SP High End Product

We are coming to the IOS XR. Personally, I like this OS and can recommend to start from the IOS XR Fundamentals book.

This post covers following topics:

1. IOS XR structure
2. Installing IOS XR software
3. Upgrade and manage IOS XR software
4. Secure  Domain Router (SDR)
5. CRS-1/3 structure
6. CRS-1/3 multi-chassis
7. Redundant Router Processors
8. RP switchover
9. MSC architecture
10. Switch Fabric Architecture

GE/10GE in the Core

Hi everyone, this post is about ethernet in the core. Yes, it still covering GE/10GE standards and doesn't include 40/100GE. I expect, that it will be covered in CCIE SP version 4. And hopefully, i will try to pass the written v4 for recertification :))

The ethernet topic is usually well known and nobody expects "hard" questions. Anyway I prefer to refresh my memory by using Cisco docs. Maybe I'm missing some Cisco marketing terms (like VTXP in IPoDWDM post), etc. :))

This post includes following topics:

1. Gigabit Ethernet standards
2. 10 Gigabit Ethernet standards
3. Duplex Mode
4. MTU
5. Flow control
6. Link Aggregation Control Protocol
7. 802.1Q VLAN sub-interface

IPoDWDM

Ok, let's talk about IP over DWDM.

This post includes:

1. Optical channel payload unit (OPU)
2. Optical channel data unit (ODU)
3. Optical channel transport unit (OTU)
4. Optical channel (OCh)
5. Shared Risk Link Group (SRLG)
6. Virtual Transponder (VTXP)
7. FEC-FRR Triggering
8. Optical Parameters - Rx-los-threshold, Wavelength and Transmit-power
9. G.709 Parameters

Long story short:

• integration of DWDM technology into the router
• GMPLS-UNI interface from the router to the DWDM network
• Advanced DWDM control plane - GMPLS/WSON

Supported platforms:

• CRS-1/3
• ASR9K
• 12K
• 7600
• or any platform with tunable WDM optics support

References:

1. IPoDWDM and IP NGN Core Design - deep dive
2. Cisco Live 2010 (Las Vegas) - IPoDWDM: 40G 100G and Beyond (BRKOPT-2115).
3. Cisco Live 2012 (London) - Converged Architecture for IP + Optical, multi-Terabit Routing, Control Plane (BRKSPG-2606) - this one is really good overview
4. White Paper: Converge IP and DWDM Layers in the Core Network
5. ITU-T G.709: Interfaces for the optical transport network
6. Wikipedia: G.709
7. Cisco 7600 ES+ line cards: Configuring IPoDWDM
8. Configuring Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Controllers on Cisco IOS XR Software
9. Configuring Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Controllers on the Cisco ASR 9000 Series Router
10. Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Commands on the Cisco IOS XR Software

Packet over SONET

I will try to make my posts according to the CCIE Service Provider Written Exam Checklist v3.0.  This post cover the topics in paragraph 1.1. It took me about 10 hours to check all the references.

Packet over SONET

This post includes following topics:

1. Cisco HDLC(cHDLC) Encapsulation
2. PPP Encapsulation
3. Frame-Relay Encapsulation
4. Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU)
5. Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)
6. Keepalive Timer
7. Frame-Relay DLCI on point-to-point sub-interface
8. SONET Controller
9. POS Channel
10. Channelized SONET
11. SONET APS

References:

1. A Brief Overview of SONET Technology
2. Cisco Tech Note: Differences between SDH and SONET
3. Configuring POS Interfaces on Cisco IOS XR 3.9 Software (CRS-1)
4. Configuring POS Interfaces on Cisco IOS XR 3.9 Software (XR12K)
5. Packet-over-SONET Interface Commands on Cisco IOS XR 3.9 Software (XR12000)
6. Configuring Serial Interfaces on Cisco IOS 12.2 SR Software
7. Understanding SONET/ SDH

CCIE-SP Written exam

The 350-029 exam is scheduled  on the next-next week. I have no other choice than to pass it. :)
It took me a long time to schedule it due to various reasons...

Anyway, I will start repeating the materials - especially Cisco-specific stuff like IOS XR, EIGRP, etc.