Cisco CCNP ROUTE Planning Routing Services
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Implementing Routing
There are essentially two type of approaches to routing: Ad-hoc and Structured. Ad-hoc is more fly by the seat of your pants while structured has more planning involved prior to implementation.
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Structured Approach
Structured approach has several well-known models of which several are listed on the slide. Your company may follow one of these models or they may have their own structured approach defined.
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Models and Tools
The Cisco model is PPDIOO which stands for:
Prepare – In this phase a discovery process is performed to understand business needs, high-level requirements, and challenges. This effort includes a series of interviews with supporting staff to develop and propose a viable solution, balance competing needs while understanding the business and technical environment. Other significant efforts at this stage include developing a customer requirements document as well as high-level design documentation.
Plan – This effort refines the preliminary strategy developed during the Prepare phase to establish high-level requirements and functionality needed for use test and validation testing-but not yet for specific tests.
Design – Here the project team develops and presents the low-level design that they will eventually implement. At this time, the team decides how to meet requirements for the applications, support, backup, and recovery.
Implement – Here customers are concerned with introducing the solutions into the network and their business processes.
Operate – This effort stabilizes system operational issues and closes out the status of all deliverables, documentation, training, and remaining deployments.
Optimize – In this phase you continue to work with the customer to identify and establish system improvements.
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Implementation Plan
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Identifying the Required Network Information
Here all of the up front design work is performed. Documentation such as existing network diagrams, equipment type and software versions are identified. An IP Address Plan is developed along with routing information based on physical and logical topology.
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Identifying Other Requirements
If delivering into an existing infrastructure there might be significant dependencies that could effect future deployments. Compiling all the data you can to assess the existing infrastructure is crucial in going forward with changes.
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Creating the Implementation Plan
The more work that is performed up front creating an Implementation Plan the better chance you have of having a well run project.
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Implementation Plan Documentation
Documentation is key not only in the implementation phase but it is crucial when handing over a project during the Operate and Optimize phase when other people will be maintaining the system. When I say documentation, I mean correct, up to date documentation that is easily accessible.
Cisco CCNP ROUTE What to Document?
Documentation can be in numerous different forms. It can be very high level network diagrams (either logical or physical or both), IP Address mappings, etc. The main thing is that they are correct and current. Projects are really never 100% complete, there are always changes that occur. When changes happen, part of those changes should be to update the appropriate documentation
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Example: Implementation Plan
Following the steps listed on the slide and documenting as you progress are keys to success when executing an Implementation Plan.
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Enterprise Network Topology
The above slide is a very high level drawing of and enterprise network.
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Identifying Network Information and Requirements
Good documentation of crucial to long term maintenance of a network. Simple things like technology refresh when devices become end of sale / end of support need to be easily an quickly identified for upgrade. Also things like link speeds and types for connections need to be documented while link utilization needs to be monitored to determine when capacity is reaching critical limits that would indicate an upgrade is needed. Proactive monitoring is key here.
Cisco CCNP ROUTE Creating the Implementation Plan
The slide above shows example tasks that could be used on a project as an Implementation Plan. Creating a contact list of key personnel is a good idea.
Cisco CCNP ROUTE
Early planning used to create a well thought out Implementation Plan is key to a successful network implementation. As always, good documentation is a must.