It’s rumored that the announcement for the R&S CCIE v5 update should be coming soon (November timeframe) and the switch over for the lab sometime around March 2014. Cisco Live Europe has a R&S v5 Technical Breakout scheduled for anyone attending. The update to version 5 is rumored to be a 100% virtual lab environment similar to how the troubleshooting section of the lab is done now. The major benefit of the lab going virtual is that the topics covered will be platform independent. You will not need to buy 2911′s or 3750x’s to prepare and can use any relatively newer router or switch to prepare or use a virtualized environment (IOL/IOU/VIRL, GNS3, CSR). The goal of the v5 appears to be to focus on the technologies themselves and less on the hardware and a specific topology. This is the best move Cisco has made for the R&S CCIE program in years as candidates will need to focus more on the technologies themselves and not worry about IOS versions, hardware platforms, physical topologies, etc.
Allegedly the R&S CCIE v5 blueprint will see legacy topics like Frame-Relay removed. Additionally it’s possible some of the more lesser used features of the IOS like Zone-Based Firewall, WCCP, IPv6 multicast, and PfR could be removed from the lab. A few of the topics we could see added are IPSec, DMVPN, and Embedded Packet Capture. We may see ISIS added to the written at least if not the lab. This could be the last version of the R&S lab that isn’t IOS XE based so we could see it added to the written.
Currently the lab has a 2 hour troubleshooting section and a 6 hour configuration section. The new lab may contain, in addition to the troubleshooting section, a new diagnostic section. This means the lab could have a troubleshooting, diagnostic and configuration section. I would assume the points for this new section would come from the configuration section and the troubleshooting section would remain the same or possibly even slightly higher in points.
So what does this mean for someone currently preparing for the R&S v4 blueprint? If you feel you are close to taking the lab but do not have to scheduled, you should schedule a date ASAP. Once the official v5 announcement comes out from Cisco, it will be hard to schedule a lab date. If you have a date scheduled before March 2014 then you should be fine. If your date is after February 2014 then I would recommend you move it up ASAP. The longer we go into November the more likely the new blueprint date has been pushed back by Cisco.
Additional v4 bootcamps will be added to the schedule before the March 2014 changeover. We will start transitioning the current bootcamps over to version 5 around the first of the year. For the self-paced products we will start releasing labs and videos covering the new blueprint in November. 90% of the material from the version 4 blueprint will carry over to the version 5 lab blueprint. Topics you can skip for the routers will be Frame-Relay, PfR, WCCP, Zone-Based Firewall along with technologies that are not supported in IOU L2/IOL L2. Here is a list of features we may not see for the layer 2 section since the switches will be virtual.
1) QinQ Tunneling
2) ISL trunks
3) DHCP Snooping
4) Layer 3 Port Channel
5) Private VLANs
6) SPAN/RSPAN/ERSPAN
Post any questions you have about the new blueprint changes and I’ll start creating a FAQ below:
Q) I purchased the version 4 self-paced material so will I be covered for the version 5 products?
A) Yes.
Q) Will I have to pay anything for get the new version 5 material?
A) No.
Q) I attended an R&S CCIE v4 bootcamp so can I resit a v5 bootcamp for free?
A) Yes.
Q) Will INE offer racks for the new blueprint?
A) Yes. Although the lab is virtual it is still good to spend part of your preparation using real hardware as that is what you use in your day-to-day job. Towards the end of your preparation you can hone your skills using virtualized environment. We will be using the CSR along with real switches for the virtualized environments.
Q) What about my tokens?
A) Your tokens will carry over.
Q) I’m currently schedule for the lab after the v5 update. Can I still take the v4 lab?
A) No.
Q) Do you feel strongly that the announcement will come out in November?
A) I do feel confident that the announcement will be in November but it could slip since they are trying to align the Cisco 360 update to the lab release.

About Brian Dennis, CCIE #2210:
Brian Dennis has been in the networking industry for more than 22 years, with a focus on Cisco networking for the past 16 years. Brian achieved his first CCIE in Routing & Switching in 1996, and is currently the only ten year CCIE that holds five CCIE certifications. Prior to working with INE, Brian taught and developed CCIE preparation courses for various well known training organizations. Brian not only brings his years of teaching experience to the classroom, but also years of real world enterprise and service provider experience.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Hi Brian,
“Q) I purchased the version 4 self-paced material so will I be covered for the version 5 products?
A) Yes.”
Does this apply to people who purchased their materials let’s say in 2011?
Yes.
So, you guys believe they will implement quicker than six months after announcement. Meaning you think March as apposed to May.
Looks Interesting .. I hold a CCIE in Security and have plans for R&S . Love the visualized part and I hope cisco makes changes in such a way that people cant brain dump the lab – they can introduce 100+ labs and keep on changing them so it becomes difficult for newbies to pass such kind of lab .
what about the 6 months notice?
Looks like 5 months to me from what I’m hearing.
That would mean early April then ;o) I hope
I think the last day for the v4 will be Feb 28th.
If you schedule past February 28th you would be taking a gamble.
I am glad there are removing FR.. I hate it …….Hourra !!!!
In related news, if you know anyone who wants a few thousand WIC-1Ts and DB-60 serial cables let us know
LMAO!
ROFL!
It is about time they got rid of this frame relay nonsense. I mean it’s 2013 and they’re still testing us on multi-point frame relay scenarios.
Has anyone ever seen one used in real life and if so was the engineer who designed it fired on the spot?
There are other technologies that still behave like Frame Relay, like DMVPN and VPLS, so knowing the origins of Frame Relay and what its limitations were is good, but knowing all the details of the implementation doesn’t have much practical application anymore. So yeah, it’s about time that Frame Relay got the boot.
OK maybe I was bit harsh.. the concept and issues around “non-broadcast multi-access’ networks are good to know as part of a balanced network engineering diet but I always had a bee in my bonnet about multi-point frame relay because I’ve been asked about it in a few interviews over the years and I would always let out this big ‘internal sigh’, calmly answer the question and then wonder who the hell uses this and what century are we in.
LoL….darn it, choked on my tea
Donate them to your V4 bootcampers and write them off.:-D
PS: Your WBs are world-class. Keep up the good work.
Come pick them up and they’re yours
It would be nice to future SP students to use those cables/NIC (WIC-1T) for F/R, PPP (etc) in L2VPN scenarios. Especially with regard to L2VPN, i do believe a few more Serial connection would help all the students to better understand and troubleshoot this technology which, IMO, will get more and more important. Having said this, those legacy interfaces are much more than very present in today’s networking world. should you still want to get rid of it… Ebay will do
!!!
The SP racks still have serial cables for the purposes of L2VPN.
I am glad they are removing FR.. I hate it …….Hourra !!!!
FR’s time has come and gone.
Here Ye!
There are other topics which are more complicated then FR so if you could not bear with it I am wondering how you feel about Multicast
I have the bootcamp scheduled in January. Will it be v4 or v5?
That will be v4.
My lab is scheduled 30 April. I seriously doubt I can be ready by the end of Feb.
Then just focus on the v5 blueprint. The vast majority of the core topics (switching, IGP, BGP, Multicast, QoS, etc.) is still going to stay the same. Just some of the legacy stuff like Frame Relay is going to get cut and then newer more relevant topics will be added in its place.
Seriously, I am very very happy that Frame Relay is out, I just skip the frame relay portion on the video cause it’s really making me sleepy.
Definitely going to be more IPv6 and RIP also might go…
We should see RIPng gone from the lab.
I just went through RIPNG. Darnit, LOL
Maybe its time to really RIP = Rest In Peace
My lab booking @ March 28 2013, so I need to reseat before Feb 2013?
If you want to take v4 instead of v5 then yes we’d highly recommend moving it up.
If your date is after February 2014 then I would recommend you move it up ASAP.
Hi brian , what you mean your date is after feb 2014? if i schedule lab today for example for a 2014 june , i’ll not be able to take V4?
When the v5 lab goes live the v4 is retired. Your only choice will be to take the v5 lab once it is ready.
“The R&S CCIE v5 blueprint will see legacy topics like Frame-Relay removed.”
Is this confirmed?
The “official” announcement isn’t out yet, but if I was someone who’s currently studying for the CCIE R&S v5 Lab Exam, I would not study Frame Relay
It’s not completely unreasonable for IOS-XE to appear in v5
Those that bought adv tech vod, would there be any discount for the addition videos that would be added
No cost for any videos added to the ATC.
When you say “For the self-paced products we will start releasing labs and videos covering the new blueprint in November” you meant November this year 2013?
Yes. Next month. We’ll be posting a more detailed schedule shortly.
Yes this November.
Wow, now I really feel caught between a rock and a hard spot. My bootcamp is coming up in December and I will have to save up before scheduling lab. Bomber.
I wonder if a possible diag section will be successful unlike the open ended question fiasco?
Frame Relay should have been scaled back years ago IMO!
Would like to see 802.1aq (Shortest Path Bridging….and the IETF variant TRILL if the standards bodies can get it worked out).
Would also like to see meaningful MPLS along the scale of how FR was used as the core transport for most of V4.
MPLS QOS is cool, and applicable to CCIE R&S also.
RIP? No way….it is so easy as it is there is really not much you can test with it. It stays the same IMO.
V5 also needs to up-the-ante on redistribution scenarios. V4 is so easy it’s silly.
Also summarization scenarios could improve.
Multicast is another area which could really improve the test. There is so much to know about it which has not been covered deeply in V4.
Some Layer2 tunnel or L2VPN challenges, involving odd MTU problems could be interesting.
One last thing that I expect will increase is PBR. Very powerful tool for those in the know….on the flip side if the Teir2 and below guys dont understand it your network is hosed during the first PBR in which the resident PBR expert is not around.
**********************
I expect V5 will get away from the static labs of old (V4 uses the same physical lab used for all of lab “flavors”) into one that is of course virtual, but also more dynamic in the content and topology which the student is being tested on.
V4 was not fair to all test takers, in that the people who sought out lab “dumps” have an unfair advantage over others. A dump-proof V5 hopefully will level the playing field and reward those who actally know the material (vs those who memorize dumps) with their earned CCIE#s.
Best of luck to all V5ers. Looking forward to seeing what Cisco has up their sleeves.
Look at your ccie # in the 2k’s. You must have gotten your IE several years ago and have be working with these technologies for a while now. Why wont V4 be be so easy for you
I got my # in the mid 1990s.
V4 is 10-times harder than V1 ever was!
That idea that V1 was harder because it was a two-day lab is a total myth. I passed V1 and V4 labs and know first hand.
V1 written: I only studied some “nutshell” books for one night before the written and passed with less than 70%…….V4 took me months to get up to speed.
V1 lab: NO SWITCHES! Just a rack of 7 routers with IOS 11.x. Blueprint had like 1/5th of the technical content.
My V1 home lab was a rack of 4-5 2500 routers and some hubs (BIG$$$ at the time).
My V4 lab was the v5 INE workbook baseline (About 1/2 as much as V1 lab).
What makes V4 harder: SO MUCH CONTENT, and test time management is much more critical that V1.
What makes V1 harder: Absolutely no online-resources other than USENET. No bootcamps, no training. Even CCIE-specific books were weak and few and far between. With V1, you were totally on your own. Also, my boss had no idea what V1 CCIE was, so he would not pay for it.
alt.dcom.cisco.sys anyone, or am I dating myself?
Remember these king-of-news Cisco contributers?
Tony Lee (Cisco)?
Dave Katz (Cisco)?
Paul Ferguson (sprint)?
I had one or two posts also (Sprint days).
RIP? No way….it is so easy as it is there is really not much you can test with it.
^ RIP is really used to generate loops in the lab.
It’s great for that!
Indeed….that will play right into more complex redistribution challenges that V5 would benefit from IMO.
Thanks for the support for the V4 students, INE.
The drop of PfR will be mourned by many. #not
Brian, are you planning a 3 part bootcamp – 1 for tshoot, 1 for config, 1 for diag?
I don’t know about 3 separate bootcamps, but ultimately we will have either self-paced or instructor-led products that target all three areas of the exam.
PFR drop is interesting though because it was supposed to be a ‘hot/new’ tech to replace dynamic routing.
Guess it’s going the way of 8 track instead, eh?
[youngsters don't even know what i'm talking about]
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Can I assume once they have announced V5 officially I still have 5 or 6 months to take V4 from that day?
Correct.
If i have passed the v4 written will i be allowed to attempt the v5 lab?
I thought ISIS was being removed from v4 and now they are going to put it back in v5? Also, if the lab exams are 100% virtualized, will Cisco be offering a non-cost solution for learners to use their virtualized software or still need to rely on the online rack rentals for lab practice? What’s the big difference between the two?
Offered by Cisco at no cost? I would doubt it. VIRL might be an option if it’s available but not sure of the cost yet.
Most likely for Cisco employees…
I agree. Cisco and “no cost” is completely illogical in the same sentence.
It’s like saying your lawn has orange grass.
Yes I am referring to the VIRL option for the learning.
What will the last date for appearing R&S V4 ???
If the announcement is tomorrow then we are looking at March 1st for the first v5. If it slips a little then we are looking at the middle or end of March.
Is there going to be any change in the INE R&S topology, or just the same but virtualised? Is there going to be any significant change in number of routers in the configuration section?
To learn the technologies you can use any topology basically. Don’t focus on having 5, 10 or 20 routers. Just focus on using the amount of routers needed to learn a technology.
Was about to start learning on the Frame-relay stuffs and now this big news is telling me not to learn it but to drop it. Well… what could I say? One sentence, “Just in time!”
I am planning to begin the study for CCIE written in January 2014 and attend the exam around May or June.
Along with this change to v5, there will also be new documentation released (like an official study guide, lab manual etc.)? I mean until January or February…
I’m not sure what Cisco Press will release.
Most of the funky config scenarios aren’t relevant in real world design anymore. Who in their right mind uses RIP to the service provider?
Agreed.
how about the preparation? i have the same INE hardware and topology.. can i carry on studying and practicing on current devices (2800 routers , 1800 routers , 3750 switches)? i felt sad if i spent the money purchasing the hardware 5 months ago and now they are useful anymore,, please advise
Learn the technologies and don’t worry about the topology. If you learn the technologies you’ll be fine.
Of course this all depends but once v5 is out and INE updates the workbooks, how likely is it that your racks will change? I’m REALLY hoping to not have to update my home lab to match it to use your new workbooks? Approximately how many weeks/months will it take INE to update the workbooks once v5 is officially announced?
We are already working on the updates.
Any update on when VIRL will be released, hopefully it won’t be too expensive…
There hasn’t been any word on VIRL recently that I’ve heard.
Hello Brian ,
i sat for your bootcamp in RTP almost like these days , so i can sit for RnS v5 For Free ?
Thanks
Yes and at no cost.
[...] Segundo o INE a Cisco prepara-se para lançar no principio de 2014 a v5 do CCIE Routing e Switching, consulta a noticia na integra aqui. [...]
Guys @INE,
What are you planning to do with all the equipment you currently have? Are you going to keep the same topology/equipment but update workbooks per v5 blueprint or move to fully virtualized labs?
Cheers,
We will still offer racks and graded MLs.
I have cleared my CCIE R&S in Feb-2013 means its Version-4. Can i still appear for Version-5 Lab ?
Yes, as long as your written exam is still valid for when you schedule the lab date.
Cisco is just giving us less than 4 months to complete the CCIE lab exam in which we’ve been training for 3 years. If we dont pass within the next 4 months, then it will take us another couple of months or year to get the written, then training again for V5, bootcamp. etc. This is not good!
Once you pass the lab you don’t just stop learning new technologies. You’ll constantly have to be training and studying essentially for your entire career in networking. Them shuffling a few technologies around in the exam shouldn’t make a big difference in the long run.
If i have passed the v4 written will i be allowed to attempt the v5 lab?
Yes, as long as your written is active.
I will be attending the March San Jose boot camp will this be V4 or V5?
V5
For someone that has a lab date of 3/31/14 and is currently seeing great progress from doing vol2/vol3 labs but knows they have a way to go in areas like:
security
services
qos
DOC-CD
should they consider to push harder in study and take the test before 2/28/14 or take the gamble of the 3/31/14 v5 lab, with this im assuming that the materials for v5 from INE will be ready sooner than later?
The materials will be ready sooner than later for sure. Personally I would not take the exam until you feel you’re ready though. Once the blueprint change is “official” we’re going to post a detailed checklist of what’s being added and removed.
Thanks, i think my major worry is that either way i need to take something before 3/31/14 to be within my 18 months.
Or you could just take the written exam again to extend it.
yeah i agree with you, but im on such a roll with the schedule on the “how to pass the INE R&S v4.0 blueprint” (20-30 hours a week after work) i would really hate to put that down and lose my momentum just to re-pass a written. I’d almost rather just fail on the v5 and continue onward but make the switch from R&S v4 to R&S v5 as soon as i have seen the blueprint/INE has the materials available for study.
How about the WRITTEN exam? is there a time frame for it?
There is, but it’s not “officially” announced yet. Cisco will post the exact dates that the written exams are valid to and from.
I have two questions :
1. What if i am appearing for CCIE written exam this month . would it
be considered valid for CCIE V5 Lab exam?
2. Based on the blueprint you suggested & if i am flexible enough in
my preparation , Shall i go for V4 or should wait for V5? what would
you suggest? (FR has never been an issue)
V4 written will be valid for V5 lab. It’s really up to you if you want to wait to take the lab exam in the new blueprint or the current blueprint format.
Why remove PfR? I know this is not the easiest thing to learn but this is where everything is moving right? SDN and all that. Also will you be running any live classes for new meteral?
Andy
Yes we will be running live classes on the new material starting next month.
Excellent, look forward them. Do you know why Cisco would remove a topic like PfR though? This seems more relevant than ISIS for a enterprise route switch expert, or am I missing something?
Thanks
Andy
IS-IS has other applications in today’s networks, such as FabricPath, TRILL, and OTV just to name a few. It’s not a bad idea to have a solid foundation of IS-IS so you can then extend it to these other applications.
As for PfR, it probably is a good candidate to remove from the exam, because it’s essentially SDN version 0.01. The idea of separating the control plane and the data plane is good, and this is mainly what things like OpenFlow define, but doing it on the router itself with PfR isn’t a good solution. With the new Insieme announcement coming up soon for Nexus 9K I think there’s going to be a major shift with how Cisco as a whole approaches SDN, and it won’t be through PfR.
ok thanks for the info Brian, very interesting (thought they was taking a step backwards but guess not). Would you recommend against deploying PfR at all in the real world? (looking at doing this to manage flows between VPN and MPLS connections at work, will only be a small rollout).
I wasn’t aware about the other uses of ISIS… I best get studying then
Thanks
Andy
PfR can and does work if you get the correct code trains. The problem mainly is supporting it. If something goes wrong do all of your engineers know how PfR works?
ISIS is here to stay…..CCIEs will see it in a big way in the future, especially for CAMPUS networks and maybe even enterprise carrier ethernet applications.
Look at IEEE 802.1aq Shortest Path Bridging….its pretty cool.
Look at IETF TRILL RFCs.
I have the *written* v4 exam scheduled for early December, which sounds like it will be after the official announcement.
Will I still be able to take the v4 written exam at that time, or will that be immediately retired?
And assuming I pass it, will I be able to take the v5 lab based on those results (or do I have to take a v5 version of the written?)
The current V4 written will likely overlap with the V5 Beta written. Both would qualify you for taking the V5 lab exam.
[...] O blog Internetwork Expert (INE) divulgou em primeira mão informações importantes sobre o exame CCIE R&S. A versão 5 do exame escrito deve entrar no ar já em Novembro deste ano, enquanto a alteração no exame prático (lab) deve ocorrer em Março de 2014. Seguindo uma linha semelhante às mudanças vivenciadas no CCNA, o novo blueprint do CCIE R&S deu uma enxugada nos tópicos, aposentando a cobrança de tecnologias mais velhinhas, como Frame Relay e ISL. Também foram removidos alguns tópicos que já são cobrados em outros pilares do CCIE, como Zone-based Firewall, WCCP, IPv6 Multicast e Performance Routing (PfR). Outros tópicos, como DMVPN, IPSec e ISIS podem vir a ser adicionados. [...]
What is going to be the switching equivalent of IOL/IOU/VIRL, GNS3, CSR? To the best of my knowledge there isnt one.
Will those of us with home labs need to fork out for some new hardware to train for this aspect of the exam?
There is an L2 IOL that Cisco uses internally. I believe it’s based of a Catalyst 6500 train. We will likely continue to use hardware for switches and then a mix of virtualization for routers.
Let me rephrase that question more simply:
If I pass the v4 written exam *after* the v5 announcement comes out, am I eligible to take the *v5* lab exam based on those results?
Yes.
Luckily or Unluckily, I cleared my CCIE R/S written yesterday. Please suggest if its advisable to sit for v5 lab only now after preparing for my Lab for next 5-6 months on updated blueprint. I am hoping that 90% of the blueprint will be similar to V4 only and we can continue to ramp up rest of 10% in 5-6 time frame.
The vast majority will remain the same.
Hi Brians and INE,
I’m very confused with your words. On one hand you say that we may have 5-6 months to test on v4 after official annoncement, which from this moment is at least 31st of March ( 5 months), and on the other hand a 3-4 months period is being presented.
Copy paste from the list above :
Can I assume once they have announced V5 officially I still have 5 or 6 months to take V4 from that day?
Reply
Brian Dennis, CCIE #2210 October 31, 2013 at 12:38 pm
Correct.
I must admit that my frustration comes from the fact that I have my lab booked on 17 of March 2014
…but I’m attending the December bootcamp which is awesomeee !!
If possible from your side, please clarify the above for me !!
Thanks,
Ciprian.
Cisco will announce their official dates soon, but if your lab is scheduled for March 17th when I would prepare for V5 and not V4.
Does this mean we will have to resit the v5 written before we can take the lab? I have just finished the v4 written.
No, as long as your V4 written is still valid on the day you have your V5 lab scheduled for then you’re fine.
Great… I knew I should have spent more time studying for my written! This is not unexpected though, I’ll just keep up the study, take the written when I am ready, them prepare for the v5 lab.
Just a same I spent $500 on two 3650s earlier this year… I guess I can still use them though.
Lab scheduled for November 29th in Toronto
Hope to pass it, but im in good hands with INE.
It seems the topics i hate the most will be removed in V5 though. So if i fail in november, should i just wait the v5 to come out for my 2nd attempt coz i’m already a DMVPN savvy.
Will still try to pass it the 1st time and save 2500$
Good luck next month Tommy!
Will you be adding an AoD again for V.5? I would love something to listen to during my commute..
Most people that I talk to just listen to or watch the ATC on their commutes. We may add an option to download the audio version of the videos as well.
Being able to download just the Audio for the ATC when you purchase the ATC is an awesome idea!
Thanks for your input Brian !!
Well, if that’s the case, I shall be waiting for the updated blueprint and study material from INE as soon as possible
No worries here, Brians will bring the light on my path for sure
Thanks again,
Ciprian.
…….The goal of the v5 appears to be to focus on the technologies themselves and less on the hardware and a specific topology. This is the best move Cisco has made for the R&S CCIE program in years as candidates will need to focus more on the technologies themselves and not worry about IOS versions, hardware platforms, physical topologies, etc.
Brian im not sure i understood that well. You mean the lab will test more over generic technology processes and less on specific release “dependent” topics?
Thank you
Hardware specific topics would be like Catalyst QoS, Catalyst 6500 Virtual Switching System (VSS), 7600 Ethernet Services (ES+) cards, etc. The exam has historically tried to stay away from it being a hardware specific exam and test the software features in general. Now that IOS and IOS XE are virtualized, there’s no reason to say that the exam uses XYZ platform, but instead just that the exam uses IOS 15.x. Any platform, whether physical or virtual, that can run that version should have feature parity across the non-hardware dependent topics.
In other words, don’t worry about the hardware or virtualization, just focus on how the technologies work.
Ok thanks.
Do you think, since many legacy topics will be removed, that we have to expect in the new exam also the dependencies to those legacy topics like FRTS in QOS or they are going to disappear too ?
With FR gone so is FRTS.
My exam is booked for the 3rd December would I be able to reschedule this to say June 2014 so that I can take the v5 exam instead ?
I think the window for canceling lab dates is 90 days now, so probably not.
Since FR is getting the boot from the CCIE R&S track do you think it will be dropped from CCNP level soon?
I wouldn’t be surprised.
So lets say they announce tomorrow and I do the v4 on the 3rd December and fail would I still have time to retake v4 again or so I have to take v5?
This is why I think it’s sounds a bit unfair that you can’t move the date even though there is less than 90 days. I would rather experience the v5 first and if I have to retake them I do v5 again
Do you mean for the lab or the written?
I’m already booked mine for March. I was tempted to reschedule, but being my first test I have more than a decent chance of failing. I’d rather fail the new one so I can know what to expect for my retake if I have to. After all failure is part of the learning process.
I was really worried, but it sounds to be better than what it is at the moment.
Brian:
Yes please add mp3′s for the ATC video’s. Another request would be to have the file name that is downloaded be the actual name of the topic on the site/table of contents. Instead of “ccie-rs-atc -v45-003 high”, maybe “003 Cisco Documentation”. Easy to listen to in order on the iphone this way.
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If your v4 written is in force normally to take the v4 lab will it also qualify for the v5 lab?
Thanks Rich
Yes you can take the v5 lab if your v4 written is still valid.
So if I have my home lab set up I assuming that all the equipment is useless now? or can I use it to study for the new Blueprint? or how much of the current lab equipment can be used in the new blueprint? I guessing throw away the 2651xm keep the 2811?
It’s not useless. Use it to learn the technologies. We should find many different topologies for the new v5 lab and not just a single topology that you can create a rack for.
I am schedule to resit the CCIE written V4 in Jan. Should I continue with this or should I wait? This is also for my Certification renewal.
The written should see an update also. More than likely more L2 and L3 VPN technologies along with topics like OTV.
I have also been told that NBAR2 seems to be a hot topic of discussion by the committee.
Brian,
I wouldn’t count out the IOU features you have mentioned. Not all of them anyway. While trying VIRL at Live! I played with the emulator and it felt more complete than in the past. I didn’t try Q-in-Q but switching has definitely come a long way. For example, duplex issues were finally cleared up on Etherchannels (long time bug) and I think I recalled trying Layer-3 port channels.
I’ll likely have access to a VIRL session next week. I’ll try to confirm my statements.
- Darren
P.S. I’ll mourn the loss of FR since after this much time studying with it, troubleshooting and configuring it has become one of the easiest parts of the exam.
P.P.S. I have on good word that either diagnostic or troubleshoot will be designed as a dump-deterrent. At least some parts of it will be generated by a script and therefore it will make it so you can’t just memorize a dump. I know that once I get my number, this will be meaningful to me.
I’m not counting anything out. I’m passing along what I’ve heard. Personally I’ve never worked with L2 IOU.
I don’t understand the practical meaning of diagnostic, testing?
Anyone want to clear this up?
I’m assuming this is going to be similar to the CCDE format, where you get a question like “the users are experiencing problem X, what should you look at first?” and so on.
Hi Brian,
All the topologies have FR involved.. Will the topo be change in v5 ?. If so, would the entire INE topo be simulated on IOL.
Yes the topology will change, but we haven’t finalized it yet. More info will be posted on this shortly.
I have the bootcamp scheduled in February 3 (Reno,NV) Will it be v4 or v5?
Probably v5 but it depends on cisco’s exact dates.
I’m actually happy a new v5 blueprint is coming out. Majority of the technologies the v4 blueprint is testing on are NOT aligned with what the industry is using in the enterprise environment. Like who uses WCCP, PfR, and Zone-based firewall in today’s networks? I would dare to say about 20%. This is the age of Nexus, VPLS, and 802.11ac. The CCIE R&S test needs to keep up with today’s networks. At least this is the case in USA.
Just my 2 cents,
-Brandon
You mentioned the INE workbooks for the new v5 tracks are currently being developed for November release. How is this being done without the official blueprints? Are they going to be essentially 90% the same as the v4 workbooks with the additional 10% tweaking as last minute changes once the blueprint is released?
Also, how will you guys gauge the difficulty level, suitability, and similarities of the new workbooks pre-v5 official lab testing experience? Especially for the new diagnostic section? Will this put us at a disadvantage until enough time has passed for you guy’s to release more targeted and directed lab study materials?
Last question, does the deadline for the CCIE v4 written also extend 5-6 months post announcement?
We said start releasing in November. We don’t need to wait for them to say OSPF, BGP, etc is going to be on the blueprint to create content. If you are planning on skimming by and barely passing the lab then you should wait until everything is released. If you are going to be rock solid with the technologies then you’ll be fine. If you focus on learning the technologies and not what level or style of questions then you’ll be fine.
P.S. I am not trying to be difficult here, I do appreciate all that INE does. I have essentially been studying for the past year (written and lab) and don’t feel I will be ready by the March timeframe. I do however need to move on to other pursuits and cannot keep this up indefinitely, so I will probably end up taking the v5 lab in the early months post release when I feel I have thoroughly prepared. I just want to ensure that I am preparing with material that is transparent along the lines of format, familiarity, strategy etc. so that I can additionally apply good testing taking strategy as an enhancement to solid mastery of content.
The technologies you can prepare for, the format probably not so much. Unless Cisco posts a demo exam of what the new format looks like the people going to the exam around March time frame will pretty much be going in blind.
I mentioned earlier as well that FR doesn’t stand much chance in new blueprint though people though its exiting to use for OSPF fun though.
RIP and PFR should be removed as well.
But even Ver 5 doesn’t seem to be close to what I would personally expect to see like Cat 6500/6800 (Perhaps something you can find in every enterprise/campus). Part of equation probably is that Cat 6500 is though one of most popular switches in Cisco history but still not documented very well in terms of hardware architecture and configuration guides for public use.
Also stuff Like IP-FRR & BGP PIC/BGP Add Path should have been included by now to meet modern networks requirements.
Also stuff like L2 VPNs and EVC does have lot more importance these days than they use to be having in past.
Perhaps even SPv3 needs big refresh to meet real world networks with ASR series & Unified MPLS Architectures.
When is INE going to come up with complete v5 material ? ( any time frame ? )
Starting this month we will be running new classes and updating the workbooks.
Hi!
I see in this link that CCIE new version should be eligible for testing on CCIE six months after general release
https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/certifications/ccie_routing_switching/lab_exam?tab=studylearn
will Cisco change that policy?
They mean IOS versions and features. 15.x code has been out for more than 6 months.
Well, while that was expected since last year I am totally disappointed because I bought a lab gears 5 months ago and it really cost me a lot, I nearly sold everything I’ve got to buy it. The problem is my gears (2611XMs, 1841s, 3550s & 60s) will not support IOS 15T obviously and now I don’t know what to do with it nor how to practice for the new version.
1800s wil run 15.1T
Is the written part removed? I recall that once upon time Cisco added a mini-written exam in the practical lab exam, which was absolutely out of whack. Is it fixed now?
Yes, the open ended questions are no longer part of the exam.
Hi Guys,
If I take the V4 written exam before Jan, will I be able to sit the V5 lab?
Ricky
Assuming you pass the written, yes
Hi Brian,
if I schedule right now my lab to be in 30 March, 2014
will I be able to attend the V4 ?
I couldn’t understand the deadline policy.
March will likely be the V5 lab exam.
Thanks for your updates!
But what about RTP bootcamp next February, will it be V4 or 5?
Thanks.
Feb will likely be V5 but we’ll see.
Will you be published an updated lab schematic once you have an idea what the v5 one will look like?
I built one for the v4 blueprint earlier in the year. (2610xm is my lowest spec router and 1841 is my highest) It would be nice to know if I could re-use some of the kit for the new blueprint.
I may have to make a sculpture out of the WIC-1Ts though due to their sentimental value.
2600s can’t run 15.x so they are going. 1841 can run up to 15.1T I believe.
Hi Brian
So if some has started preparing for CCIE v4, should they stop and wait for the new version, and if they should carry on. Which technology ares should they focus. Please relpy asap.
Focus on the core. Switching, IGP, BGP, Multicast, IPv6, QoS, etc. that stuff is not changing.
Hi fella
Thanks a lot. In the core especially in INE volume 1 lab exercises, there is a lot of FR covered with QOS. I FR is beign removed from version 5 (thank God). Then I should focus more on other QOS labs…Is that OK?
Basically ignore anything that is Frame Relay Traffic Shaping and Queueing related.
I have a good feeling about V5, we will learn some of the technologies that we are actually using in industry today and not FR, pfr etc etc. The lab virtualization will work out great also, way cheaper to set up home labs that way. My man Ahmed Aden helped me virtualize my security lab already…..kudos to him !
I’m also wondering if i should wait to write the new V5 written, when will the v5 written be available?
thanks guy!
The usually release new written exams in beta first, so at least for the near future the v4 written is still valid for taking.
INE Team
If i have the typical setup with 4 3550 switches and gns3 server(ubuntu) with 3 nic cards etc.. is this setup still valid? or is the switching portion going to be completely virtualized as well?
(for studying)
basically, my network is mimicking INE’s v4 setup, for the best learning scenario, would it be best to somehow migrate to a new setup, or can i continue to learn all of the v5 stuff on this lab?
I think the 7200s can run 15.X so GNS3 should still be fine.
what about 3550 and 3560 ? it support 15.1 ?
Only the newer models support 15 except for the 8 port 3560 which supports 15. You don’t need 15 to match the features of IOU L2.
Hi Brians,
Thanks alot for your nice contributions.
As most of the discussion regarding V5 is focused on virtual environment. Will you come up with a suggestion for minimum hardware requirement to test the new V5 or Some switches plus virtual routers will be the only option?
Thanks
You can do the lab in hardware no doubt. Whether you can scale your hardware lab to the number of devices used in the exam is a different question. For us we already do this. Our TS racks use 28 physical routers and 4 switches. We will be posting a new hardware spec though.
Hi,
Since FR will be removed and part of videos and material on OSPF deals with OSPF over FR, do you recommend to skip studying OSPF until new material is released?
These designs for OSPF will still be valid for OSPF over DMVPN, which I’m going to start running online classes on in just a few weeks.
Dear Brian
If someone pass the CCIE R&S Written Exam two weeks before. Is it valid for CCIE Lab V5 too ? or in case if i not appeared in the lab before March 2013 then needs to be appear again in written exam for v5?
Thanks
Umair
The v4 written exam qualifies you for the v5 lab exam, assuming that when you take your lab exam your v4 written is still valid. Login to the Cisco certification tracking website to see when exactly your written exam is valid until.
Hi Brian
Can you share with us your expectations in regards to the complexity of the new lab topology ?
We all know that Cisco uses scripts to grade the labs. Despite of the total freedom offered by a virtual lab in respect to lab topologies there must be some standardization in order to use scripts for grading the lab results.
thanks
Cristian
Grading is independent of the topology. All they have to do is run testing commands and look for certain outputs, whether these be ping, traceroute, show ip route, show bgp vpnv4 unicast all summary, etc.
What is the recommendation for routers and switches? I currently have 2500 BBs, 2600s, and 2811s instead of 1841s along with 3560G switches. I suppose when you release a preferred topology you will address this? I think my 2811s can use IOS 15??
2800s can run 15.X. 2500s and 2600s cannot.
[...] yayınlanır. Brian Dennis in dediği gibi bencede Cisco nun attığı en dev adım olmuş. Routing and Switching CCIE Version 5 Update AEM ( Ağ Eğitim Merkezi ) http://www.agegitim.com http://www.agegitimi.com http://www.agegitimleri.com [...]
I recently purchased the v4 CCIE lab. Since Frame Relay is being removed, it would only make sense that all the equipment along with it will have to go as well. What will be the additional components if we want to stick to a hardware lab rather than a virtual one.
Any routers that can run 15.X, e.g. 1800, 1900, 2800, 2900, 3800, 3900, 7200VXR, ASR 1000, etc. The most affordable for a home lab would be 1841, which will run up to 15.1T.
Hi Brian,
Will INE provide an updated topology to reflect the removal of the FR, for the cases where a physical lab has been bought and build?
Thank you in advance,
Mihai M.
Yes we’ll be posting a new reference topology.
Hi guys,
can you please advise if the London bootcamp in January will be based on v4 or v5?
It depends on when the final date for the v4 lab is. If they push it out further then that class may be v4, but if not it will likely be v5. More information will be available once the “official” announcement is out and Cisco posts their timeline.
2 questions
1) I see from the FAQ and comments that the workbooks are getting updated and that we’ll have access to the updates, which is awesome, thank you! Will the ATC and other videos also be brought up to date where necessary for new topics, and if we’ve purchased those will we also have access to that new material?
2) Any thoughts about a blog post along the lines of “how to build a CCIE rack” that has suggestions for building with CSR?
Thanks!
Yes to both.
I want to know can I use 5 router 2811, 3 router 2621xm with 2 switch 3560 and 3550 for version 5.
The 2800s can run up to 15.1T but the 2600s can only run 12.4T.
If you have a written v.4 exam currently scheduled, do you know if Cisco and/or the testing companies will allow you to change that cost-free) to a CCIE written *v.5* exam?
I guess it doesn’t matter too much either way, but all things being equal I guess I’d rather take the v.5 written than the v.4, since the material should match up with the new lab better.
It depends on Pearson’s policy. Check their website to see what the rescheduling limitations are.
I must agree with the statement that was made pertaining to being grading the use/implementation of the technology. I never liked the idea of being confined to a certain hardware platform when I’m working with a newer technology. With that said, my question is about the protocol ISIS. I have not used any of the INE training as of yet but would to know if your videos cover ISIS?
IS-IS used to be included in R&S back in v3 I believe. It’s still covered in SP. I’ll be adding R&S videos for it shortly, but if you already have an AAP subscription you can find it in the CCIE SPv3 Advanced Technologies Class right now.
[...] and we don’t know exactly what will be included, but INE seems to think they’ve got a pretty good idea. Key points from their post: 100% Virtual Environment, so no reliance on specific [...]
If I purchase the CCIEv4 training bundle sometime in the near future. Will I still get the v5 training material for free? Or will that only apply to those who have already purchased the v4 material prior to the release of this post?
Anyone who has the material in their members site account will automatically get the new version.
Hi Sir Brian
I’ve been studying for almost a year now. I have practiced Volume 1 workbook thrice now. And now I am working on Volume 2 now. I feel I am still not gonna be ready to take the test on the proposed date (Last day of Feb for the v4 exam assumption). Ï have made an excel sheet of the my ccie preparation but it looks now that I may have to do a revamp of my study planner. Is it still worth to take the Mock lab exams or should I just extend my studies and wait for the update on the new wB and training vids. Thanks sir.
Take the v4 lab unless you want to wait a few months after the v5 has been out.
So I guess IPv4 multicast will remain on the blueprint? If that’s the case then I better get off this blog and back to the CLI troubleshooting AutoRP issues.
YEs. We may see IPv6 Multicast removed from the lab and left on the written.
I’m currently planning to take CCIE written this December and laboratory by next year. Is it possible to take the Lab version 5 after I pass the Written exam (version 4). Or its required that my written exam is in version 5 also.
Yes. You can take the v4 written and the v5 lab.
in v5 exam if i practice for lab exam i need rack rental or iou is fine ?
Either should work fine.
I want to know when I have 2 switch cisco 3560 and 3550 I have to change 3550 or not?
thanks
Both the 3560 and 3550 should support the same features as IOU L2.
Hi Brian. As I know, if there was a blueprint change, we have a period of 6 months after official annoncment to pass the old blueprint; like recent changes on CCIE Voice and Sec. but it seems that Cisco wants to break this rule and give life to new blueprint ASAP. why?
It seems that Cisco wanted to get an advantage for their 360 R&S program with the release of the v5 blueprint. By timing the cut over faster they would have had a big advantage if they were the only vendor in the market with v5 material. Think of it not from a certification perspective but from a business perspective.
Hip hip horray! I get get rid of all the equipment eating up my electric bill! Ok, well I will keep it around just in case but it will rarely be turned on!
Looking forward to subscribing to version 5 once INE releases it!
hello Brian ,
the last time cisco Announce about the New CCIE Collaboration and CCIE Voice retiring it was on may 2013 , and The last day to take the CCIE Voice Lab exam is February 13, 2014.
So I hope that at least Cisco will give the same 8 montes to take tha exam in CCIE R&S V4.0.
marc
Hi Brian
do we have to wait to write the Version 5 blueprint written exam ?
No, you can still take the v4 written and it’ll be valid for the v5 lab.
My current CCIE written qualified me for the v4 blueprint. Will I have to take another written exam to qualify me for version 5?
As long as your v4 written is still valid when you want to take the v5 lab then no, you don’t need to take the v5 written.
Good day,
There is a quite big discussion here and I had no chance to read every single post. I have a question if you don’t mind. Will INE provide virtual topology (based on IOU or GNS3) with new workbook or it is still necessary to rent a racks?
Thanks in advance.
We will be doing both.
I see this posting was on Oct 31. I hope this is just another Horror Story! (someone pinch me).
Let say if they announce it on 28th Jan, I can count 5 or 6 months from there on?
If yes..so why is it advised to book v4 before 28th Feb’14…I am confused.
That is the Cisco Live session not the announcement date. Cisco has never announced at Cisco Live. It’s always been before Cisco Live.