PrefaceThe purpose of this document is to describe the features of the Cisco ® CCIE ® Assessor Lab and offer general guidance to maximize the benefits of the lab session. IntroductionThe Cisco CCIE Assessor Lab is the first CCIE preparation tool developed and maintained by Cisco. Using a Web interface to live Cisco equipment, the four- hour CCIE Assessor Lab helps candidates identify gaps in their preparation and devise an effective test-taking strategy. The scenarios and questions in the practice lab are written by the Cisco CCIE team and simulate the difficulty of the actual exam. During and after the session, candidates can access a detailed, point-by-point assessment of their performance, along with suggestions for further study. With practice lab scenarios developed by Cisco, a personalized performance assessment, and access to live equipment like that appearing in the actual lab, the CCIE Assessor Lab can be an extremely effective preparation tool—especially for first-time lab candidates. [Return to Top] Scheduling and AccessSchedulingScheduling for the Cisco CCIE Assessor Lab is done online at http://www.cisco.com/ccie/assessor. Your email address is used to identify you and reserve your selected four-hour time slot. The scheduling administrator will email you a unique user login and password to access your session at the prearranged time. Be sure to register with a valid email address to receive your login information and final assessment report. Access Before Your SessionOnce you have scheduled and paid for your lab, you will receive a unique login and password. Before the time of your scheduled session, we recommend you logon at http://www.ccieassessor.labgear.net to perform a system check. The check will alert you to any issues with pop-ups or Java script that should be resolved before your session. Prior to your assigned time, you will also be able to review limited portions of the CCIE Assessor Lab including configuration diagrams, the User Guide (in online Help), and instructions on how to interpret the assessment report. Becoming familiar with this material will help you maximize your four-hour session. You will not be able to review the practice lab scenarios, actually configure the equipment, or run the assessment until your scheduled time. Initiating Your SessionAt the prearranged scheduled time, you should initiate your session at http://www.ccieassessor.labgear.net using the login and password you receive. Note that the user login consists of two components: XXX-YYYYY. The YYYYY component is a five-digit number that is also your session ID for the CCIE Assessor Lab. In the unlikely event you need to open a support case, you may be asked to provide this session ID. An automatic warning will appear onscreen to let you know when there are 15 minutes remaining in your session. [Return to Top] Technical RequirementsPlease note the following recommended technical requirements to ensure a satisfactory lab experience: Minimum PC Client
Browser SettingsCCIE Assessor Labs require Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher (IE 5.x). CCIE Assessor is designed to work with the most common default IE settings. If the default settings have been modified, settings may need to be adjusted as follows:
Internet ConnectionMinimum bandwidth is 56k dialup or better. Ad Blockers, Pop-Up Killers, Etc.Users running pop-up killer, privacy control, ad blocking, personal firewall, or similar software may need to modify settings in those applications while using the lab for the lab interface menus, referrer URLs, and/or Java applets to work properly. FirewallsFirewalls must allow the client to establish outbound TCP connections to 64.161.38.69, .70 and .75. If more granular address/port information must be obtained, please request by contacting CCIE customer support through the Certifications Online Support tool. [Return to Top] CCIE Assessor Menu OptionsThis section describes the main menu of the CCIE Assessor Lab. The menu options follow the general flow of your session, progressing from accessing the practice exam questions, to working with the equipment in the lab environment, to running the assessment function and interpreting the results. Practice Exam QuestionsThe questions presented in the CCIE Assessor Lab are developed and updated by the CCIE program, specifically to simulate the format and difficulty of questions on the actual CCIE lab. Lab DiagramsThe diagrams here are duplicates of the diagrams provided in the Practice Exam Questions. They are presented from the main menu as well so you can open them in a separate window while you work the exam questions. Lab EnvironmentHere you will configure and interact with live Cisco equipment, just as if it were in the room with you. More detail on the Lab Environment is presented in the next section. Lab AssessmentOne of the key features of the CCIE Assessor Lab--the assessment function collects information from the live equipment, analyzes it, and prepares a detailed report summarizing your performance. More information on the assessment and how to use it is presented in a following section. User GuideThis entire User Guide is available online during your session. SupportSupport is available 24 x 7 for issues with connectivity, the Web interface, or hardware failures. See contact information on this screen. [Return to Top] Lab EnvironmentThe Lab Environment is equipped with tools to easily configure and control the devices in your equipment pod as if they were locally accessible. The interface offers tools for console access, power control, clearing console lines, saving configurations, and resetting PCs or network devices to the default state. Session InformationAt the top of the Lab Environment screen is operational information about your session including:
TopologyThe topology shown on the main screen of the Lab Environment (and in Figure 1.) is a map of the live Cisco hardware and how it is cabled. Clicking on a specific device provides access to the command line for that device. 
Device ManagementThe Device Management option is used to clear console lines or to power cycle a device. The main functions are described below. 
PC Or Device Control AccessThe green console icon or PC desktop icon gives you a telnet session to the console of the networking device or a terminal services session on the PC in the lab (see Figure 3.). The console session is created in a separate window as shown. You may have multiple console windows open simultaneously. The green status indicator signals that the session is ready for you to type commands in the console window. If the indicator is "offline" with a red indicator, you do not have connectivity to the console. This can occur for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is if you attempt to open another window for the same device. If this occurs, open the device management window from the main menu to clear the line. The click on the "connect" button in the menu of the telnet client window. If it is still offline, skip to Frequently Asked Questions for other ideas. 
Copying and PastingThe Java security model prevents you from copying and pasting text directly to and from the Java telnet window. In order to facilitate copying, you may use the Java ScratchPad. The buffer to the Java ScratchPad button will copy the last 500 lines from the Java telnet window. Once the text is in the ScratchPad, use CTL-C (copy) or CTL-V (paste) to move it to/from your PC clipboard. The ScratchPad's "Send To Terminal" button will paste the contents of the ScratchPad to the Java telnet window. There may be times when you may not want all of the text in the buffer to be pasted into the ScratchPad. For example, if you want to copy the output of a clean "show running config". Clicking on the "Clear Buffer" button will set the buffer back to one line of output. Any output after the cursor will then be buffered. [Return to Top] Practice Exam QuestionsThe scenarios and questions included in the Practice Exam are developed by the Cisco CCIE team and cover material listed on the CCIE lab exam blueprint. The Practice Exam is updated by Cisco along with the actual exams, to reflect changes in the topics and equipment tested. Although the Practice Exam is only four hours, as opposed to eight hours for the actual lab exam, the difficulty and time pressure is designed to closely simulate the conditions of the actual exam. Candidates can choose to either work through the Practice Exam completely before running the assessment—as they would do in an actual exam, or they can work the exam until they come to a question they are unsure about and run the assessment for hints on how to approach it. Each time you run the assessment however, it will take at least several minutes—more if you have not yet attempted many questions. An automatic warning will appear onscreen to let you know when there are15 minutes remaining in your session. Just like in an actual CCIE lab exam, you can improve your performance through careful time management and efficient troubleshooting. The tips and information presented here can help you maximize your session. Tips for Taking the Practice Exam
Time Management Essentials
[Return to Top] Lab Assessment ReportThe Lab Assessment evaluates the candidate's performance on the Practice Exam using the AutoVerify ™ assessment tool. The assessment can be run at any time during your four-hour session and will generate a point-by-point evaluation of your lab. In addition, the assessment provides references on topics for further study. At the end of your session a final assessment report is automatically generated and saved by the system. You will receive an email with an online link to the report and an evaluation survey to provide feedback to Cisco on the entire CCIE Assessor Lab experience. This section describes the main features of the lab assessment report and how to interpret your results. Using configurations and command output, the report shows exactly what was done correctly and incorrectly on the lab and provides a snapshot of your progress against the objectives for each topic. When to Run the AssessmentThe assessment feature of the CCIE Assessor Lab is designed so you can assess your work at any time, or at multiple times, during your four-hour session. Since the feedback you receive provides valuable tips on how to arrive at the expected result, you may want to run the assessment when you get stuck and need hints on what to do next, or if you are curious about the success of a particular configuration. When deciding to run the assessment, keep in mind that it currently evaluates the entire exam each time and provides feedback and answers to questions you may not yet have attempted. You will have to make a conscious effort to not look at the answers to questions you still want to attempt. Also consider that an evaluation of the entire exam typically takes at least several minutes, and while you are waiting you will not be able to access command lines for any of the devices. For these reasons, you should carefully consider when and how often to run the lab assessment. Remember that a link to a completed assessment of the entire lab will be emailed to you at the close of the session. You do not actually need to run the assessment at all during your four hour session and you will still be able to access the point-by-point feedback and reference suggestions. Although the report will be resident on your hard drive, you will need an Internet connection when viewing the report for all of its features to function correctly. You do have the ability to print this report; however it will not include the original practice lab scenarios and questions. How to Run the AssessmentTo run an assessment report at any time during your four-hour session, simply select Assessment Report from the Lab Environment menu. The lab does not need to be complete to run the assessment. The assessment tool will collect information from your live network to generate the report. The assessment report (Figure 4 below) will automatically appear in the window when the evaluation is complete. 
Report ToolbarAt the top of the Assessment Report is a toolbar which offers additional information for interpreting your assessment report.
Learning ObjectivesAs in the actual CCIE lab exams, the questions on the practice lab are developed to test specific learning objectives. Individual learning objectives are grouped together according to topic area, such as "NAT-Related Configuration Skills". When you first open the report, the individual learning objectives are hidden. By clicking the "+" sign, you can expand the group and display all of the individual objectives in that group. 
One or more individual learning objectives are associated with each lab exercise and must be performed in order to receive credit for that exercise. Some learning objectives are "negative", indicating that this task should NOT be performed during a certain exercise. An example of a learning objective taken from Figure 6. is "Verify 'global (outside)' statement". As in Figure 6., each detail line of the scorecard lists an individual learning objective, the points earned for that objective in both a numerical and visual format, a help link to find out more about what is expected for this objective, and a details link which allows you to view the exact commands or other device output associated with correct configurations. 
Score InformationThe report provides a numeric and visual representation of how well you performed each learning objective. Use Report Options on the toolbar to select either Points Mode or Percent Mode. Remember that in order to score points in any section you must satisfy all of the conditions of that section. Therefore, a section will show a score of zero if you missed any subsections. 
The bottom row of the Assessment Report shows your total overall performance on the practice lab and can be displayed in either percent or points format. Info FunctionThe Info function is one of the most useful features of the CCIE Assessor Lab. Here you will find information on the question objectives, links to relevant resources, and possibly information about the type of solution expected. The information provided is created and maintained by the Cisco CCIE program team. Details WindowThe details function (Figure 8.) allows you to "drill down" to understand exactly what you did that was correct or incorrect. When a details window is open you will see that row highlighted on the report with a yellow background. You need a browser window of at least 800x600 pixels to effectively use the details window. A size of 1024x768 or larger is recommended. Using the standard markup conventions described below, the details window shows the exact commands or other device output associated with that particular learning objective. 
Markup StylesWithin the details window, various markup styles are used to indicate correct and incorrect information. Correct Information: Regular black text indicates information that correctly meets the requirements of the learning objective.
Command Inserter Information: Red, underlined italic text indicates information that is MISSING from the commands or device output. 
Navigation ButtonsFour buttons also allow navigation between output details from other devices relevant to the current learning objective, as well as move to earlier or later learning objectives. Buttons will be grayed out if that choice is not available. UP: Moves to the prior learning objective in the report. Note that the highlight moves up one row in the report as well. DOWN: Moves to the following learning objective. Note that the highlight moves down one row. PREV: Moves to the previous device output relevant to the CURRENT learning objective. Note that the device and command name in the title bar/top row of the details window updates to reflect the new device output line. NEXT: Moves to the next device output relevant to the CURRENT learning objective. Note that the device and command name in the title bar/top row of the details window updates to reflect the new device output. 
Configs ButtonThe Configs button, located in the very upper right corner of the Assessment Report,
allows you to view all the device configurations simultaneously in a single new window
(Figure 9). The configurations use the same markup conventions as the Details Window:
correct information in black text, When opened, the Configs Window adjusts to a size that is slightly smaller than your screen resolution in order to allow you to view as many configurations as possible. If there are more than four configurations, they will appear in rows of four. Any configurations not used in the evaluation of your lab will not appear. 
HintsThis section contains helpful information to keep in mind while working with the practice lab scenarios. Some candidates review the Hints when they first generate an assessment report to see if they have missed any "big picture" items. If so, they can quickly skip to that section, make the corrections needed, and rerun the assessment. 
[Return to Top] Help and SupportThe CCIE Assessor Lab runs on live Cisco equipment managed by LabGear at Technology Networks Inc. (TNI) and uses the AutoVerify assessment engine from Remote Technology Solutions Inc. (RTS). Questions and non-urgent concerns about CCIE Assessor should be directed to Cisco Systems by contacting CCIE customer support through the Certifications Online Support tool. For urgent support issues arising during the practice lab session, please contact TNI at (011) 775 450-6775. Live support is available Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm US Pacific Standard Time, excluding U.S. business holiday, and on-call 24 x 7 x 365. When requesting support, please provide: user name, lab ID#, pod ID#, and a detailed description of the problem. [Return to Top] Frequently Asked QuestionsWhen I mouse over the Configuration Management menus, I don't get the cascading menus. You must enable Pop-ups on the browser. Sometimes clients have two or more pop-up blockers enabled at the same time. XP SP2, Google toolbar, Symantec, etc. can all be active at the same time. You have to allow Pop-ups on them all. When I click on the green console button next to the network device, nothing happens and there is an error message at the bottom left of my browser window. Most likely Java isn't loading properly. Be sure that JRE 1.5 or higher is installed (get the latest from http://java.sun.com) or re-install JRE. If the problem persists, reboot your PC. When I click on the PC Desktop button next to the PC, a window with a broken file icon (red X) appears. The PC client must have an ActiveX component signed by Microsoft installed to use the PC desktop. Normally it is installed the first time you access a device that requires it. You must accept installation of the component when prompted. Be sure that you are logged in as administrator and that your security settings allow you to accept ActiveX. After clicking on the green console icon next to a network device, the black Java Applet Window has a red indicator that reads "offline," and the console doesn't respond. The terminal server may have a hung session on the console line. Click the Device Management button on the Title Bar and then click the "Clear Console" button associated with the device. Click the "Connect" button on the Java Applet Window. If this doesn't fix the problem, you may be behind a firewall that is preventing the TCP session from your client to the remote equipment. Configure your firewall to allow outbound TCP connection to the Cisco CCIE Assessor Lab, as per the technical requirements above. [Return to Top] Appendix: Cisco AgreementsAll Cisco certification testing requires acceptance of one or more of the following agreements: The importance of agreeing to these documents should not be underestimated. The intention of Cisco Career Certifications is to ensure high standards of technical expertise. The pursuit or achievement of Cisco certification—at any level—means joining the ranks of skilled network professionals who have earned recognition and respect in the industry. Maintaining the integrity of Cisco certification programs and ensuring that only qualified individuals receive certification is in the best interest of everyone. Be sure to take the time to read these agreements so that you fully understand our policies. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Copyright © 2005 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco, Cisco Systems, the Cisco Systems logo, Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, CCIE and the CCIE logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. LabGear™ is a trademark of Technowledge Networks, Inc. |
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