QoS Simplified: Cisco Catalyst 3560 and Cisco Catalyst 3750

Yet another great video from Kevin Wallace!

Over 1 hour and 45 minutes in length, this video is a fantastic review of QoS for all Cisco CCIE Voice and Cisco CCIE Route/Switch candidates.

From his youtube channel:

"A particularly challenging topic for many CCIE R/S and CCIE Voice candidates is the configuration of Quality of Service (QoS) on a Cisco Catalyst switch, specifically the 3560 for CCIE R/S candidates and the 3750 for CCIE Voice candidates. Fortunately, the QoS architectures of these switches are identical. So, this video, which seeks to simplify QoS theory and configuration topics, is applicable to both CCIE R/S and Voice candidates."

CCIE Voice Lab Strategies by Kevin Wallace

For anyone preparing to take the CCIE Voice lab, you'll need to have a practiced plan of attack if you want to be successful.  Kevin Wallace outlines his 12 steps for success in this 30 minute video that introduces a series of videos that he has promised to be upcoming.

While you can find many different CCIE Voice lab strategies out there, he has a great way of presenting his ideas and has a few twists on popular approaches.  This is a must-watch video for any CCIE Voice candidate!

The Evil of Dial-Peer 0 (pid:0)

Certification Focus: CCNA Voice, CCNP Voice, CCIE Voice 

I remember sitting in my first Cisco voice class many years ago when the subject of dial peers was first discussed.  I also remember how absolutely lost I felt trying to get my head around the Cisco IOS voice gateway concepts of call legs, inbound and outbound dial peer matching, and the now infamous, "Dial Peer 0".

My goal with this post isn't to write a book on the subject - those exist already.  I'm going to instead summarize into (hopefully) easily digestible parts for Cisco voice students of all levels.  For the seasoned voice engineers out there, make sure you see the section below on the new Toll-Fraud Prevention Feature that is now included in IOS, starting with IOS 15.1(2).

My "Simplified" CCIE Voice Strategy

Updated: 4/10/2012

Two years have passed since I made (and failed) my first CCIE Voice lab attempt.  Why did I fail it?  Well, I didn't know everything I needed to know.

Since then, I've put my CCIE Voice aspirations on hold due to business and family obligations.  So, now, after two years of additional experience with Cisco voice products and most recently, a new employer, I find that I'm recharged and ready to dedicate myself to study and preparation for the CCIE Voice certification (for real this time).

That all sounds great, huh?  But how am I going to do it?

One of the things that I learned from my 1st CCIE Voice lab attempt - don't take any topic for granted.  This certification requires a large accumulation of knowledge and then the skill to apply all of that knowledge.  Rushing through the CCIE Voice written portion won't do you any favors. So, this time - I'm going to rededicate myself to studying each component on the CCIE Voice blueprint with a careful and methodical approach.

Test Question: What Is PLAR? PLAR-OPX?

Certification Focus: CCNA Voice, CCNP Voice, CCIE Voice

What is PLAR and how is it different from PLAR-OPX?
Is this the same as Hotdial or Autodial?

Test Question: Cisco IP Phone Security Modes

Certification Focus: CCNA Voice, CCNP Voice, CCIE Voice

Cisco IP phones can use three different security modes of operation.  
What are they?

Troubleshooting Exercise: Cisco IP Phone Registration

"My Phone Doesn't Work"

Mrs. Phelps

Probably the most common issue that any voice engineer will encounter is the dreaded report, "my phone isn't working, please help".  If you are currently supporting users then you know what I mean.  If you're lucky, you got a little more information on the initial report than that, but more than likely you'll need to do some digging to get it all.

On the other hand, if you are studying for CCNA Voice or CCNP Voice - you've probably done some reading but may not have any experience trying to deal with this kind of report.

So, this post will be a role-playing social exercise that I hope you enjoy.  I will be the user and answer things to the best of "the user's" knowledge.  I will also answer questions about the environment as though you dispatched a field engineer, if that's necessary.

Over 25 Hours of Free CCNA Voice Training

For the month of March 2012, INE is offering free access to their entire 5-Day CCNA Voice Bootcamp.  No strings and no purchase required, just register and create an account if you are not already a member.

Update:  INE will keep these videos available for free!!

Mark Snow, CCIE #14073, provides over 25 hours of expert guidance for anyone that is looking to take the CCNA Voice certification.  Take advantage of this free training before it expires on March 31st, it is a great example of the high quality you can expect throughout all of INE's products.

TranslatorX - Quick & Easy Call Manager Trace Analysis Tool

TranslatorX is an extremely powerful tool for Windows, Linux and Mac that allows for rapid parsing of Call Manager traces.  Just point it to the root directory used by RTMT to pull traces and TranslatorX will search all traces in the folder.

You won't have access to this tool (or any others like it) on the CCIE Voice lab or during any other certification exams, but I like to review the traces when doing lab testing in preparation for the CCIE Voice or CCNP Voice certifications.  It goes a long way to help understand how a protocol works - as well as help troubleshoot something that you just swear should be working, but isn't.

TranslatorX - Call Manager Trace Tool

TranslatorX allows you to quickly parse through Cisco CallManager trace files and search for Q.931, H.225, SCCP (Skinny), MGCP, or SIP messages.

Video: QoS Theory and QoS Configuration for Cisco Catalyst 3560 and 3750

When preparing for the Cisco CCIE Voice and CCIE R/S exams, you'll need to have a comprehensive understanding of how QoS functions on on the Catalyst 3750 and Catalyst 3560 switches.  When preparing for the CCIE Voice exam, I can personally attest to how easy it was to focus on all of the other voice-specific topics on the exam and neglect the needed complete understanding of QoS theory and QoS configuration on the Catalyst 3750. 

Cisco Voice over IP

Kevin Wallace (CCIE #7945) aims to simplify QoS theory and QoS configuration in this extensive 100+ minute video.  The topics discussed apply to the common architecture found on the Catalyst 3560 and Catalyst 3750 switches, so it applies to both CCIE Voice and CCIE R/S students.  Kevin is also the author of several highly recommened Cisco Press books which always end up on my personal bookshelf.

Cisco Cius Video Deep Dive

Cisco Cius

In this hour-long video, the TechWiseTV team takes a deeper look into the new Cisco Cius tablet.  While I'm not aware of this content being found on any of the current Cisco certifications, you can count on it being added in the near future wherever it makes sense.

Most companies are integrating new collaboration tools, including the Cisco Cius, in order to find new efficiencies in how they do business - and Cisco is pushing adoption of the Cius via their sales channels - hard!

All Cisco voice engineers need to have at least a basic understanding of this device and what it can provide.  This video is a great starting point.  So, grab some popcorn, a big box of Raisinets and a huge Coke and enjoy the show.

Calling Search Space Clauses and Partition Name Limitations

You would be wrong if you're thinking that calling search space (CSS) clauses have something to do with Christmas.  Actually, a "CSS clause" is used internally within a call manager (CUCM) during call processing.  It is a text string that contains the ordered list of partitions found within both the device CSS and the partitions found within the CSS for the directory number (DN) or route pattern associated by the device.

Ultimately, the contents of the CSS clause is the ordered list of partitions available to be considered when a call routing decision must be made.  This order is the sequence in which they are configured within the CSS AND the sequence in which they are considered for matches.

If a duplicate route pattern is found within two different partitions contained within a singular calling search space clause, the order in which the partition is listed will be the tiebreaker.  Cisco recommends that this situation be avoided as it can create confusion when anticipating where a call would be routed.

CUCM CLI: 'utils network capture'

Back to CUCM CLI Index

This is a very powerful and useful command that should be part of every voice engineer's toolbelt.  It allows you to perform an immediate network capture ("sniffer", packet capture, etc.) of traffic as it is hitting the Unified Communications server.  It also includes configurable filters to limit the information that is captured to ensure you see only what you want!

For example, having trouble with NTP synchronization on your publisher to an external time source?  How about SDL Link OOS between nodes in your cluster?  Want to see what traffic you are receiving from an unknown network device?  There are literally an endless number of uses for this tool to assist with your troubleshooting.  Read below for syntax examples.

Cisco "Connected Justice": Collaboration From Police Car to Court Room

The "Connected Justice" vision from Cisco given by John Chambers (CEO) and Jim Grubb (VP Corporate Communications) offers a very compelling demonstration of what could be the future of law enforcement and our judicial system.  Using a variety of Cisco products put together in a collaborative manner, they make a case that any business could be run more efficiently with the presented technologies.

In this twelve minute demonstration, the Cisco CIus is utilized within a police vehicle to perform functions that range from receiving dispatch calls, ability to review audio complaint calls, capture witness accounts, take photographic evidence, and a video call to a judge to obtain an immediate search warrant (after checking their telepresence availability, of course).  All information is saved within "the cloud" so that there is no risk of losing the information if the Cius becomes damaged.

Cisco Unified Communications Components

The Cisco Unified Communications suite of products has many different components that provide a variety of different services.  Let's discuss the "big picture" in this post so that you can start to gain an overall understanding of the components and features provided.  Note that I have kept things at a high level intentionally.

Among the most popular components found in a Cisco Unified Communications System are the following.  These products provide enterprise-grade IP telephony, messaging, voice mail, presence, and contact center functionality:

• Cisco IP Phones
• Infrastructure including Switches, Gateways and Gatekeepers
• Unified Communications Manager
• Unity & Unity Connections
• Unified Presence
• Unified Contact Center

Seems pretty straight forward, doesn't it?  Well, take a look at the full suite of voice and unified communications products offered by Cisco.  Don't let this seem overwhelming, I've summarized down below so it's not quite so intimidating.