DVD
• CCNA Voice Lab Guide and Workbook
• CCIE Voice Study Guide
• CCIE Voice Workbook with 40 labs
• CCIE Voice Lecture on DVD
• CCIE Voice TroubleShooter DVD

I should be getting them in a couple of weeks and will review each of the components for quality and actual usefulness; both for the trek and for everyday real world use.

All the best
Tim