The CCIE Journey

Narbik Kocharians FREE Troubleshooting Chapter

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:36:00 +0000

Not really fresh news if you have been following the threads on GroupStudy (yes I admit some of the threads are just plain drama and at times rather abusive e.g. running down someone with a car comes to mind).

Ok the real meat of this post. Narbik Kocharians has released a free Troubleshooting lab and some other free goodies are on the way too. This is his exact post from GroupStudy some time back (a few days ago if I remembered correctly).

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To All,

First of all I would like to apologize for the delay.

Secondly, please excuse any typos, I kind of rushed to get this out so you guys will enjoy the lab.

Once again there are no registrations, no sign-ins or any other requirements to download the lab.

Please go to
http://www.micronicstraining.com/classes/index.php?dispatch=categories.view&category_id=93

And then, click on *CCIE Routing and Switching Trouble Shooting Workbook* and then, click on *Download FREE sample chapter*.

Please let me know if you experience any problems.

The initial config file is also included. You need to have winrar to unzip the directory, it also includes the diagrams.

This lab is one of the 10 Troubleshooting Mock labs and hope it would NOT be a waste of your precious time. PLease go through and read the answers and see the steps that one has to go through to resolve a trouble ticket.

I have also included another FREE lab work book that you guys can download; it has 338 pages of good labs (They help reduce your blood pressure, whereas, the TS labs help reducing the cholestrol). You should see it there as well.

The security work book and the SP will be our next priority and they should be completed before the end of the year.

There will also be a FREE VOD on ZBFW, that should be finished within a week or so.

Enjoy and I hope to see you guys later.

–
Narbik Kocharians
CCSI#30832, CCIE# 12410 (R&S, SP, Security)
www.MicronicsTraining.com
Sr. Technical Instructor
YES! We take Cisco Learning Credits!

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So for those of you who are still considering whether to get his excellent Advanced Technologies workbook, you can now get a free taste of it! Oh yeah, and I will not be surprised if you then decide to purchase the whole package ;-).

CCIE Flyer October 2009 Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:52:00 +0000

Here's the edition you guys have been waiting for. The October 2009 Edition FREE! Guess what. Another FREE gift which is Narbik Kocharians's Soups to Nuts Workbook. We didn't lie. Get your copy now at http://www.ccieflyer.com

Official Update: CCIE Routing and Switching October 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:56:00 +0000

This is the recorded session on the following item:

Official Update: CCIE Routing and Switching

Topic: Official Update: CCIE Routing and Switching Exam Changes and Cisco 360 Learning Program for CCIE RS Updates
Date: Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Time: 10:30 AM PDT (UTC -7)
Length: 1.5 Hours

Scheduled Speakers:

Maurilio Gorito, Product Manager, CCIE RS
Lora O’Haver, Product Marketing Manager
David Bump, Product Marketing Manager
Rick Smith, Program Manager Cisco 360 Learning Program for CCIE
Brad Ellis, CEO, CCIE #5796 RS/Security
Dawn Tesar, Director, Sales and Marketing
David Clark, Cisco 360 Learning Program Instructor, CCIE#14742 RS

The webcast will last approximately 90 minutes. The webcast will be recorded and posted on CCBOOTCAMP's website and the Cisco Learning Network.

The recorded session can be found at:

https://ciscosales.webex.com/ciscosales/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=40520377
&rKey=4a695ccb75726703

My good friend, Cauew has done a summary of the webinar in case you don't want to go through the whole thing at http://cauew.blogspot.com/2009/10/webinar-official-update-ccie-r.html.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!!! : Cisco Brand Protection

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:59:00 +0000

This is an EXCLUSIVE from Eman, my chief at the CCIE Flyer! This is an interview on Cisco Brand Protection. The interview was done with Karim Kattouf who is the Program Manager, Brand Protection for Saudi Arabia, Gulf & Pakistan.
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Cisco Brand Protection

I have written of the work I am doing with Monica (my best friend at Cisco) in helping CCIEs regain control of their IE numbers. Her work has led me to interact with the Brand Protection team at Cisco. They are a group of professionals who are scattered around the globe looking out for your welfare. Who is there to recover your stolen hardware? Who is there to stop the obsolete counterfeit products at the border? Who is there to warn you off of buying dumpster diver unlicensed or authorized refurbished gear? Cisco Brand Protection that’s who!

I was curious about this group when I heard they had done some high profile sweeps in the past with various agencies like border patrols, customs and police. Counterfeit Cisco gear? Yup even the DoD was worried and it has been stopped at borders. Stolen Equipment is also a concern as well and the policy from Cisco is to deny support for products that might be stolen. Used gear is a hot topic for debate. Those who sell it want it supported by Cisco like all other gear. But think about it, who can vouch for what kind of shape it is in? There are some reputable and honest companies doing this now but there are also dumpster divers and thieves out there who have spoiled this business for the whole lot. I have been told by CCIEs about a couple of bad deals as they tried to build labs. Cisco recertifies some gear and then they will support it. That’s a tough spot to be in for Cisco because they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

Karim Kattouf and I first spoke back in February when we had worked on a case together. He is a Program Manager for Brand Protection covering KSA, Gulf and Pakistan. Karim called me concerned for the CCIEs in this particular case, and quickly got to the bottom of the scenario. Karim and I spoke again this week and he agreed to share some of his work with the CCIE Flyer readers.
_____________________________________________

Q & A with Karim Kattouf

Q: Karim, can you tell me a little about how your group was formed?
A: The global Brand Protection team, with team members located worldwide, was established to drive Cisco's ongoing, proactive, and company-wide efforts to minimize the potential for damage to the Cisco brand as a result of counterfeit and unauthorized market activity, as well as other related activities.

Q: With all the growth within Cisco Systems it must have been inevitable that manufacturing would end up in another country. Is counterfeiting a serious problem?
A: Counterfeiting is not a new phenomenon for the IT industry. It is a global business issue that targets market leaders—especially those with high demand products. We recognized counterfeiting as a global market issue and have been proactively addressing the issue.

Q: What kind of penalties result from criminal counterfeit cases?
A: Cisco works in cooperation with internal law enforcement and government agencies, and pursues appropriate legal action when necessary, in order to prevent the trafficking of counterfeit Cisco products. Law enforcement anti-counterfeiting efforts, such as the collaborative international initiative against traffickers in counterfeit network hardware, result in prison sentences, fines and forfeitures, and orders for restitution, among other things, and have a deterrent effect on would-be counterfeiters. These cases also serve as an important reminder of the risk of purchasing outside of Cisco’s authorized sales and distribution channels. The integrity of a customer’s network begins with the purchase. When the equipment they are buying is mission critical, quality and authenticity should always be top of mind. There is no denying the peace of mind that comes from purchasing genuine, quality Cisco products from authorized Cisco channels.

Q: Stolen gear has a market too. You can sell almost anything on eBay these days so I was not surprised to read about a conviction for one guy taking the gear from his employer and selling it there. He made over $500,000 from this activity. How do you usually identify stolen hardware?
A: We evaluate each matter on a case-by-case basis to identify the specific issues. We also work in close collaboration with various groups within Cisco to appropriately handle each matter.

Q: In doing my research on used equipment, I found reams of companies selling it and dozens of articles supporting the practice. At the same time, I’ve seen an equal number of articles warning of the pitfalls of buying used equipment particularly regarding support of the gear, reliability of the sources, etc. What advice does Cisco provide regarding used equipment?
A: While there may be many reasons for considering the purchase of used equipment, Cisco’s advice for our customers is to understand the risks involved with used equipment. These risks may include business continuity, security, legal and regulatory, and financial. A complete description of these risks is detailed here in an IDC white paper at http://idcdocserv.com/735.
Once the risks are understood, Cisco advises customers to utilize our “Think Smart” framework when considering the purchase and installation of used network equipment. This framework consists of three steps – Plan Smart, Source Smart, and Buy Smart. A key component of this framework is Cisco Certified Refurbished Equipment, which is equipment that has been remanufactured to like-new condition by Cisco, and carries the same warranty and support options as new Cisco equipment. For more information on this framework or for additional information about the Cisco Certified Refurbished Equipment program, please visit www.cisco.com/go/refurbished or send an e-mail to refurbquestions@cisco.com.

Q: Are there any companies authorized to sell refurbished Cisco gear?
A: While there are many independent resellers offering used and 3rd party refurbished Cisco equipment, Cisco Certified Refurbished Equipment is only sold by Cisco’s network of 40,000 authorized partners worldwide. In addition to new Cisco equipment, any Cisco authorized reseller can sell and install Cisco Certified Refurbished Equipment. To verify that you are buying from a Cisco authorized reseller, please go to www.cisco.com/go/partnerlocator/

Q: Do you read the CCIE Flyer?
A: Unfortunately, I do not read the CCIE Flyer. I have heard of it amongst my colleagues, who are CCIE certified, and they have spoken very highly of it.

Q: Do you like it?
A: Browsing through the site now, I think it is very interesting and has a lot of useful and insightful information. I will make sure to bookmark it so that I can keep checking it in the future.

BIO / PICTURE: KARIM KATTOUF
Name/Title:
Karim Kattouf, Program Manager, Brand Protection – Saudi Arabia, Gulf & Pakistan

Bio:
Karim is part of Cisco’s Brand Protection team for the Middle East, in the overall Emerging Markets Theatre.

His role is multifaceted encompassing governance, audit, investigations, education, and internal and external liaison with law enforcement and the Cisco partner community. He works on Brand Protection related tasks for the Arab World.

Karim joined Cisco in 2007 as part of Partnership for Lebanon and participated in a 6 month program in San Jose, California. After this, he joined the Cisco Brand Protection team for the Middle East based in Beirut, Lebanon.

Karim holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from the American University of Beirut and is currently pursuing his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree at the Lebanese American University in Lebanon.

Picture:

Additional Contact Information / Links:
Protecting our corporate brand and reputation for quality is a serious issue for Cisco. Please notify the Cisco Brand Protection team if you suspect a breach of intellectual property by sending an email to brandprotection@cisco.com.

For more information on Cisco Brand Protection, please go to www.cisco.com/go/brandprotection.

For more information on the Partnership for Lebanon program , please go to www.partnershipforlebanon.org.

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So there you have it folks! Be sure to tune in to October 2009's CCIE Flyer edition coming to you mid of October for more interesting and hot news!

CCIE Flyer Reader Exclusive Soup-To-Nuts for FREE!

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:52:00 +0000

For some of you who is still thinking of whether to pursue the CCIE or not and even after some 'pushing' you are still thinking, think no more. Here's one for you loyal readers for the CCIE Flyer. Now don't start giving excuses and go study! :-)
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CCIE Flyer Reader Exclusive Soup-To-Nuts for FREE!

Why Pay More?

The journey to become a CCIE is an expensive one and in my everyday interactions I always look out for bargains. Recently Micronics, Voice Boot Camp, Global Knowledge and SkylineATS all reduced rates or agreed to for their CCIE boot camps. I thought I had really done something for future CCIEs with those announcements. The ads for training companies in the CCIE Flyer for September made history as well. Come on, have you ever seen those training companies all advertised on the same page before?

Well now the CCIE Flyer has really done it. We are offering Narbik’s Soup-To-Nuts workbook for FREE in the October issue of the CCIE Flyer. Yes you can get the hottest deal on one of the industry’s best workbooks to use as a guide book for your journey to become a CCIE from the CCIE Flyer. So for all you who have been visiting the CCIE Flyer this is our way of saying thanks!

How can you go wrong with free?

How to order? Go to the CCIE Flyer www.ccieflyer.com October issue out around the 17^th and see.

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Be prepared for a big October issue thanks to Eman and the CCIE Flyer team! :-)

Cisco IOS Release 15.0

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:36:00 +0000

Cisco is playing with numbers again and this time its IOS is the victim ;-). Jumping from 12.4 to 15 lets you know that Cisco is 'afraid' of the numbers 13 and 14 (number 13 is considered unlucky in the Western culture and number 14 (because of the 4) in Asian culture). This is taken from Ivan Pepelnjak's site (http://blog.ioshints.info/2009/10/ios-release-150.html). For more information you can also visit Michael Morris's blog post at NetworkWorld (http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/45883).

IOS release 15.0

This is not an April 1^st post: I’ve just realized that Cisco quietly released IOS 15.0M (mainstream). Haven’t tested it yet, but the images for a large variety of platforms are already available on CCO. The new features listed in the documentation include:

Full BFD support, including static routes, BFD-in-VRF and BFD-over-Frame Relay (next step: test it on a 2800-series router);
DHCP authentication;
DMVPN tunnel health monitoring;
EEM 3.1 (whatever that is, the EEM documentation hasn’t been updated yet);
Interaction between IS-IS and LDP;
BGP local convergence in MPLS VPN networks (the feature has already been available 12.2 SRC, now it’s available on more platforms);
OSPF graceful shutdown and OSPF TTL security check features are available on more platforms;
Intra-zone traffic inspection in zone-based firewall.

It looks like (as expected) the 15.0 release is a grand merge of all previous IOS trains (with a few extra features). Good job; finally we have something new to play with :)

CCIE Agent Economic Stimulus

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:51:00 +0000

Here are some good news for you guys and girls who want to do the Cisco 360 program. This just came in from my chief, Eman.

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CCIE AGENT ECONOMIC STIMULUS

Yeah it’s an overused term the whole Economic Stimuli theme, but in some sectors it is working. Take as example the surge in hiring in the USA for Network Engineers we have seen. What has made the Cisco Channel Partner community open up their purses? The answer I think is that money is being spent and spending promotes spending. I am a simple man but I do understand that basic concept. The fact is we have been seeing brisk interviewing and hiring and we are feeling very strong heading into the last quarter of 2009. I will be just as glad to say good bye to 2009 as I was to 2008 even though we are seeing an improvement through end of this year.

CCIE Agent Economic Stimulus for Channel Partners

As the CCIE Agent™ I have enjoyed a lot of success so I am offering clients reduced rates for staffing. What should you care as a CCIE or candidate we represent? Because hiring companies often make a decision on whom they are hiring with the fee they are paying the recruiting company in mind. If the fee adds too much to the bottom line then the candidate could see themselves eliminated. Have you ever been rejected for a role you thought you had in the bag? Think about your agent, what are they charging your prospective employer? I wish I could get all the CCIEs I know who are unemployed new jobs. So to help them we are reducing our fees to prospective employers to 12% with a maximum fee of $10,000. These low rates will help prospective employers make a decision. (contact eman@ccieflyer.com)

CCIE Agent Economic Stimulus for Training

Many phone calls have transpired since my conversations with Learning at Cisco representatives. Since then I have visited with Bruce Caslow and spoken with SkylineATS and Global Knowledge representatives about the program and the pricing. I have been successful in getting CCIE Flyer only discounts for my readers from Micronics and Voice Boot Camp and now I am very pleased to say I have negotiated rates down for 360 program CCIE training. Now I have been told I will see special rates in the $3,000 range for this offering.

CCIE Flyer Boot Camp EXCLUSIVES

Mirconics

Narbik’s special brand of CCIE R&S boot camp training is world renowned as the most effective and comprehensive of its kind. (www.ccieflyer.com)

Voice Boot Camp

Faisal Khan has now added his name to the list of trainers authorizing me to offer CCIE Flyer only pricing for his world renowned CCIE Voice. (www.ccieflyer.com)

SkylineATS

Narbik and Paul Negron 360 learning provider SkylineATS has begun negotiating with the CCIE Agent to provide the 360 learning program for CCIE in the $3,000 range. There will be a lot more to say about this very soon in the CCIE Flyer! (www.ccieflyer.com)

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There you have it folks. Seems like after the lair of Narbik Kocharians had some juicy news, the CCIE Flyer lair had some juicy news of its own! I am pretty sure the IPExpert and Internetwork Expert team will not be left behind ...

Something Brewing In the Lair of Narbik Kocharians

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:23:00 +0000

Yours truly have been donning his Cisco Ninja suit and stalking Narbik Kocharians and after a successful stalking, here's what was found.

Narbik is working on FOUR major projects. Four??? Yes. Four.

Narbik is working hard on getting his troubleshooting workbook for the CCIE R&S track out. If you have purchased his 2.0 workbook, you will see that it is labeled vol 3. This workbook is provided FREE for those of you who had bought his 2.0 workbook. Because of Narbik's high and stringent quality requirements to only release the very best to his students, he will have someone good to help him out so we'll see the surprise soon enough.

Narbik is also working hard on releasing his CCIE SP workbook out. The schedule for his CCIE SP bootcamp will be out soon and will be taught all over the world. If you know the quality of his R&S workbooks then expect the same best work for this track as well.

Don't be surprised if you see Narbik releasing workbooks for the other tracks as well. When I stalked his lair, I happen to see a glimpse of books starting with SE there. SEcurity or does SE means Special Edition? Maybe he has a Special Edition for R&S? Time will tell.

Let us not forget that the OSPF COD is nearing completion (it seriously is almost completed!). If the quality is the same like how we experience for the free OSPF Filtering sample we saw, then I believe we will be blown wide open with the quality of the CoD videos.

Last but not least, before I left Narbik's lair, I heard him snoring about finishing editing the CCIE Written Exam Certification Guide 4th Edition which is due out in October 2009. Hence I believe Narbik will now turn his energy when he wakes up to releasing some of the stuff that I mentioned above.

I would have stayed longer at Narbik's lair but you see he has this sweet lady named Janet who patrols the lair for pesky intruders so I don't want to get caught. You know how it is when you are caught spying on people. Hence I left after about 3-5 minutes.

There you have it folks. Fresh news from Narbik's lair. Remember you heard it here FIRST. Please also remember one thing. Again I would like to remind you that Narbik is a ONE-MAN army. He works alone most of the time on releasing his workbooks and also teach classes. We have 24 hours in a day so if you get a slow reply or no reply from Narbik, you could perhaps try again in 4-5 days. He receives tonnes of mails last I heard so it's already tough filtering mails from us and also requests on getting him to appear on the David Letterman show.

As per popular request, I have included the .NET file on the topology for Narbik's workbooks which can be found at this RapidShare link. I have also included a link to his OSPF CoD since I had requests on this from a couple of people who visited my blog. His CoD can be found at this RapidShare link.

CCIE Flyer September 2009 Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:47:00 +0000

The CCIE Flyer September 2009 Edition is now out!!! As usual, it has great content! Get it while it's just out of Eman's oven at http://www.ccieflyer.com.

A CCIE Widow's Request

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:08:00 +0000

Today I received an e-mail from Eman, my chief at CCIE Flyer. The mail was about a CCIE Widow's request. It is very touching and even though I did not know Dave in person, how his wife, Lee, described about him touched me very much. Time does not wait for us. We must appreciate whatever time we have whether it is for personal stuff, family gatherings, CCIE studies, etc.
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A CCIE Widow’s Request

CCIE # 5804 was one of the very few CCIEs in Alaska. I met him at Networkers in 2008 the month before his death. I did not find out about his passing until March of 2009 when a friend and co-worker sent me a message about him after seeing his picture on my blog. I had exchanged emails with him prior to Cisco Live 2008 so when we met I was pleased to make the acquaintance of one of only 4 CCIEs in Alaska that I knew of. After Cisco shut down the NASCAR Grille CCIE party, I hosted a bunch of CCIEs at the Hard Rock Café near there at Universal Studios Orlando. The band Modest Mouse was just finishing their last set for the night and we had a few beers together along with seven or eight other CCIEs. The other guys were from Holland, Texas and a few other places. But Dave and I talked a lot that evening and I am happy now, looking back that I had that chance.

At the end of August 2009 I received this email from Lee Gahm, Dave’s wife;

Dear Eman,

My name is Lee, I am Dave's wife. Tonight I spoke with his parents and they told me about what you had written and I looked it up. I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to share your kind words about Dave. The proudest day in his life was when he passed his CCIE test. Actually we were all very proud. Dave LOVED his job and by what I could tell he was very good at it. I miss the middle of the night calls from his work..I never understood a single word he said but I was always impressed. His trips to those conventions were always important to him. He was proud to be a "techno geek". He was looking forward to the next CCIE gathering as he was going to speak.

I am not ready yet but I will be putting together a memory book for Abby. I would be grateful if you and some of the others would share some of your memories or stories about Dave with me. If you have any other pictures too, I would love to have them. I know his parents would like to see them also.

He truly was doing something that he loved. I was so fortunate to speak to him the night before and could hear the happiness in his voice.

Sincerely,
Lee

So I am posting this so that anyone who knew CCIE # 5804, Dave Gahm will share in photos or in writing their experiences with Dave. CCIEs have a way of influencing others across borders so I am happy to help Mrs. Gahm and Dave’s parents in gathering what I can through this medium Dave loved so much.

If you have anything you would like to share about Dave Gahm please respond to eman@ccieflyer.com

Thanks

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So if you guys know or have any memories with Dave whether in words or in pictures, please contact Eman. This means a lot to Dave's wife so let's try and do what we can to ease her pain.

Narbik Kocharians's Advanced CCIE Routing & Switching 2.0 Workbooks FINALLY OUT

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:12:00 +0000

The wait is over. For those of you who have been waiting and asking when these great workbooks will be relased hear me out! Narbik Kocharians's excellent Advanced CCIE Routing and Switching 2.0 workbook is FINALLY OUT! You can purchase them at Narbik's website at http://www.micronicstraining.com. You should see a banner there informing you of the workbook but if not try clicking on this direct link --> http://www.micronicstraining.com/classes/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=29816.

I can't wait to get my hands on these! As previously said, Narbik will dismantle you with his labs so I would like to see the newly content added to his workbooks will do the same. At this rate of dismantling, it's a wonder how I can still type with my fingers intact ...

Internetwork Expert's CCNA Audio Bootcamp

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:22:00 +0000

It's rare that you will see postings on CCNA products on a CCIE blog but hey I am one of those 'rare' people then. Internetwork Expert has released a few CCNA-related audio files. The CCNA Audio Bootcamp files are located at http://podcast.ine.com. These audio files are done by Anthony Sequiera and they serve as a warm-up to your CCIE studies.

I personally find them entertaining. However please bear in mind that if you are well into your CCIE preparation, you will find that these subjects are at CCNA-level and touches the surface only. Still it is fun to listen to them and then wonder "yeah but there's more to that" and indirectly, you 'force' yourself into thinking more of the technology that was said on the audio.

My CCIE Written Exam (Beta) 351-001 v4.0 is at this coming Wednesday, 9th September 2009 so wish me luck. I have the mentality that IF I fail this exam, I am going to resit it again in due course. This however will not prevent me from preparing for the lab. I am feeling nervous at this point of time. I don't know whether it's because I feel unprepared or just the normal 'exam' feeling. I hope I don't do something stupid like send a mail to my boss and say "Wassup dawg?"

Narbik Kocharians's Advanced CCIE Routing & Switching 2.0 Workbooks Update #3

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:16:00 +0000

In case some of you have given up on seeing the v2.0 workbooks and CoD series from Narbik Kocharians, don't give up. Here is the latest update from Narbik and it's fresh from the oven mind you :-).

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To All,

Man what a week...... On Saturday morning i had a small procedure (surgery) which turned out to be fine (Thank god), my family and my doctor were worried, so i had to cancel the Dubai Boot Camp, Doc told me to take 4 days off and it should be good as gold.

I thought to myself well....I will use the time to finish off my COD and the 2.0 work book, but guess what......The freaking fires in LA (La Crescenta and La Canada hills) which is where i live, forced us to evacuate twice.

I am hoping things will settle down by tomorrow so i can finish the work book and the COD before i fly to London for a boot camp.

Sorry everyone, it was out of my control. It should be done very soon (With my luck, earthquake is next). My neighbors tell me to shut up whenever i mention earthquake, hahahahaha you have to laugh, you can't take this 2 seriously, its funny, mate its all funny.....

Narbik Kocharians
CCSI#30832, CCIE# 12410 (R&S, SP, Security)
www.MicronicsTraining.com
Sr. Technical Instructor

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StormTrooper Headache

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:06:00 +0000

I am sitting for my CCIE written very soon. With so much information on the new blueprint (this is not to say that the current 3.0 version has little information), I am finding myself having more headaches trying to really understand and grasp the technologies being outlined. Hence at this point of writing, I have "StormTrooper Headache" syndrome :-)

Narbik Kocharians's Advanced CCIE Routing & Switching 2.0 Workbooks Update #2

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:59:00 +0000

I just woke up, my iPhone beeped telling me of e-mails from GS and one particular mail caught my attention and here's the mail.

From Narbik Kocharians's own words in Group Study,

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*Advanced CCIE R&S Work Book* - Version 1.0 is the OLD "Advanced CCIE R&S Work Book" and its been sold for $150. There will be no updates to this work book.

*Soup-To-Nuts*, this work book was what the students used to get when they signed up for a boot camp. Basically it prepared the students for the BOOT CAMP and NOT the lab. This work book is being sold for $35.

*Foundation 2.0* - This work book replaced the old soup-to-nuts, and when you register for a boot camp, you will get an E-copy of this work book, its designed to prepare you for the boot camp ONLY. Its being sold for $100.

*Advanced CCIE R&S Work Book 2.0* - This work book covers everything in the currect version of CCIE R&S + version 4, which is the new version of the test that will be enforced starting Oct 18th. This work book will be sold for $350, and covers things like LDP/MPLS L3VPNs, an updated section of IPv6 to include Eigrp, OER, and many more. This work book is almost finished and should be ready for purchase starting Monday 24th.

*Boot Camp 2.0* - A work book that will be ready by Oct, this work book can NOT be purchased, you can ONLY get this work Book if you attend a boot camp, it contains some serious labs on all the items and i mean on ALL items in the blue print.

*The SP work book* - This work book is finished but i need to go through it one more time to see and fix the typos and add more explanation. Real quality work book, probably the BEST one for SP.

*The Class On Demand series* - The OSPF Filtering is already added and you can download the FREE sample from the website and the complete version of this product can be purchased for $50, i will be adding more CoDs to the list, my goal is to have a complete selection of R&S, SP, Voice and Security. We will be adding things like CCNA, CCNP, CCSP, CCIP, CCVP stuff there as well.

I hope i answered all questions. Once again i am very sensitive to people's money, i WILL NOT PUSH THE PRICES HIGHER, but the quality will be the BEST I CAN PRIVIDE, as far as content, it will be the most complete CoD.

Narbik Kocharians
CCSI#30832, CCIE# 12410 (R&S, SP, Security)
www.MicronicsTraining.com

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That's a huge update if you ask me :-). Narbik now is finally going to offer a whole range of CoDs and also his updated 2.0 workbooks. With his outstanding bootcamp, I'll say things are going to get pretty interesting in the CCIE world.

CCIE Flyer August 2009 Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:54:00 +0000

Hot from the stove, the CCIE Flyer August 2009 Edition is out. Get it at http://www.ccieflyer.com and share it around!

Narbik Kocharians's Advanced CCIE Routing & Switching 2.0 Workbooks Update

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:26:00 +0000

If you are interested in Narbik Kocharians's Advanced CCIE Routing & Switching 2.0 workbooks like the millions of us, this is his latest update from GroupStudy (barely 10 minutes after he posted).

In Narbik's own words,

"It should be any day now, i am sorry, one thing i have not learned in 32 years is to delegate, and i hate to sell a product that i don't believe in, so i like to do my best in every product that i put my name on. So please hang in there another 2 - 3 days and hopefully it will all be done.

I just finished a Cisco Press Tech Editing project
I am working on my Class on Demand for R&S
I am working on my new 2.0 Boot Camp lab work book, which should be done before Oct (Surprise Surprise, you can only get this work book if you attend a boot camp).
I am working on the SP work book. etc etc etc etc NOT to mention teaching classes.......

The price for "*Advanced CCIE R&S 2.0*" will be $350. But i promise that it
will be the BEST of the BEST. This is a promise from me to all and you can
count on it.
The upgrade is ONLY available to our OLD STUDENTS, and NOT new ones and it
will cost the OLD students $175.

Thanks"

So there you have it folks. A little patience will go a long way :-)

Eman - CCIE Amnesty Update

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:40:00 +0000

An update on what Eman has been doing on the CCIE Amnesty Program.

CCIE Amnesty Update

Going into the second month of this effort to help CCIEs regain control of their numbers I am reminded of the old McDonalds when I was a kid. The sign that was a part of the original “Golden Arches” used to say “Thousands Served”, an indication that thousands of burgers had been purchased. Today the sign say “Millions and Millions Served”. I would like to hang up a sign for CCIE Amnesty saying hundreds saved! But the truth is only six CCIEs have had their numbers disassociated from channels because of the work Monica (my best friend at Cisco) and I have been doing. I have received several dozen requests for help or clarification about the associations of some CCIEs and I have even been called by competing recruiters who were poaching CCIEs from one channel for another. I am pleased that in the first month we have been able to help CCIEs internationally regain control of their numbers. The work and investment in earning a CCIE is an investment worth protecting.

The second month of the effort by Monica (my best friend at Cisco) and me we are hoping to spread the word even farther. There has been a lot of interest in this effort and some negative but the good work continues.

Here’s our plan, for the next 90 60 days I am asking any CCIE who is in a situation where their CCIE number is associated with a company they are not really working for to step forward and I will have their number released from that employer with no repercussions or penalties. The company will then have nine months to resolve their need and the CCIE will help another CCIE have a shot at a real job. Think about it, if you have your number associated with a company that needs the number you are taking a job away from another CCIE who needs a job.

How to proceed.

Send me an email eman@ccieflyer.com and I will call you to begin the process. I will keep you out of hot water and help the channel partner replace you with a real CCIE to join their staff. If you are the victim of a channel that is holding your number against your will I will help release your number also without reprisals to the channel partner in question.

I only asked for 90 days from Monica (my best friend at Cisco) if yopu have questions or want to discuss this effort I am always available to answer questions.

Thanks

Monica Cojocneanu leads Cisco’s Worldwide Certification Program and strategy that is widely recognized as leading the industry. More than 80 percent of Cisco products and services are sold through channel partners, systems integrators, value-added resellers, distributors, and others whose innovative solutions based on Cisco products and services extend the reach of Cisco’s sales and services organizations around the world. The Cisco certification program strategy is to increase profitable growth for partners and build partner capability to accelerate marketplace adoption of solutions based on Cisco advanced and emerging technologies. Monica is a 8 years Cisco veteran, previously worked in the Customer Advocacy where she was responsible for defining the first generation of Cisco Advanced Services.

Narbik Kocharians's Class-on-Demand Sample

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:27:00 +0000

Narbik Kocharians has just released a sample of his CoD via a link on GroupStudy recently (yes I know GS can be a clowning place at times). Now I have to say that after attending his CCIE bootcamp in June 2009, I was expecting the same ol' Narbik albeit in a digital form teaching us the technologies of the CCIE blueprint in the same sharp-witted and very easy-to-understand approach.

I was not disappointed. The sample was on OSPF filtering and if you have never attended any of his bootcamps, there is a possibility you will find that OSPF filtering is confusing and perhaps difficult. Now Narbik does not don his 007 suit and explain to you in a vague way or in a too jokeful manner. Instead he explains it in a very concise, straight-forward and best of all in simple English.

I will not describe on how he taught in this sample video because my words alone will not do any justice to this outstanding video sample but please do yourself a favour. Again, as in previous blog entries, if you are dead serious on earning your CCIE certification and if the opportunity arises, have Narbik's materials/bootcamp on top of your list.

I have included the link here after getting permission from the man himself, so please feel free to download it and comment here if you like :-). It's in mp4 by the way and VLC plays it just fine.

http://systemwise.eu/Section-1.mp4.7z

You will probably need 7-Zip if you don't have it already installed on your system. You can get 7-Zip at http://www.7-zip.org.

If you have already seen this sample video, then you will see how Narbik makes it ridiculously easy for you when it comes to OSPF filtering. I know it's easy because I have it at the back of my hand now ;-).

CCIE Amnesty Program Updated

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:20:00 +0000

There seems to be some 'drama' happening at NetworkWorld where Brad Reese has openly declared that there is no such thing as a CCIE Amnesty program. The page which can be found at http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/44131 with 4 pages of comments at this point of writing shows to how a big organization such as Cisco can have multiple news.

Now if you have been following the drama, or if you have been following my blog, you know I write for the CCIE Flyer so some of you might say that "Nickelby is now an attention whore and he will definitely support Eman bla bla bla". Let me tell you this straight in the face. I am a person of my own opinion. In other words, I do not let people and especially the media sway me away from my own opinions. Period.

What I can say is this. I have seen the response from Cisco (ok part of Cisco since John Chambers for some reason refuses to answer my mail to play 'PONG' on the Internet ;-)) clearly states that there is a CCIE Amnesty Program existing. Eman started this initiative because he knew from experiences that a lot of CCIEs were not aware of making the mistake of renting out their certs to 'employers' whom they are not working with for various reasons. Those reasons can simply be that their current employers do not need CCIEs like yours truly ;-).

For those who are bashing Eman simply for this effort, ask yourselves this. If you were ignorant enough to rent out your cert to a third party only to realise that mistake later and found out that if Cisco catches you doing so, you will be banned and stripped off your CCIE title, how would you feel? You would feel that you need a second chance right? The CCIE Amnesty Program is just that. A second chance. A second life for those who makes mistakes in the CCIE world. Do not come BS-ing to me saying that you will not be that stupid to make such a mistake. We are all humans. At one point of time, we will make a mistake and during that time, the words "Please Give Me A Chance" will start appearing in your mind.

For those of you who works in big organizations and when I mean big I really do mean big, you will know that certain projects especially sensitive ones or still in a "proof-of-concept" stage that happens will not be official until you can get the whole board of directors to sanction it. PR on the other hand always tries to do a good job by masking sensitive stuff until it is proven to be beneficial and/or profitable to the organization. Admit it PR people, that's your job. Brad gotten his news from the PR department of Cisco. It is true that the PR's job is to secure and protect Cisco's assets and in this case, the CCIE comes in play.

But ask yourselves this, ask a PR about the workings of EIGRP and he will tell you that it's a Cisco propriety protocol, bla, bla, bla. Ask an engineer about EIGRP and he will go about how to configure it, optimize it, bla, bla, bla. Ask a sales person about EIGRP and he will go, it is the fastest protocol and it will make your network fast, bla, bla, bla. Ask me and I will say it stands for Eh I Got Round Penis.

Moral of the story? Everyone has an opinion about something. Everyone has facts and proof on something (ok maybe I don't have a round penis but we'll leave that to another day). The thing is Eman is coming from a different direction working with Monica on this CCIE Amnesty program. I have seen this response and I can vouch that it is real. Brad on the other hand just fires an email to PR asking whether such a thing exists and of course, PR not knowing anything about it yet will probably do the smart thing which is to deny.

Eman started something to help the CCIEs out of their predicament. Brad refuses to acknowledge that and instead put up a blog post on how 'untrue' this is. If you were a CCIE candidate or a CCIE, who will you prefer to be on your side. Someone who cares and tries to protect your hard-earned CCIE from being killed just because you did something that you were not aware of OR someone who questions your intellectual ability when you make mistakes? You decide which pill you want to take.

By the way, from the Internet, I look up on the word amnesty and from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/amnesty

–noun

1.	a general pardon for offenses, esp. political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction.

2.	Law. an act of forgiveness for past offenses, esp. to a class of persons as a whole.

3.	a forgetting or overlooking of any past offense.

There are THREE definitions to it so it can be any one of them. So why is someone yapping about the word amnesty referring to the definition "An undertaking by the authorities to take no action against specified offenses or offenders." ? That definition is one of the many definitions I believe he saw on the dictionary. You need to look at the entire context before making a claim. I rest my case.

CCIE Flyer July 2009 "Swimsuit Edition"

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:01:00 +0000

The CCIE Flyer July 2009 "Swimsuit Edition" is out now at http://www.ccieflyer.com. I have wrote an article about my recent trip to the Kelantan state in Malaysia, a state which is governed by the opposition political party known as PAS which practices Islamic law and are very conservative people at times (or most of the times).

Kelantan is sort of a backward-place if you asked me since there isn't really much to see here. So why write an article on it? Kelantan may be a boring place to some but it does houses some of the largest Buddhist statues in the whole of South East Asia especially the very well-known Sleeping Buddha, Sitting Buddha and even the Standing Buddha. Look at my article in the CCIE Flyer for some pictures.

Now CCIE-wise, what have I been up to? Well to help me study, I recently purchased iFlipr for my iPhone. iFlipr is basically a flash-card application where you can download tonnes and tonnes of flashcards on a very wide broad of subjects which is actively maintained by its members. Thankfully, there are some great CCIE flash cards out there :-). At one point, I may begin to write my own flash cards :P.

Apart from that, I have been hitting Narbik's labs almost on a daily basis and will rent a month's worth of rack time in August with another CCIE candidate, Navfett. So August will be the month of 'racking' ;-).

I am currently trying to schedule for the CCIE 4.0 R&S Beta written exam but I have yet to see it on PearsonVUE's website. The only thing showing is a CCIE Beta Lab and it costs USD$99 so I don't think that's the one. Damn! I should have done the written earlier and schedule a cheap lab. Serves me right for always putting off the written :-)

CCIE Amnesty Program

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:22:00 +0000

What does amnesty mean? Well it has been years since I thumbed through my Funk and Wagnalls dictionary so I could not actually find it! Instead I hopped on-line and looked it up.

Noun1.amnesty - a period during which offenders are exempt from punishment
Verb1.amnesty - grant a pardon to (a group of people)

If you have not been informed there are many ways to use your CCIE number. A few of these methods are frowned upon by Cisco and can even cost you that hard earned number. Yes, recently I personally witnessed the revoking of a pair of CCIEs who had associated their numbers to a channel they did not work for. This is strictly forbidden by Cisco and can result in severe penalties to the Channel and the CCIE. (see http://www.itworld.com/networking/69359/innocuous-or-unethical )

I felt pretty badly about the CCIEs losing their certifications and wanted to help prevent this as much as I can. So I called Monica (my best friend at Cisco) and we put our heads together to come up with a solution. From this chat the CCIE Amnesty program was born.

The rules are very clear about CCIEs whose numbers are used to help advance channel partners reseller status. The CCIE must work and live where the company is located. Number associations have been done in some creative ways both with and without the CCIE’s participation. As I described in February on my blog http://www.ccieagent.com/ in the story , “CCIE Hostage Stand-Off”, sometimes unsuspecting CCIEs are fooled by a company simply to get them to associate their number. The company in this story after passing the Cisco Audit put the CCIEs on unpaid leave. In other cases the CCIE simply succumbs to the temptation to associate their number because their real employer has no use for it. So they get a small fee for the number and are never utilized by the company, I call this a Rent-A-Cert. This is a name used by a company acting as a recruiting company but in actuality putting certified individuals in harm’s way.

Here’s our plan, for the next 90 days I am asking any CCIE who is in a situation where their CCIE number is associated with a company they are not really working for to step forward and I will have their number released from that employer with no repercussions or penalties. The company will then have nine months to resolve their need and the CCIE will help another CCIE have a shot at a real job. Think about it, if you have your number associated with a company that needs the number you are taking a job away from another CCIE who needs a job.

How to proceed.

Send me an email eman@ccieflyer.com and I will call you to begin the process. I will keep you out of hot water and help the channel partner replace you with a real CCIE to join their staff. If you are the victim of a channel that is holding your number against your will I will help release your number also without reprisals to the channel partner in question.

Tell your friends tell your coworkers but most of all tell the man in the mirror (ala Michael Jackson) it’s wrong so let’s clean it up! There is an effort to identify the fraudulent associations so please take advantage of this amnesty before you get a letter from Cisco about your CCIE number being revoked!

Peace!

Updates on Narbik Kocharians and the Cisco 360 Program

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:47:00 +0000

Narbik Kocharians and the Cisco 360 program can be found at Steve Rossen's blog which is located at http://steverossen.com/2009/07/06/narbik-cisco-360/ . Seems like we will still have free retakes :-).

Narbik on Steroids! - An Interview by Emmanuel Conde

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:24:00 +0000

THE BEST OF THE BEST

(Narbik on Steroids!)

The whole world is going nuts and the best way to distinguish yourself from the herd during this crazy time is by raising the bar on your own accomplishments every day. I do it and it keeps me fresh and in demand as the CCIE Agent™. Those around me that I associate professionally with do it too, like M and Jack Taylor my team. We hustle every day and try to take care of our network of clients and CCIEs as we navigate the muck and mire.

Training material for CCIEs is another area of distinction for some authors. I have personally seen some very good ones out there and distinguishing themselves becomes difficult for some of the authors. CCIE training material is written and published all the time by various sources and authors. I have heard of some plagiarized products out there from several of my network members. I speak with one author regularly, Narbik who recently called while I was in Jamaica (did you know only one CCIE lives in Jamaica?) talking to him about his new 2.0 Boot Camp. I get excited about CCIE stuff so I was excited to help spread the word about this news.

So when I landed back in the states I called Narbik back and asked him to answer a few questions about his latest work and activities on behalf of CCIEs around the world. What follows is my best effort to capture that call.

Q: Narbik why do I go on vacation to get away from work just to end up taking your calls? Is it the love of what we do or are we both nuts?

A: Eman I think we are both nuts driven by a passion that is based upon our love of helping others. What we do is not all for money we both spend so much time helping others and we are lucky we get paid for what we do and love. Vacation is for people who are stressed out every day and need a break. We are kindred spirits in that way and we don’t need a relief from stress, just more time with family that is less interrupted! I know you took my call because it was me. How many calls did you not take?

Q: Narbik I am asking the questions here. Yes I took your call because it was you but I also took a few others. I actually added two new clients while on vacation since they called out of the blue and rekindled an old relationship with another channel partner. The call from Dubai was a good one since some of my CCIE network will have a chance there to get submitted for new roles. But in all I did avoid a few callers and M was instrumental in keeping everyone happy for me.

Tell me what’s new with you? I know you have been working on new training materials and had a few calls with Cisco lately.

A: As of Aug, who ever attends my book camp, they will get “THE BEST OF THE BEST” the reason I call it the best of the best is because the students get my ALL NEW 2.0 boot camp which is by far the best, and they also get another best which is Cisco’s CCIE training called “The 360 program”.

Q: Whoa! You are now offering the 360⁰ Learning Program?

A: Only select Cisco Learning Partners are invited to deliver the Cisco 360 Learning Program, and I am proud to be a company that is recognized by Cisco. BTW, I am also a Master instructor.

Q: How did you come to the conclusion that combining your efforts with Cisco was a good idea?

A: I have been thinking about this for the longest time and I had to come up with a program that best serves MY students, a program that provides a passing rate of 80 percent, and I mean that, therefore, I wrote the all new foundation called “Foundation 2.0”, “Advanced CCIE R&S 2.0” and “The ALL NEW Boot Camp 2.0”. We are also coming up with an “Advanced Troubleshooting 2.0” which is 10 rigorous Mock labs, basically you load the initial configuration file and start going from task to task and resolve one problem after another, you see I never cared for 8 hour mock labs, NEVER, but this is very interesting and actually teaches the students to troubleshoot one task after another, and let me tell you, they are pretty tough, as a matter of fact very tough BUT RELEVENT.

Q: With all this did you feel you would be diluting your offerings?

A: The last thing that I wanted to add to this program was another program, and who better than CISCO or I should say who better than Bruce and Val’s program.

Q: Do you think this separates you from your competitors?

A: I don’t have to brag about our boot camps, but if you thought the old boot camp was great, you have not seen anything yet. Come and see the difference in philosophy. This program is what I had BUT on Steroids. I honestly believe that this is by far the BEST of the BEST.

Q: Ok. You are getting all worked up again and I can’t keep up. Give me a real run down.

A: Some of the new offerings are as follows:

Ciers-1 PLUS my 2.0 boot camp:

This providers 60 percent lecture and 40 percent hands on.

Ciers-2 PLUS my 2.0 boot camp material.

This provides 5 days of intense MOCK labs + lectures.

Once again, my retake policy is still in place, you can retake any one of these classes any number of times. As a matter of fact, I RECOMMEND it.

Micronics has a total of 24 R&S racks and these racks can be rented by our students for a price of $450 per month.

Soup-to-Nuts on special for $50

The new “Advanced CCIE R&S 2.0” for $395.

Q: Will this affect your delivery? I mean come on, the colored markers and white boards are a hallmark of your teaching style.

A: I will NEVER change the style of teaching, because if I do, I will be another vendor offering boot camps. When I tell everyone that my philosophy is different, some vendors get upset but, hey… my philosophy is different, my philosophy is to “TEACH” and NOT “LECTURE”. I have combined the two courses so my students get the BEST, I have added another 5 hours to my lectures, and if you have been to any of my boot camps you know that I DO NOT COVER FAT, I cover the MEAT of the subject.

Always remember it is NOT the company that the students should look for, it’s the instructor, I do not care if the company has been around since Rocky Marciano days, the company is NOT the one teaching the class, it’s the instructor. In real estate there is a saying and I quote “Location, Location, Location”, in CCIE or any training for that matter, the saying is “Instructor, Instructor, Instructor”.

CCIE Flyer 2009 June Edition + Itsy Bitsy Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Nickelby) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:40:00 +0000

Just a short and quick update. CCIE Flyer 2009 June Edition is out at http://www.ccieflyer.com. Get it while it's hot! You can see a lot of interesting articles there with this month focusing on 'learning'.

On my end of things, I have been working on the workbooks from Narbik. I am still on switching. Reason why it is taking so long when we can actually do the whole lab book in 3 days? Simple. I want to understand what I am doing and why I am doing it and what will happen when I do it. Hence I am not even half or rather quarter of the book yet :-). Slow progress but still not stalled ....

This week my mum is in town for a week's visit so it will be interesting to see how many hours of studying I can cramped in this week! You NEVER say no to mum ... not even the CCIE allows you to do that ;-).