CCNP SP Operations Page Live

Cisco has the CCNP SP Operations page up now:

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/certifications/ccnpspops

CCNP SP Operations

Now it's time for me to begin working on CCNP SP Operations. This certification is not fully live yet, but the details are at https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-8149

There are 4 exams required:
642-770: Operational Foundations for Cisco Service Provider Core Networks (OFCN)
642-775: Maintaining Cisco Service Provider Routing Protocols (MSPRP)
647-780: Maintaining Cisco Service Provider VPNs and MPLS Networks (MSPVM)
642-785: Maintaining Cisco Service Provider Quality of Service (MSPQS)

All 4 show up on Vue's website, so it looks like the certification is fully live.

Now I just need to decide what to take first.
OFCN is all about processes and management tools. I'll need to study a lot for that so I'll hold off for now.
MSPRP focuses on BGP, OSPF, and IS-IS. Sounds like a great place to start!
MSPVM is the MPLS exam. Another good one!
MSPQS covers QoS. Not a bad topic but I'm a little rusty on some of the details.

So I should be able to knock out MSPRP and MSPVM by the end of August. I'll give myself another 2 weeks on MSPQS and then 6 weeks on OFCN. That would get me the CCNP SP Ops by the end of October. I like doing my CCIE studying over the winter anyway, so the timing should work out well.

CCNA SP Operations Complete

Well, I decided I'd just go ahead and take the SSPO exam 640-760 so that I can target my studying a little better. I was pleasantly surprised when I scored a pass.

The blueprint and study questions on Cisco's site are pretty accurate. I was also happy that most of the information on the exam was pretty relevant. I didn't find many of those "who the heck cares" questions. So all in all I'd say it was a pretty good exam.

CCNA SSPO Review Questions - Set 3

Key Performance Indicator:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_indicator

Incident Management vs. Problem Management:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Technology_Infrastructure_Library#Incident_Management

CCNA SSPO Review Questions - Set 2

Here's what I need to review for Set 2:

Network Management:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_management

FCAPS:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCAPS

NMS Model:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_Management_Network

Cisco information center:
http://www.ciscosysteme.com/en/US/products/sw/netmgtsw/ps996/index.html

Cisco ip solution center:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/netmgtsw/ps4748/index.html

CCNA SSPO Review Questions - Set 1

The quiz is located at https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-7318

Topics I need to review:
NGN Architectural Layer
Service Exchange Framework
ITIL
eTOM

For NGN Architecture, there's an ASR9k link which seems the most relevant:
http://cisco.biz/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps9853/solution_overview_c22-501795.html
I'll be reading this many times over.

Service Exchange Framework is here:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/collateral/ns341/ns525/ns537/ns549/net_implementation_white_paper0900aecd80592c03.html

Cisco's Introduction to eTOM:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/technologies/collateral/tk869/tk769/white_paper_c11-541448.html

As for ITIL, there's a comparison to eTOM on the above link. We'll see if I need to know more than that.

SP Operations CCNA

A search on Amazon for 640-760 (the ccna spo exam) comes up with nothing Cisco related. Uh oh, this really is new territory. Interestingly, the CCIE SP written was very much the same. There was little to no material dedicated directly toward it.

However, Cisco does have several quizzes on their site that provides a general idea of the types of questions. I'll try to absorb this information before taking my first crack at the CCNA OPS exam, hopefully this week.