Oleg you have been in my network for many years now and in that time I have seen you add two more CCIE certifications. I have been interested in what motivates IT professionals to certify and recertify and then keep collecting certifications. In your case you have accumulated several good ones. The list reads:
| Cisco | CCIE Routing and Switching | |
| CCIE WAN Switching | ||
| CCIE Communications and Services | ||
| CCDP Routing and Switching | ||
| CCDP WAN Switching | ||
| Nortel | Certified Optical Design Specialist | |
| Network Associates: | CNX - Certified Network Expert - Ethernet | |
Q: I can understand the CCIE I was your boss back then, but what motivated you to pursue the Nortel Optical Design Specialist.?
A: Cisco plays a significant and sometimes critical role especially in the enterprise environment. However, Cisco “does not own the world” of telecommunications. This is especially true in the service provider networks. When I needed to learn about and acquire practical skills in designing and operating optical transmission networks (SONET, DWDM) Nortel had a lot to offer. I was really impressed by how disciplined the engineering documentation and processes were and how they allowed to build a fundamental understanding of optical transmission principals as well as the practical aspects of designing optical ring and mesh networks, and their components.
Q: Was the preparation for your first CCIE difficult? What resources did you use to prepare?
A: Yes it was. Please keep in mind that I was preparing for my first CCIE (Routing and Switching) over 10 years ago and at that time the technical information needed to build up your skills for the 2-day CCIE certification lab was not as available as today. I was working in a Technical Assistance Center and saw some very interesting routing and bridging problems in real networks (I’m sure you also remember some of those). In addition I had access to a lab environment where I could practice. One of the most important aspects for me was the open and almost collegial environment of my work place at the time. I had people to look up to – other CCIEs – who did not brush me off or looked down on me when I had questions or things to discuss.
Q: CCIE number two must have been a lot of work for you as well. Tell me a little about how you approached the second CCIE and if you did anything different in your preparations for this lab.
A: CCIE number two was WAN Switching and it was really different from Routing and Switching. For one thing the technology and the equipment were completely different. Another thing was that for WAN Switching there truly was very little to none preparation materials. I have always been very interested in the service provider technologies and the inner workings of large carrier switching systems. Due to the specifics of my work I did have access to some of the equipment I needed to learn for the test. The certification lab was a 2-day test where I needed to bring up a fairly sophisticated ATM core network with Frame Relay access, synchronize the WAN switches, perform in-service software upgrades, setup ATM-Frame inter-working, and what was the fun part, connect real CPE routers to this network and make sure I could ping end-to-end. I must say that WAN Switching was the most work and the most challenging of all my CCIE labs.
Q: Did CCIE number three come any easier?
A: I wouldn’t say it was easier, I was very focused in my preparations and during the lab itself (this time it was a 1-day lab). MPLS and service provider aggregation and routing are fascinating to me. This time around I actually took time to read the lab assignments first, make sense of them and only then attempt any configurations.
Q: Looking back do you think you needed so many certifications? Would you leave any out or add any more?
A: I think in my case all these certifications were driven by practical needs. In my work I have to deal with various kinds of networks (enterprise, carrier, broadband) and solutions that are based on combinations of these networks that have to satisfy very specific requirements for functional capabilities, interoperability, performance, reliability and QoS. In my view the combination of the enterprise Routing and Switching, WAN Switching and Service Provider specializations is a right combination for me to be able to analyze, troubleshoot and design complex solutions on an end-to-end basis. Another thing that I found very useful is to be able to talk in the same terms about very specific aspects with engineers that are responsible for specific carrier network segments (Optical, WAN, MPLS) as well as with the customers (logical routing, protocols, QoS and security). I am not looking to add more certifications but I like to be able to “hold my own”, so to say, in other important areas such as Voice and Security.
Q: What advice would you give others who are thinking about a career in networking?
A: I think the most important thing is to stay excited about what you’re doing, try to get to the bottom of things and find an environment in which you could be challenged. I find it useful to think of a certification (especially as challenging as CCIE) as a tool. A tool to obtain specific, precise and practical skills and knowledge that could be used to advance one’s career.
Q: Do you read the CCIE Flyer? What do you like about it?
A: Yes I do. I like to read about other people’s experiences in their CCIE endeavors and quests as well as on topics unrelated to technology.
Oleg is joining our long list of contributors to the CCIE Flyer and I am happy to number him among my friends and professional network!