It was long expected that Cisco would update the now aged Service Provider CCIE track. There were speculations, thoughts, even ideas about the track being cancelled. The update was long awaited and … it still is! Today we’ve heard about completely new Service Provider oriented track. Cisco calls it Service Provider Operations. We’ll call it SPO (credit for acronym goes to certain time traveler, Dr. Wholafur).

What exactly is this new track? First of all, it’s not only CCIE. It’s an accross-board track. There will be CCNA SPO, CCNP SPO and CCIE SPO. The focus seems to be on next generation networks (NGN) operations, troubleshooting and configuration. While curricullum is not yet published for lower level certifications, little information available points us in the somewhat lesser hands-on approach. Usage and analysis of data from network management systems (NMS), tools and protocols seem to have prominent space accross the three levels. 

As it is usual, CCNA SPO will provide foundation knowledge for candidates who wish to work in network operations (NOC) of service providers and carriers. CCNP SPO takes things up a little bit and requires students to have operational understanding of different processes, frameworks in SP environment, as well as troubleshooting skills in mixed IOS and IOS XR networks. I’d like to pause here for a moment and mention that this is probably the first certification track that brings IOS XR into play. It’s been availabe for few years, but it never had focus in certifications arena. Now we have it. I’d like to say – well done, Cisco! Naturally, as it is the case with NGNs, MPLS, MPLS TE and QoS appear explicitly on the description of the CCNP SPO.

At the Expert level, CCIE SP brings some more details, at least when it comes to the written exam contents. here is the link to the official blueprint (it requires Cisco login):

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-6490

We can see an interesting mix of non-technical and technical subjects, with very clear focus on troubleshooting at various levels – from deep down technological troubleshooting, to the Layer 8 process-level troubleshooting. Whoever worked in real live SP environment knows how this is crucial sometimes. In days and weeks that follow, we’ll post more detailed analysis of the blueprint.

At this moment, there are no details about the practical exam. However, after brief brainstorming, we are almost ready to put our money on the exam that will take a shape of a crossover between current CCDE practical exam and the R&S troubleshooting section. I would even go that far as to suggest that it may be offered just like CCDE exam is – in various Pearson/VUE Professional testing ceters around the world. This remains to be seen, though!

The availability of the exams for the SPO track is as follows:

• CCNA SPO – Scheduled to be released in Q2 2010
• CCNP SPO – Shceduled to be released in Q3 2010
• CCIE SPO – Scheduled to be released in Q2 (written) and Q3 (practical) 2010

Needless to say, we at IPexpert are very excited about this new track and we already have our instructors getting ready to take up the new challenge ahead. We will provide more information as we learn (for) it.

Let’s hit the books and racks now!

CCIE SP Operations Written Exam Topics
 
The Cisco SP Operations Written Exam (#350-060) has 100 multiple-choice questions and is two hours in duration. The topic areas listed are general guidelines for the type of content that is likely to appear on the exam. Please note, however, that other relevant or related topic areas may also appear.

Exam Sections and Sub-task Objectives
 
1.0
 Manage the network fault management system
 
1.1
 Develop a fault management process for a managed network environment collaboratively with the tools team
 
 
1.2
 Determine the interaction between the fault management system and the ticketing system in collaboration with the tools team
 
 
1.3
 Determine the method to gather appropriate metrics for an established fault management process
 
 
2.0
 Manage performance and capacity
 
2.1
 Identify spikes and potential trouble spots based on syslog and/or Network Management System (NMS) output
 
 
2.2
 Develop a plan to solve a particular performance issue based on syslog and/or Network Management System (NMS) output
 
 
2.3
 Identify the Network Management System (NMS) metrics and SLA metrics that will be needed in order to further troubleshoot a specific problem communicated orally, written, etc.
 
 
2.4
 Develop a plan to establish a baseline and monitor the network in conjunction with the tools and performance groups
 
 
2.5
 Create baseline network performance in conjunction with engineering and architecture teams
 
 
2.6
 Monitor the network to look for variances against the baseline
 
 
2.7
 Edit existing scripts which enable a network baseline management plan in conjunction with the tools and performance groups
 
 
3.0
 Manage operations processes
 
3.1
 Collaborate with the process team and NOC management on process development to meet a desired network operational objective
 
 
3.2
 Develop a specific prototype and test plan for a particular planned network change, working collaboratively with the engineering and design groups
 
 
3.3
 Develop, for a particular network, a list of needed tools working collaboratively with the tools team
 
 
3.4
 Develop a detailed operations plan  including metrics and reporting functions for a particular network working collaboratively with the process team
 
 
3.5
 Develop a process change action plan based on the results of a network audit
 
 
3.6
 Develop and maintain a spares plan for a particular network
 
 
4.0
 Troubleshoot and fix reachability and transport problems within the network
 
4.1
 Identify predecessor steps that have not been executed based on an escalation ticket dealing with reachability
 
 
4.2
 Determine whether to fix or escalate a ticket dealing with reachability
 
 
4.3
 Identify the area(s) causing a complex reachability problem of unknown origin
 
 
4.4
 Troubleshoot a complex routing problem and, considering the technical aspects, determine the risks and fix it
 
 
4.5
 Troubleshoot a complex security problem and, considering the technical aspects, determine the risks and fix it
 
 
5.0
 Identify problems in implementation plans
 
5.1
 Find issues of a rollout plan received from engineering before deployment
 
 
5.2
 Identify hardware which is not backwards compatible on a new service rollout plan
 
 
5.3
 Find hardware that needs operating system upgrades on a new service rollout plan
 
 
5.4
 Review and provide recommendations on areas in which NOC support plans will not be sufficient on a new service rollout plan
 
 
6.0
 Troubleshoot and fix network performance problems
 
6.1
 Identify predecessor steps that have not been executed based on an escalation ticket dealing with network performance
 
 
6.2
 Determine whether to fix or escalate a ticket dealing with network performance
 
 
6.3
 Determine whether to fix or where to escalate a core network fault
 
 
6.4
 Identify the source of a complex network performance problem
 
 
6.5
 Troubleshoot a complex network performance problem and, considering the technical aspects, determine the risks and  fix it
 
 
6.6
 Identify a complex application performance problem and isolate it
 
 
6.7
 Identify a complex computing device (server, call manager, etc - not the network or application) performance problem and isolate it
 
 
6.8
 Troubleshoot a complex traffic pattern problem and, considering the technical aspects, determine the risks and fix it
 
 
6.9
 Troubleshoot a complex, chronic performance problem and, considering the technical aspects, determine the risks and fix it