CCIP Retired | Say hello to CCNP Service Provider

CCIP Certification is retired, beginning from October 29, 2012 Cisco will no longer issue new certifications.

In replacement, a new Certification track with the name CCNP Service Provider has been introduced. And unlike the current version, this new track covers in detail all divisions of service provider networks and is mainly focused on IOS XR and IOS XE.

The exams are much more difficult and include many other topics which were missing previously;  OSPF v2, v3, IS-IS, Multicast routing, Transport technologies, BGP (much detailed) and its communities, Route manipulations, IPv6 in NGN networks, High availability, VPN, L2VPNS, l3VPNS, VPLS, H-VPLS, Carrier Ethernet, QoS, MPLS, MPLS Traffic Engineering etc. (Complete exam topics are listed below)

CCNP Service Provider required exams and their prices are:

Pre-requisite – CCNA Service Provider		Price
640-875	Building Cisco Service Provider Next-Generation Networks, Part 1 (SPNGN1)	$250
640-878	Building Cisco Service Provider Next-Generation Networks, Part 2 (SPNGN2)	$250

 

CCNP Service Provider – Required Exam(s)		Price
642-883	Deploying Cisco Service Provider Network Routing (SPROUTE)	$200
642-885	Deploying Cisco Service Provider Advanced Routing (SPADVROUTE)	$200
642-887	Implementing Cisco Service Provider Next-Generation Core Network Services (SPCORE)	$200
642-889	Implementing Cisco Service Provider Next-Generation Edge Network Services (SPEDGE)	$200

642-885 SPADVROUTE Exam Topics

BGP Routing Features in a Service Provider IP NGN Environment

• Describe the BGP routing processes in IOS-XR
• Configure the BGP timers on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Describe the need for BGP confederations in BGP transit backbones
• Design and implement BGP route reflectors to scale IBGP in BGP transit backbones on IOS-XR and IOSXE
• Implement BGP in SP IP NGN IOS-XR and IOS-XE PE routers to support multi-homed BGP Customers
• Implement Remote Triggered Blackhole Filtering (RTBF) on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement BGP TTL security on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement BGP maximum-prefix on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement BGP route dampening on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Troubleshoot BGP IOS-XR and IOS-XE configuration errors in service provider environments
• Optimize BGP IOS-XR configurations using af-groups, session-groups, and neighbor-groups
• Optimize BGP IOS-XE configurations using peer-groups

Multicast Routing in a Service Provider IP NGN Environment

• Describe Multicast Concepts (multicast distribution trees, multicast routing protocols and IGMP operations)
• Describe Any-source multicast (ASM) versus Source Specific Multicast (SSM)
• Describe Intra Domain versus Inter Domain Multicast Routing
• Describe the mapping of multicast IP addresses to MAC addresses
• Describe and illustrate how RFP check can fail if the unicast and multicast topologies are non-congruent
• Describe multiprotocol BGP functions in mroute distribution
• Describe the principles and operations of PIM-SM
• Describe multicast source discovery protocol (MSDP) operations
• Describe methods used to secure multicast
• Implement PIM-SM operations on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement Auto-RP, PIMv2 BSR, Anycast RP on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement Bi-Dir PIM operations in SP IP NGN environment on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement SSM operations on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement MSDP operations on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Troubleshoot multicast routing IOS-XR and IOS-XE configurations errors in service provider environments

IPv6 in a Service Provider IP NGN Environment
• Describe DNS and DHCP operation in IPv6
• Describe the fields that are used in the IPv6 header to support QoS functions
• Describe Cisco IOS/IOS-XE and IOS-XR IPv6 network management and troubleshooting tools like
traceroute/ping
• Describe dual-stack implementations
• Describe IPv6 tunneling mechanisms
• Configure IPv6 multicast routing
• Configure static IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnels on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Configure dynamic 6to4 tunnels on IOS-XR and IOS-XE

High Availability Routing Features
• Implement NSF/NSR/Graceful Restart for BGP on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) for BGP on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement high availability and optimization multicast routing features on IOS-XR and IOS-XE

642-883 SPROUTE Exam Topics

OSPFv2 and OSPFv3 Routing in Service Provider Environments
• Describe multi-area OSPFv2 and OSPFv3 operations
• Implement multi-area OSPFv2 and OSPFv3 on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement different OSPF areas (stubby, totally stubby, NSSA) on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement OSPF neighbor authentication on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Troubleshoot OSPF configuration errors on IOS-XR and IOS-XE

IS-IS, IPv4, and IPv6 in Service Provider Environments
• Describe multi-area IS-IS operations
• Implement multi-area IS-IS for IPv4 and IPv6 on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement IS-IS neighbor authentication on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Troubleshoot IS-IS IOS-XR and IOS-XE configuration errors

BGP Routing in Service Provider Environments
• Describe the Internet routing hierarchy: Network Service Providers (NSP), Network Access Point (NAP),
ISP Tiers (Tier 1, 2 and 3)
• Describe connectivity between an enterprise network and an SP that requires the use of BGP
• Describe connectivity between a SP and upstream SPs
• Describe BGP transit AS operations
• Implement EBGP and IBGP on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement BGP neighbor authentication on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Influence BGP route selection by using various BGP attributes on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Troubleshoot BGP IOS-XR and IOS-XE configuration errors

Route Manipulations in Service Provider Environments
• Implement Routing Policy Language (RPL) to configure a desired routing policy on IOS-XR
• Implement Route-Maps to configure a desired routing policy on IOS-XE
• Implement route filtering using prefix-list, distribute-list, and as-path list on IOS-XE
• Implement route redistributions on IOS-XR and IOS-XE

High Availability Routing Features
• Implement NSF/NSR/Graceful Restart for OSPF on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement NSF/NSR/Graceful Restart for IS-IS on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) for OSPF on IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) for IS-IS on IOS-XR and IOS-XE

642-889 SPEDGE Exam Topics

 

VPN in Service Provider IP NGN Environments
• Describe VPN implementation models (overlay, peer-to-peer)
• Describe VPN technologies (L2TPv3, GRE, IPsec VPN, SSLVPN, DMVPN, GETVPN)
• Describe layer 2 versus layer 3 VPNs
 
MPLS layer 3 VPNs in Service Provider IP NGN Environments
• Describe MPLS layer 3 VPN architecture and operations (RDs, RTs, VRFs, MP-BGP, PE-CE routing)
• Describe the design models for combining Internet access with MPLS Layer 3 VPN services
• Describe the various methods used to deploy IPv6 over MPLS (6PE and 6VPE)
• Implement MP-BGP between PE routers on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement PE-CE routings (static, EIGRP, OSPF, BGP) on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement complex MPLS layer 3 VPNs on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement carrier supporting carrier (CSC) on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Troubleshoot MPLS layer 3 VPNs IOS-XR and IOS-XE configuration errors in service provider environments

Layer 2 VPNs in Service Provider IP NGN Environments
• Describe L2TPv3 VPNs over an IP core network
• Describe layer 2 VPNs (AToM and VPLS) over an IP/MPLS core network
• Describe AToM Interworking
• Implement AToM on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE

Carrier Ethernet in Service Provider IP NGN Environments
• Describe Carrier Ethernet forums and standards (MEF, IEEE, IETF)
• Describe the concepts of User PE (U-PE) and Network PE (N-PE)
• Describe E-Line versus E-LAN vs E-Tree
• Describe QinQ tunneling
• Describe Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB – aka MAC-in-MAC)
• Describe VPWS versus VPLS
• Describe VPLS versus H-VPLS
• Describe VPLS signaling using LDP or BGP
• Implement QinQ on Cisco ME 3400 Ethernet Access Switches
• Implement VPLS on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE

 642-887 SPCORE Exam Topic

QoS in a Service Provider IP NGN Environment
• Describe the DiffServ and IntServ QoS models
• Describe the QoS mechanisms (classification and marking, congestion management and avoidance, traffic
policing and shaping)
• Describe IPv6 Flow Label
• Describe trust boundaries in Enterprise and SP environments
• Describe Cisco MQC for QoS configurations
• Describe hierarchical QoS configurations
• Describe the Cisco NBAR feature for discovering network protocols and for packets classifications
• Describe the typical Edge PE routers and Core P routers QoS requirements
• Implement classification and marking in an interdomain network using QPPB on Cisco IOS-XR and IOSXE
• Implement class-based markings on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement QoS pre-classify on tunnel interface on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement CB-WFQ on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement LLQ on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement WRED on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement traffic policing on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement traffic shaping on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Describe LPTS and hardware rate limiters on Cisco IOS-XR routers
• Describe MPLS EXP bits
• Describe MPLS QoS implementation concepts and models
• Implement MPLS DiffServ Tunneling on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Troubleshoot QoS IOS-XR and IOS-XE configuration errors

MPLS/LDP in a Service Provider IP NGN Environment
• Describe the CEF, FIB, LFIB and LIB tables on Cisco routers
• Describe MPLS labels and label stack operations on Cisco routers
• Describe LDP operations in Cisco routers
• Describe MPLS OAM (MPLS LSP Ping and MPLS Traceroute)
• Describe MPLS Applications in Service provider environment
• Implement LDP on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement LDP high availability features on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Troubleshoot LDP on IOS-XR and IOS-XE configuration errors

MPLS Traffic Engineering in a Service Provider IP NGN Environment
• Describe MPLS traffic engineering (TE) concepts
• Describe MPLS TE constraint-based path computations
• Describe the details of MPLS TE tunnels, including path setup procedures and path maintenance
• Describe methods of assigning traffic into MPLS TE tunnels
• Implement MPLS TE tunnels on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement MPLS TE bandwidth control on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE
• Implement MPLS TE link and node protections on Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE

Transport Technologies
• Describe the SP core transition from ATM/SONET/SDH based backbone to packet based IP/MPLS backbone
• Implement 10/40/100 GigabitEthernet Interfaces on Cisco IOS-XR routers
• Describe DWDM, IPoDWDM and ROADM
• Implement IPoDWDM controller/interface on Cisco IOS-XR routers

Advertisement

Cisco Professional Tracks! Which one to Follow?

[Post Update] Revised Exam prices for Pakistan tabulated below.

So you have passed your CCNA exam and is now thinking to take a step forward and jump into Professional Studies of Cisco Networking. First allow me to congratulate you for your effort, you deserve at least a little applause (Don’t be amused guys; I am addressing the Pakistani students, it’s still not very common here).

For a person who is planning to make his career in networking industry, the decision of doing the CCNA is very obvious and it is the first advice you get from your guides. But after that, when you plan to target Professional level of certification, the choice of selecting the track is so cumbersome and so exhausting that it almost kills you.

Because Cisco has now introduced so many tracks and all of them are so demanding and so attractive that you will stuck in the jungle of choices. For once you would start thinking to grab them all.  To ease that decision a little, I have compiled this post to present a summary of professional tracks, their associated exams, and price lists for Pakistan (as of today – February, 2012)

For the Complete list of Cisco Certification tracks visit http://www.cisco.com/certifications

CCNP  – The Traditional Routing and Switching Path
642-902 ROUTE	Implementing Cisco IP Routing (ROUTE)		$ 200
642-813 SWITCH	Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks (SWITCH)		$ 200
642-832 TSHOOT	Troubleshooting and Maintaining Cisco IP Networks (TSHOOT)		$ 200
CCIP – Service Provider Path
642-902 ROUTE	Implementing Cisco IP Routing (ROUTE)		$ 200
642-642 QOS	Implementing Cisco Quality of Service (QoS)		$ 150
642-691 BGP+MPLS	Configuring BGP on Cisco Routers (BGP) Implementing Cisco MPLS (MPLS)		$ 150
CCNP Voice – Voice Path
640-461 ICOMM	Introducing Cisco Voice and Unified Communications Administration v8.0		$ 250
642-437 CVOICE	Cisco Voice over IP (CVOICE v8.0)		$ 200
642-447 CIPT1	Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 1		$ 200
642-467 CAPPS	Integrating Cisco Unified Communications Applications		$ 200
642-457 CIPT2	Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 2		$ 200
642-427 TVOICE	Troubleshooting Cisco Unified Communications		$ 200
CCDP – The Design Path
640-864 DESGN	Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions		$ 150
642-902 ROUTE	Implementing Cisco IP Routing (ROUTE)		$ 200
642-813 SWITCH	Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks (SWITCH)		$ 200
642-874 ARCH	Designing Cisco Network Service Architectures		$ 200
CCNP Security – The Security Path
640-553 IINS		Implementing Cisco IOS Network Security	$ 250
642-637 SECURE		Securing Networks with Cisco Routers and Switches	$ 150
642-617 FIREWALL		Deploying Cisco ASA Firewall Solutions	$ 150
642-647 VPN		Deploying Cisco ASA VPN Solutions	$ 150
642-627 IPS		Implementing Cisco Intrusion Prevention System	$ 150

The exam prices for all exams as given on the Pearson VUE website are: