CCIE Enterprise: How to Study SD-Access Without Breaking The Bank
Summary
TLDRThe video discusses a Cisco webinar about the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Lab exam, focusing on building and studying lab environments. It highlights the high hardware requirements for software-defined access (SDA) and provides cost-effective alternatives for preparation. The presenter recommends resources like Tim McConaughey's workbooks, Lab Minutes' free videos, and Kbits.live subscription for extensive SDA content. For hands-on practice, DevNet's DNA Center sandbox is suggested. The video aims to help candidates prepare affordably, without investing in expensive hardware, and invites viewers to share additional resources or feedback.
Takeaways
- π Cisco hosted a webinar on building your own lab for the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Lab Exam on April 8th, 2021.
- π» Hardware requirements for the lab are quite high, with the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) needing 8 CPUs and 64GB RAM, and the DNA Center requiring 88 virtual CPUs and 256GB RAM.
- π₯οΈ Emulating Catalyst 9000 series switches is not possible, so physical switches are necessary, which are expensive for personal labs.
- π΅ SDA (Software-Defined Access) constitutes 12-15% of the exam but is the most costly component due to hardware requirements.
- π Tim McConaughey's Leanpub books are recommended for learning SDA underlay configuration, costing $19 for the full bundle.
- π₯ Lab Minutes offers free videos on SDA fundamentals, providing a cost-effective way to learn about DNA Center.
- πΊ KBits.live offers a $100 yearly subscription with extensive videos on SDA and SD-WAN, providing in-depth training.
- π§ Cisco DevNet Sandbox provides free, hands-on access to DNA Center for clicking around and basic interactions.
- π€ For those with access to necessary hardware through work or other means, the video may not be as useful.
- π‘ The video suggests a budget-friendly approach to studying SDA: using Leanpub books, Lab Minutes videos, KBits.live subscription, and DevNet Sandbox access, totaling around $140.
Q & A
What was the primary focus of the Cisco CCIE webinar mentioned in the transcript?
-The primary focus of the Cisco CCIE webinar was on building your own lab and beyond, specifically for the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Lab exam.
What were some of the hardware requirements discussed for software-defined access (SDA)?
-The hardware requirements discussed included the Identity Services Engine (ISE) with 8 CPUs and 64 GB of RAM, and the DNA Center appliance with 88 virtual CPUs and 256 GB of RAM.
Why are Catalyst 9000 switches necessary for the SDA part of the lab?
-Catalyst 9000 switches are necessary for the SDA part of the lab because there are no images available to emulate these switches, and DNA Center virtualization is not officially supported.
What percentage of the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Lab exam does SDA cover?
-SDA covers approximately 12 to 15% of the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Lab exam.
What are some resources recommended for studying SDA on the CCIE lab exam?
-Recommended resources include Tim McConaughey's books on SDA underlay configuration, Lab Minutes videos on SDA fundamentals, and KBits.live's subscription plan for comprehensive video courses.
What is the cost of the Leanpub bundles by Tim McConaughey for studying SDA?
-The cost of the Leanpub bundles by Tim McConaughey for studying SDA is $19 for the full bundle.
What does the Lab Minutes video series offer for free?
-The Lab Minutes video series offers free videos on SDA fundamentals, which can be watched without creating an account.
What is the annual subscription cost for KBits.live and what does it include?
-The annual subscription cost for KBits.live is $100, and it includes a course on implementing SDA as well as numerous other videos, including those on SD-WAN.
What alternative to physical lab setup does the transcript mention for hands-on practice?
-The transcript mentions the DevNet Sandbox for hands-on practice, where users can access the always-on sandbox to click around and explore DNA Center.
Why might someone prefer using the recommended resources over setting up a full physical lab?
-Someone might prefer using the recommended resources over setting up a full physical lab due to the high cost and resource requirements of purchasing hardware like Catalyst 9000 switches and DNA Center appliances, making the recommended resources a more affordable and practical option.
Outlines
π₯οΈ Overview of the CCIE Webinar on Enterprise Infrastructure Lab
The speaker discusses a recent Cisco webinar focused on building your own lab for the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Lab exam. The webinar, which is recommended for exam candidates, covered various topics, including hardware requirements and software-defined access (SDA). The blog post linked in the video contains screenshots and detailed insights from the webinar.
π§ Detailed Hardware Requirements and Challenges
A significant point of discussion was the hardware requirements for setting up a lab, particularly for SDA. The Identity Services Engine (ISE) requires 8 CPUs and 64 GB of RAM, while the DNA Center appliance demands 88 virtual CPUs and 256 GB of RAM. Non-virtualized parts of the lab need SDA switches, as there are no emulation images for Catalyst 9000s. This makes the lab setup quite expensive, especially for personal use.
πΈ The Cost Implications of SDA in the CCIE Exam
SDA constitutes only about 12-15% of the CCIE exam but is notably more expensive to set up compared to other components. Cisco has mentioned possible rack rentals and digital solutions in the future, but current options remain costly. The speaker aims to present more affordable resources for studying SDA.
π Recommended Resources for SDA Underlay Configuration
Tim McConaughey's LeanPub books are highlighted as valuable resources for SDA underlay configuration. His bundles, priced at $19 each, provide comprehensive guides and workbooks on the subject. These books cover the entire SDA underlay configuration and are considered affordable compared to other available materials.
π₯ Video Resources for Learning DNA Center
LabMinutes offers free videos on SDA fundamentals, which are useful for understanding the product in use. Kbits.live provides a more extensive collection of videos, including an SDA course, for an annual subscription of $100. This subscription offers hours of video content, including SD-WAN and SDA portions of the lab.
π Exploring Free Hands-On Labs with DevNet Sandboxes
DevNet's always-on sandbox for DNA Center allows users to click around and familiarize themselves with the interface for free. While it doesn't allow full lab setups, it's a useful tool for understanding the product's basics. This, combined with other resources, provides a good preparation strategy for the SDA portion of the exam.
π‘ Combining Resources for Effective SDA Study
The speaker summarizes a plan involving Tim McConaughey's books, LabMinutes videos, Kbits.live subscription, and DevNet sandboxes to prepare for the SDA portion of the CCIE exam. This approach aims to balance affordability and comprehensiveness, totaling around $140. The speaker acknowledges that a full lab setup would be ideal but highlights this plan as a cost-effective alternative.
π Final Thoughts and Additional Recommendations
The speaker reiterates the effectiveness of the proposed study plan and invites viewers to share their feedback and additional resources. They mention CBT Nuggets as another option for SDA courses but prefer LabMinutes and Kbits.live for their cost-effectiveness. The speaker encourages comments and discussion to improve the study plan.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘CCIE
π‘Enterprise Infrastructure
π‘Software-Defined Access (SDA)
π‘Identity Services Engine (ISE)
π‘DNA Center
π‘Catalyst 9000
π‘Lab Minutes
π‘LeanPub
π‘Tim McConaughey
π‘DevNet Sandbox
Highlights
Cisco organized a webinar called 'Build Your Own Lab and Beyond' for the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Lab exam.
The webinar is recommended for those preparing for the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Lab exam.
A blog post with screenshots from the webinar was created to summarize key points.
Hardware requirements for the lab are substantial, especially for the DNA Center Appliance with 88 virtual CPUs and 256 GB of RAM.
Software-Defined Access (SDA) requires physical switches due to the lack of available images to emulate Catalyst 9000s.
DNA Center virtualization is not officially supported and requires significant resources to run.
SDA accounts for only 12-15% of the exam but is disproportionately expensive compared to other components.
Cisco may offer rack rentals in the future, but details and costs are unknown.
Cisco is researching ways to make the lab experience digital, but the timeline is uncertain.
The presenter suggests affordable resources for studying SDA for the CCIE lab exam.
Tim Mcconaughey's books on SDA underlay are recommended for understanding the underlay configuration.
Lab Minutes offers free videos on SDA fundamentals.
Kbits.live provides a subscription plan with comprehensive videos on implementing SDA.
DevNet offers free sandboxes, including an always-on option for hands-on experience with DNA Center.
The total cost of the suggested study plan is around $140, which is significantly less than the full lab setup.
The presenter acknowledges that while the suggested plan is cost-effective, it may not fully replace the experience of a complete lab setup.
CBT Nuggets also offers an SDA course, but it is more expensive and not included in the cost-effective plan.
Transcripts
hey everyone
so yesterday cisco put on a ccie
webinar for the enterprise
infrastructure lab
and it was called you know build your
own lab and beyond
um it was a good webinar and i do
recommend watching it especially if
you're going for the ccie
enterprise infrastructure lab exam but i
put together this blog post and i'll put
it in the description
and in this blog post i took a lot of
screenshots
and one of the most um
i would say contentious you know points
maybe the point that brought up the most
discussion
was hardware requirements
and what specifically is going on with
software-defined access
so you could see in these hardware
requirements here
um ice the identity services engine
is eight cpus and 64 gig of ram
which is pretty hefty and then to dwarf
that
we actually have the dna center
appliance which is
88 virtual cpus and 256 gig of ram
holy cow right so to make things even
worse
um if we scroll down further
you could see the non-virtualized part
of the lab now consists of
sda switches because there's no images
available to emulate the
cat catalyst 9000s and then also dna
center
virtualization is not officially
supported and it requires huge resources
to run which we
just saw for the sda
part here you could see that
you know it must be physical like i just
said
and then here are the different switch
options
but you know these cat 9k switches
are really expensive um
not necessarily i mean for your business
but for your personal lab these are
crazy you're not just going to pick up a
couple
couple off ebay for 20 bucks um
so the the point here is that
sda it's only probably about 12 to 15
of the exam but it is way more expensive
than anything else in the entire you
know blueprint
so cisco has kind of said you know maybe
they'll do some rack rentals but who
knows when that's going to come out or
how expensive that'll be also internally
they're researching ways to make this
all digital
but you know again who knows how long
that's going to be
so today april 8th
2021 i want to show you what i consider
to be the best
and most importantly most affordable
resources there are
to la well let's say lab but we're good
to study
sda to use um on the ccie lab exam
so in the the webinar
one of the things he said was that we
will need to know
the underlay configuration you know it's
going to be very important
so the best way i think
and if you go on lean pub again i'll put
this in the description
from tim mcconaughey he has
four books on the sda
underlay now the first book is the lisp
vxlan basic workbook and then there's
the solutions guide and then the
expanded word book and the expanded
solutions guide
uh there's two bundles for them so i'm
just going to click in you know one of
the bundles
just so you can kind of see the price
and it's 19
for the full bundle right so you get
both the bundles
this will go over basically the entire
sda underlay configuration
um i think well worth it you know i
don't i don't know of anywhere else that
kind of has this
for this price especially because
there's not a lot of workbooks out there
for the ccie enterprise you know
to be fair so again i will put
tim's lean pub page in the description
and you can scroll down and you can grab
both bundles
now for the actual dna center
part of it um let's take a look at
videos
so the the absolute cheapest way
would be to come in here to lab minutes
and you can see this is the first video
in the series which is sda fundamentals
part one
and you can download the video for 17 or
you can just watch it right so this is
free
there's no account i'm not logged in or
anything you can see up here there's no
login or anything like that
it's just free and on the rest of his
page
um i didn't mean to open him in a new
window but regardless
you could you know come in here to
videos
again i'll link this below and you can
see all these sda videos um and there's
three pages worth of it so again
free great way to actually see the
product in use
the other videos would be
um kbits.live so
he has a subscription plan that's a
hundred dollars for the whole
year and in this
you have this implementing sda course
this
is hours of video of core going through
all of this dna center stuff
i mean this is a lot of video so
more expensive than the free one
obviously from lab minutes
but the reason why i wanted to bring
this up because in this
there's tons of other videos obviously
including
sd-wan so if you're looking to
tackle the sd-wan and sd access
portion of the lab for a hundred bucks
to have a year you know
a yearly subscription and get all these
videos
feels like it's worth it all right so
now we're at a hundred bucks
plus you know maybe forty dollars for
tim's books
we're at 140 bucks not too bad
now the only thing i'm missing is that
i'm not
actually getting hands-on so
for free
it's if you go to devnet search for dna
center
click on sandbox you'll see there are a
few sandboxes including the always-on
sandbox
so i just happen to be in it right now
um it requires no reservation
you could pop in and at least click
around
again this doesn't really fix
all the problems of i'm not going to be
able to provision you know a fabric
myself
i'm not really setting up a lab myself
you know whatever
but considering that this is only 12
of the exam maybe 15 of the exam
i feel like this is going to be okay
um doing tim's workbook for the
underlays
watching the videos and then getting
actually in here to like click around
i feel like you're gonna get mostly
there
now would i rather have a appliance with
the switches and be able to do it all
myself
there's no question so if you have that
in your environment or you use it at
work
then this video is going to be useless
for you just go ahead and do that
but if you're someone like me who's
staring down
you know oh gotta buy these switches for
thousands of dollars
i gotta get these ridiculous hardware
resources for
again more thousands and thousands of
dollars i feel like spending a hundred
and forty dollars here
and then maybe the 1600 bucks on a lab
lab exam attempt really is not that bad
compared to how much money you would
have to spend to
actually lab it fully um
i i think this is a pretty good plan um
again this is
in april so if if you're watching this
video in december
of 2022 or something
and cisco has come out with a
virtualized dna center that works in
your esxi or even g
you know whatever again as of today
this is in my opinion the best way to
study software to find access
i will put all of these links in the
video description
if you know of more stuff or a better
way to learn it
please let me know i guess i shouldn't
say before i
uh sign off if you are a cbt nuggets
member
cbt nuggets does have an sda course i
didn't put them in this video because
quite frankly k bits is cheaper and
uh lab bit lab minutes is also cheaper
and i just
also trust both those things um no
offense to cbt they're actually great
and the guy who does the
sd access course is fantastic um just
for the price point
i think this is is really you know my
plan is going to get you there
cheaper so again please leave any
comments
um questions discussion points below i
look forward to your feedback and thanks
for watching this video we'll see on the
next one
Browse More Related Video
I Passed the Security Blue Team Level 1 Exam
How to Study For a Math Test at Broward College
How to Pass CISSP in 2024: Pass the Exam on Your First Try
ALAT ALAT LABORATORIUM KIMIA DAN KEGUNAANNYA - MATERI KIMIA SMA KELAS X
How to Pass Your SY0-701 Security+ Exam
How to Study for GS 1 -- with sources and test series to study for UPSC with Manuj Jindal IAS AIR 53
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)