CCDA exam.
Have some free time. So I'll just pass it.
Foundation.
PPDIOO
Prepare
Plan
Design
Implement
Operate
optimize
So far so good.
The test revolves around acronyms so memorize.
Business forces that will impact your design.
ROI - Return on investment
Companies expect either savings or improved earnings due to the devices you place.
Let's cough up an example.
Let's say I have 8 switches in my rack.
To manage them I need to connect using telnet/console to the switch and give it some commands.
Let's say I need to upgrade them. Then I would need to spend 20 minutes * 8 = 160 minutes
on an upgrade.
Let's say I want to troubleshoot the switches, then I would need 8* more screens and command typing to get the issue resolved.
You can calculate the cost of IT engineer as $50 an hour and start adding it up.
now to save money in the above example. I can convince management to purchase a
Cisco 6513 chassis.
Now, I only need to upgrade one supervisor and troubleshooting becomes easier.
So I am saving money.
The ROI is calculated by measuring how long would it take to recover the investment I just made
on the chassis.
Another way to look at ROI is by looking at the benefits of an upgrade.
Let's say the users spend 5 minutes every day till the Outlook syncs and another 5 minutes
a day wasting time waiting for files to get copied.
10 minutes * $6 an hour * 600 employees = $600 dollars of wasted time staring at the screen.
Now if I upgrade them to 1000 instead of 10/100 then they will spend 5 minutes waiting.
So 5 minutes * $6 an hour * 600 employees = $300
So if I upgrade them to 1000 Mbps switches and network cards I will be saving $300.
So 20 switches * $10000 each = $200000
Now your ROI break point or the point at which you start making money on the upgrade is
$20000/$300 = 660 days
So if I invest in upgrading the switches the company within 2 years will have made back the cost
and will be making money on the investment.
A good salesperson will easily be able to demonstrate the value and not just say
we need 1 GigE switches (1000Mbps) because they are pretty or fast.
{good salespeople are hard to come by}
Regulations
Because of companies like Enron and crackers. There are new regulations in the market.
HIPAA Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act. -
You me and everybody has a record of their visit at the Doctors, well I might have an erection problem.
Now I wouldn't want it to be published on the web when you google saar that I appear as having that.
So in order to protect the confidentiality of my medical information and transactions.
HIPAA came along with guidelines, so the Dr. needs a safe system. When he connects to my insurance
he needs to have a secure VPN. When they store my data their Database needs to be secure. etc
The second example is Visa and banks. If I can hack into a computer at a retailer that does Visa transactions
I can copy the numbers and Secure codes in the back and then go shopping!!!!!
So for that you have the PCI DSS Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.
So now my Amazon shopping is secure and I can safely swipe my card.
The third good example is Sarbannes-Oxley. This gem was passed following Enron collapsing
without anyone having seen even a hint. It talks about auditing and how you should "measure"
kpms key performance indicators in IT.
So for us it means we have to monitor the network at Amazon, because if it collapses then the
stock goes down the toilet. So now business must track and publish KPMs so their stock owners
can asses the health of the company.
All in all, when you are selling. You can throw those around in order to get the client to be MORE secure
Competitiveness
So let's say I have a warehouse with dolls. Now my competitor just built an ecommerce site.
So now he has an advantage. To match him I must build one.
Let's say he is using two internet providers so when a storm hits I am out of business and he is running
around stealing my clients.
So now I need a more powerful router.
These three are the Business Drivers according to CCDA.
Technological Drivers
At the same time there are simple Technological drivers.
Removal of Borders
Back when I started in IT if you worked for an ISP you got a free Frame relay for home.
(this was in Dial up days). So I could work from home to solve issues.
Today with the Iphones, wireless, laptops etc. People want to work from everywhere. On the road
at the airport, at home when sick, etc. So there are no more borders. You need to give them more and more
access.
To address this you will add VPNs, remote access, tunnels etc
Virtualization
Most servers in the enterprise are no longer stand alone. Companies placed them in Virtual Servers which run on top of a Hypervisor. Vmware is one example. The Hypervisor will have 50 VMs running on it.
This leads to a very high utilization rate of the resources and a lot of flexibility.
In order to address this you will probably have to upgrade the network because storage traffic takes
a lot of resources and requires low latency.
Growth Of Applications
so yeah, back when I was a kid 1 channel was all we had on TV. Then two , 20 and now you have
800 channels, streaming VOD etc. All of this requires more and more powerful servers and networks to handle it. The programs over time also become more complex.
If before I was happy word typed a letter. Now I want graphics and links and Visios embedded etc.
So more more more horsepower from the PC and the network.
So
Business drivers are usually driven by business people.
technological ones will be driven by IT asking for resources.
IT optimization can be divided into three type.
Datacenter - ie servers, infrastructure
Network - LAN and WAN
Applications - upgrade the software on them and the application.
Each one has their own people.
Datacenter would be Dell, IBM, HP inclined people.
Network - would be CCIE's Juniper etc.
Applications - are usually programmers and software people.
You can no longer master all three unless you are in very SMB .
Cisco has created a FrameWork.
A framework is a patch of ideas or guidelines to help you talk the same lingo to other people
in the field. Which is very important. I might be peddling eggplants and the other guy is british so he is talking about Aubergines. So in the end we fail to make Baba Ganush .
As you can see there are areas
where they will intersect.
Cisco Borderless
anywhere, anytime,anything,anyone
lot's of A's
So from anywhere you go(abroad) , at anytime you want (late), anything you want (like outlook), anyone (let's say my business partners)
It also needs to be secure (VPN) , reliable (high Availiability, clusters) , seamless (one login)
It will be made from 4 Blocks.
Policy and Control - You can apply policies anywhere, if you are at home or you just came to the office
Network Services - these are services for the network, like control or energywise
User Services - like mobility , performance (acceleration), Security (vpn)
Connection management - manage the connection security everywhere.
Collaboration
Alright we got a nice network but money is made as a team effort. I need to talk to sales, they need to
talk to shipping, shipping to fed ex.
For all of this to happen you need collaboration software.
Communication and collaboration applications - telepresence (video conferencing), Email, etc
Collaboration Services - these are services for the layer above for example PRESENCE
so I know if the user is online, then I can chat him
Infrastructure - this layer provides you with the tools for the two above.
It includes virtualization , storage, network
Datacenter
Cisco builds on the Datacenter 3.0
It's a comprehensive Cisco solution to help with this.
they basically have entered the Hardware for the Datacenter market and the networking of it.
The benefits from the
Framework
are
Functionality - they support the requirements.
Scalability - they allow room for growth
Availability - reliable and anywhere anytime.
Some more examples are.
Performance - less latency, more bandwith,
Manageability - easier to use , easier to detect faults.
Efficiency - the cost is reasonable
The architecture is roughly.
Switches/ servers (nuts and bolts)
They are all easier to control with the cisco UNIFIED fabric,network and computing. (software)
They result in better energy , workload, efficiency
and allow you to virtualize, cloud, automate and consolidate (high level)
Alright,
back to PPDIOO
Prepare
Plan
Design
Implement
operate
optimize.
Keep drilling that cycle that Cisco recommends.
The benefits of using it are.
Lowers the Total Cost of Ownership TCO by validating and planning
Increases availability by producing a sound design and validating it.
Improve the business agility by establishing business requirements and strategic technologies.
Speed access to applications - byimproving performance,availability reliability, scalability.
Actions that lower the total cost of ownership are.
identify and validate the technology - for example identify you need a chassis and test it
plan for infrastructure changes and growth - for example the chassis will be flexible on the line cards you add
Develop a sound design with business goals - a business goal can be more reliability which the
chassis will handle with Dual Supervisors.
Accelerate the implementation - less downtime due to solid implementation.
Improve the network and management - make it easier to manage.
reduce operating cost by improving the process - for example the chassis allows for easier management
Actions that increase availability are.
Asses the network - so it can withstand the traffic.
Specify the hardware and software and keep it current by updating the software (smartnet)
Produce a sound design - so it won't collapse
stage and test -- to make sure it works in your network and not just on the datasheet
Improve staff skills - so they will know what to do.
Proactively monitor the network - so you can predict growth and problems
Proactively manage the security - so you can block breaches and remediate breaks.
Actions that improve business agility
establish the business requirements.
ready the sites and the people
Integreate the technical aspect and align it with the business requirement.
expertly install
continually monitor it
Actions that accelerate the application and services
assess the network
improve the service delivery
improve availability
Manage and resolve problems and keep everything up to date.
As you can see this is a cycle.
Prepare
This phase is where you come up with the Business case.
The business case creates a justification for the expenditure of time and money.
Technologies that support the architecture you are planning will be considered.
Plan Phase.
Here you drill down and identify user needs and goals.
You will also assess the network and see if there is a GAP against best practices and documentation.
You will develop a PROJECT plan with the resources milestones and identify the resources
for the design phase.
Design Phase.
Based on the previous data you gathered and in allignment with the business goals
you will produce a detailed design.
The design will include the Visio diagrams and equipment list.
You will also make the project plan more granular.
Once the design is approved you move to implement it.
Impelentation phase.
New equipment is set up and configured.
Changes should be brought up in change meetings to minimize downtime
Each step should have.
1. description
2. Detailed implementation
3. time to implement
4. guidelines for rolling it back in case of failure.
5. changes must be tested to validate them.
Operate phase.
At this stage you operate the equipment.
Day to day work along with accumulating data for the next stage.
Optimize stage.
At this phase you use the data from operations to see if there is room for improvement.
Also you analyze any problems.
If there is room for change.
You can start the Prepare phase and place a business case for improvement or change
which will start the cycle again.
Since this is CCDA concentrate on the first three stages.
Step 1 Prepare - identify the client requirements as far as business and give a conceptual architecture.
for example : the client is complaining about latency. So conceptually we will look at Nexus 3000
Step 2 Plan - Come up with an assesment of what he has now and the weakpoints or adjustments.
come up with a project plan to move ahead.
Step 3 Design - come up with a detailed design plan and granular project plan
When you run the prepare.
Talk to business managers and to department heads and users to see WHAT they need
business wise .
You can use the
1. Identify the applications and services. -example exchange and outlook.
2. Define the organizational goals example we want outlook to be more responsive and robust
3. define organizational constraints example we have a low budget.
4. Define the technical goals example improve latency by 30%
5. Define technical constraints example the switches are eos and outdated.
You can help yourself by using a template.
now you will have all of the applications identified and the requirements of them.
So the organization wants us to improve the performance of outlook.
now you can identify organizational constraints
For example. The IT goes on holiday for a month.
We lack a high budget - so maybe we get pre-owned.
HIPAA mandates we use IPSEC security for the VPN (which slows down a VPN)
Technological goals is where you can set the deliverables , like reduce latency by %
technological constraints can be cabling issues. Sites. legacy equipment
So far so good.
This is all in the Prepare.
Characterizing the network.
Simply go and ask for any current documentation.
Then validate the documentation to see it is relevant and add more detail.
After that you can run analysis tools to gather data on traffic and protcols.
Site, lan , wan ,power, cabling, rooms
Use existing documentation
Existing tools
or buy new tools.
Cisco Works can give you hardware and software.
make it pretty granular.
Device type - model -software on it - configurations - data from tools - speeds -CPU/mem - WAN data
This can be quite extensive however it can help for building a better design.
Tools
Cisco Works - maps the network and collects the hardware and software
Netflow - gives you data on the traffic.
NBAR - analyzes the application flows.
Third party tools -
Additional tools can be used for example for wireless.
Airmagnet - can analyze interference.
Commands for Cisco.
show tech-support gives you a detailed output
show process CPU - gives you a CPU reading
show version - will show you the IOS you are running.
show process memory - gives you the memory usage.
show log - will give you errors on the log
show interface - will give you stats on the interface.
show policy-map interface will show you policy maps on it.
show running-config will give you the configuration so you can assess the current network design.
show ip cache-flow
will give you the netflow output.
CNS Cisco netflow collector engine collects netflows from devices.
Checklist for best practices
Nework LAN should use switches and not hubs.
no WAN link is saturated anything above 70% is a red flag.
Response times should be less than 100ms or 2ms in the LAN.
Segments should not have more than 20% broadcast /multicast
Ethernet should not have more than 0.1 percent collisions (high utilization leads to collisions)
CPU of more than 75% for more than 5 minutes is a red flag.
output queue drops should not exceed 100 for an hour
Input queue drops should not exceed 50 for an hour
buffer missed 25 per hour
ignored should not exceed 10
QoS should be configured for VOIP or other sensitive traffic.
Steps were
Documentation
Audit of the network - cisco works
Traffic analysis - CNS analyze netflow.
Designing the network.
In order to validate the design you can use a
Prototype - which is a separate network test. (in a lab)
Pilot - a test run on a live network (for example only in the IT department)
Design from the TOP of the model down.
Application needs
then only the transport network and data link physical
Top - Down is more time consuming however more reliable.
Bottom - up relies on experience but can be prone to error.
Design Document -
This document details the business requirement + conceptual design.
The current network and gaps.
Then the design plan, configuration and testing.
1. Introduction - sometimes called the executive summary.
2. Design requirement - that are the business ones
3. existing network - add diagrams and data accumulated from the audit.
4. Design - and why it solves the requirements and addresses the current
5. Validation - data on the testing that was done. also called Proof of Concept.
6. Impelentation plan - for the Staff on how to impelement the design.
7. appendixes with all the detailed data gathered.
Before you move on you need to create a detailed implementation plan.
1. Step
2. reference to the design document
3. detailed implementation of the step.
4. detailed rollback.
5. estimated time to complete.
Q&A
list the PPDIOO
Prepare
plan
design
implement
operate
optimize
which business forces affect the design.
ROI
REgulations
business competitivenes.
efg
Which step is critical in identifying the organizational goals.
Identify customer requriements a
What needs to be obtained prior to designing the network.
Organizational goals
technical constraints
existing applications
bce
Match each PPDIOO with
i implement installation and config
ii optimize proactive management
iii design provides HA design
iv prepare Gap analysis
v operate day to day
vi plan Establish requirements.
Which borderless architecture provides mobility.
User services provide mobility
Which are three steps in the design part of the PPDIOO
b design the solution
e validate the design
a review the cost.
BCD
Match infrastructure with the description.
i identity is AAA NAC D
ii mobility is access from arremote location A
iii Storage is storage of critical data e
iv compute is improved computational resources.
v security is secure communications.
vi voice is unified messaging.
A company location is used for a test
that is a PILOT b
An isolated location is used for a test.
That is a Prototype A
NBAR netflow are
Network analysis tools B
Monitoring Cisco works and Whatsup are.
Network audit tools A
Which are technical constraints.
existing wiring A
existing bandwidth B
Which are technical goals.
Improve the LAN C
add redundancy D
Which are organizational goals.
improve customer support A
Increase competitiveness C
Reduce operational cost E
Which are organizational constraints.
BDF
What components are in the design document.
ip scheme A
implent plan B
design requirements D
selected routing E
Match each document with the description.
i. introduction goals d
ii design requriements organizational requirements c
iii existing network current diagram b
iv design new logical topology f
v proof of concept pilot e
vi implementation plan detailed steps A
vii appendix supporting information g
Network health
is based on stats from the network c
Network audit 75% for a wan link
increase the bandwidth C
What information in a network audit report.
A device list
B IOS versions
C router models
D interface speeds
E network utliziation.
Which three steps help characterize the network
BCD
Traffic analysis
audit
Collect info
Which command shows CPU
show process CPU b
What can be obtined using the traffic analyzer.
Average bit rate. e
Which commands provide information about apps protocols flows.
show ip interface b
show ip cache flow c
show ip nbar d
what is used to create the documetnation of the current network
A show commands
b audit
c audit
d existing documentation
Sequence of top down is the
application presetnation session transport network datalink phyiscal
Which are potential scopes. ???
29
dbca
30
cd
31
abcd
32
b pilot
33 which three are in the design
b design requirements
a design details
e implementation plan.
