Bridging the gap between CCIE RS and SP

To recap, the formula has been simple.  Complete twice: IPX vol1, IPX vol3, IPX vol2 and INE vol2. I left vol3 lab 1&2 for ‘match’ practice while in Brussels. I believe this will be enough practice but the proof will be in the pudding.

With SP the outcome is unpredictable as you never know what question or dependency can make your card castle not come up or tumbling down. From what I read on the SP blogs and vendor forums, I gathered that it is absolutely crucial to get it perfect. I believe this is similar to the ‘core’ in RS. I have therefore focused a lot of attention on the details of the different Inter-As/CSC options and getting a complex mixture of them working together. I trust I have that covered well, but with only a few days left, I am now concerned about the details I have not paid much attention to. For example, accuracy is very critical in the RS lab, but I would say that my accuracy at the moment is at an all time low. The last round of IPX vol2 labs I skipped a great deal of requirements. Although they were the normal gimme tasks, these are the things that could potentially cost ‘unforced’ points when rushed. There is not much I can do about accuracy now, my only option is to verify everything and verify thoroughly. Then there are the topics on the blueprint that are not covered in much detail or at all on the full-scale labs. I can still do something about this and therefore I am working through the IPX Vol1 labs as they have the most variety of different technologies and concepts. I also setup a few 2600 routers with some older 12.2 code just to get a feel for it.

For the remainder of the week I will keep focusing on tying up the loose ends. Almost time to start packing.