Tag: ccie

New benefits for Cisco 360 Learning Program

Today I’ve received an e-mail with the following content:

Dear Cisco Certified Colleague,

CCIE certifications are as popular as ever. A recent publication has listed both the CCIE and the CCIE Voice certifications in their top 10 IT networking list* and has cited both as highly sought-after by employers. If that’s not enough motivation to keep moving up the certification ladder, the Global Knowledge 2010 IT Skills and Salary Survey identifies the CCIE credential as the highest paid networking certification!

The Cisco 360 Learning Program can help you obtain the knowledge and skills you need to pass the rigorous CCIE certification lab exam. As the only Cisco developed and approved CCIE training program available, the blended learning curriculum contains over 350 hours of practical, hands-on lab configurations that have been proven to accelerate development.

Now, Cisco has enhanced its expert-level training program to offer additional value and training assurance to help you work your way towards a Cisco CCIE® certification. Beginning June 22, 2010, you will be given more time to practice expert-level skills using the Cisco 360 Learning Program components. The subscription period for all components that are accessed through LMS will be extended from 12 months to 18 months.

  • The extension applies to Preassessment Lab, Self-Paced Lessons (also downloadable), Performance Assessments, Practice Workbook, and the Reference Library.
  • The extension will be automatically made in the LMS for all current subscriptions

The following benefits** will also be available to qualified Cisco 360 Learning Program students:

Benefits: Qualifications to be met by June 30, 2011:
Free graded Preassessment Lab
(value of $289 USD)		 When you purchase at least one instructor-led workshop for CCIE Routing and Switching or CCIE Voice and the Preassessment Lab will be made available for free through your Cisco 360 Learning Management System (LMS) account.
Priority scheduling of CCIE Mobile Lab Event When you purchase and complete at least one instructor-led workshop for CCIE Routing and Switching or CCIE Voice and all classroom assessments, then contact your Cisco Learning Partner for scheduling assistance.
Cisco Lab Safe: Free retake on CCIE Lab Exam, which is valid for 18 months from the day it is issued
(value of $1400 USD)		 You must complete at least one of the following two qualifications:

  • Previous Promotion Extended: Purchase and complete either the Essentials or Preferred bundle for CCIE Routing and Switching and complete the four Lab Readiness Assessments (CIERS03, CIERS04, CIERS10, and CIERS11), earning a score of 80 or better on at least one assessment.
  • New Promotion: Purchase and complete at least one instructor-led workshop for CCIE Routing and Switching or CCIE Voice, including all classroom assessments. (No additional assessments need be purchased and no minimum score is required).

In both scenarios, you must first make one paid attempt at the lab, and then contact Learning Partner to request free voucher code from Cisco by December 31, 2011. Free retake is limited to one per track

It seems that Cisco is trying to attract more audience to it’s program. The benefits are great, what can I say, but in this time also a change in the price system would be welcomed.

INE released GNS3 config for v5 topology

A few days ago one friend on mine announced me that InternetworkExpert released a GNS3 configuration for their v5 topology.

When I had check INE’s website, I could not found the link to GNS3 topology. To be honest I was expecting INE to announce with big letters this new development, but I was quite silent (or I’m not reading carefully enough their website).

To fin GNS3 configuration, there is a small catch. You have to go to INE resources webpage, and from there to Dynamips (there is no GNS3 link). If you ever used the INE’s Dynamips config, that this page is familiar for you. Somewhere in the middle there is a link with “Click here to download the INE Topologies for Dynagen“. You download this archive file and inside you’ll find among other configuration a file called ine.routing.and.switching.topology.5.00.gns3.net:

INE V5 GNS3 topology config

This is the file which you are looking for. Of course you need to edit and adapt it to your local configuration (IOS, path location…).  What is different from Dynamips file? Almost nothing, but you have a graphical view of the topology and if you put your mouse over a link, you’ll see where is the connection pointing too. It can help you spare some time in the configuration, but there is a drawback. Don’t get used too much with this feature, as in the CCIE lab exam you don’t have where to point your mouse to show the connection and you have to figure it by your own from the paper (or lately computer screen).

If you don’t want to follow the steps above, then:

Download the INE’s v5 topology GNS3 configuration


Other articles that you might be interested in:

FREE INE 5.5 hours rack rental CCIE RS

FirstDigest Professionals Community is offering a free InternetworkExpert 5.5 hour session rack rental for CCIE Routing and Switching preparation.

What you have to do win it?
After you register for FirstDigest Community stay active and help develop this community. There is no target. The winner will be chosen by our team based on their activity during this promotion period.
User activity checking will be done with automatic tools but also human intervetion.
Follow the rules of this community and stay in the range of topics that is the object of this forum.
“Fake” activity will not lead anyone to the winner position.

How do you receive your prize?
In terms of maximum 5 days from the promotion end, the winner will be announced through PM to establish the details and a public message will be posted in this thread.
In the eventuality that this prize cannot be received by winner, or in case of any technical difficulties, the amount of money will be transfered in his or her PayPal account.
Cost of this prize will be supported by FirstDigest Community team

Other notes
Please understand that this type of promotion is in a BETA status. Errors may appear, but we will do everything which is our power to stick to the rules and provide the promise part.
If you have any question please feel free to post them below or contact us.

You can find this post at: http://forum.firstdigest.com/Thread-PRIZE-Win-a-free-CCIE-RS-rack-rental-session-worth-30

New CCIE R&S Lab Opportunities: New Location Available

To increase testing opportunities and add convenience for certification candidates, Cisco® will be offering the CCIE® Routing and Switching lab exam in additional locations in April 2010, as listed below. A new location in Johannesberg/Midrand, South Africa has been added. The exams will be administered at Pearson Professional Centers which are designed for secure, high-stakes professional exams and have been used by medical, legal and other examination boards for over eight years. Cisco already uses Pearson Professional Centers to administer the practical exam for CCDE® (Cisco Certified Design Expert). More information on the centers is available at www.pearsonvue.com/cisco/ccie.

Core Knowledge Questions for All CCIE Labs

Important change in all CCIE labs exams. Finally the attendees for CCIE RS Lab will now feel discriminated by the Core Knowledge Questions, as starting with next year, this will become mandatory for all CCIE Lab exams.

Interesting is that they say for all CCIE Labs exam, but below the Security and Voice exams are not specified…

See below the official announcement:

Effective January 4, 2010, the Cisco CCIE® Service Provider, Storage, and Wireless lab exams will add a new type of question format in a section called Core Knowledge. In this new section, candidates will be asked a series of four open-ended questions that require a short written response to be entered into the computer, typically several words. The questions will be randomly drawn from a pool of questions on topics eligible for testing. Candidates can review the topics by visiting the CCIE track information on Cisco.com or the Cisco Learning Network. No new topics are being added as a result of this change.

Candidates will have up to 30 minutes to complete the Core Knowledge section and may not return to it once they have moved on. A passing score on the Core Knowledge section is required to achieve certification. Core Knowledge questions were implemented on Routing and Switching labs in February 2009 and Security labs in June 2009, and allow Cisco to maintain strong exam security and ensure that only qualified candidates are awarded CCIE certification. Candidates with exam dates on January 4, 2010 or later should expect to see the new question format on their lab exam.