CCDP - Introduction

Today I am embarking on a new method of study for me.  I have been procrastinating taking my CCDP ARCH exam(300-320) for over a year now.  To achieve my goal of passing it finally, I have decided to post my study notes as I go through the exam blueprint.  Unfortunately most of the study materials for this exam are dated, or not yet in print, so as I go through this, if someone sees a glaring error, or omission please let me know so I can learn and pass it on to others.

Encouragement, brow beating and other forms of anti-procrastination tortures may be directed to me on Twitter @ntwrk80.   

Cisco Live!: Survival Guide

By now most people in the networking industry have heard that there will be a large gathering of networking people in San Diego, CA June 7-11.  For those that are going, especially first timers, here are some of my tips and tricks.

Training

This is to me the meat of the week.  The training sessions offered at Cisco Live! are some of the best training you can find.  Most of them are taught by subject matter experts from within Cisco including TAC.  Be ready for a drink from the fire hose of knowledge.

Ben's Cisco Live! Training Tips

• Download the presentations ahead of time.
• Find a good PDF annotation program for your device of choice.
• Take notes directly in the PDFs.
• Turn off your other devices during training if you can.
• Be willing to ask questions.

Networking (People That Is)

Next to the training, networking with other people has been my favorite part of Cisco Live! conferences.  It's great to have a network of people that do the same thing you do, especially when you hit a bug or problem and can suddenly get multiple people's take on it.

Ben's Cisco Live! Networking Tips

• Setup a Twitter Account
• Sit with someone you don't know at breakfast and lunch.
• Be a sponge, some of the greatest minds in our industry will be out and about, you might just learn something.

Surviving the Conference Itself

If you've never been to a very large tech conference, you might not know what you're in for so here are my tips.

Ben's Cisco Live! Survival Tips

• Wear a comfortable pair of shoes.
• Bring first aid supplies for blisters and sunburn.
• Prepare to be cold, hot and then cold again in the same day. (wear layers)
• Travel light, you'll have a lot of stuff to haul back from the conference so plan on that when you pack.  If you're able to wear XL t-shirts figure you'll get 3-4 free ones at the conference.
• Bring chargers and a power strip.  Outlets in the conference center are at a premium so be a friend and bring a power strip.

Hope to see you all there, if you're not registered yet, you still have time.  Just click here.

Still Undecided About Cisco Live? Take a Sneak Peek!

If you still aren't convinced to go to Cisco Live! this year in San Diego, perhaps a sneak peek at two of the courses will help.

BRKRST-2311P - IPv6 Planning, Deployment and Troubleshooting

(1 Hour)  Presented by Jim Bailey - Technical Leader, Cisco

April 21st

10:00am PDT / 12:00pm CDT/1:00pm EDT

This session covers IPv6 deployment and operational considerations. It begins with how network administrators can plan, design and implement an IPv6 solution, using a network readiness approach and holistic Network Architecture Strategy.

For more information and how to view the session, click here.

BRKRST-2311P - IPv6 Planning, Deployment and Troubleshooting

(1 Hour)  Presented by  Amanda Whaley - Cisco DevNet Developer Experience Lead and Community Manager, Cisco and Ashley Roach - API Architect, Cisco 

April 29th

10:00am PDT / 12:00pm CDT/1:00pm EDT

Are you new to coding ? This session will get you started using REST APIs and Python. We will cover coding basics and create some simple examples that retrieve, parse and display JSON data using the Cisco APIC-EM REST API’s.

For more information and how to view the session, click here.

Still not convinced???

If you register before June 5th, you can save $200 on registration.  It's going to be a great conference full of human networking as well as computer networking.  Here are some highlights:

• Sessions, Sessions, Sessions!!! Drink from the fire hose of knowledge.
• Meet the Expert Meet and talk 1 on 1 with a Cisco Engineer
• World of Solutions Explore the solutions of Cisco and their ecosystem partners.
• Aerosmith! Come rock out at the Customer Appreciation Event
• Keynotes Come listen to Mike Rowe and others.

Once you sign up, be sure to also sign up with the Official Unofficial Twitter List maintained by +Tom Hollingsworth aka @networkingnerd