SDN career certifications are starting to emerge. Network engineers are well-used to certifications, and use them as a badge of marking progress. But developers prefer to focus on code, not passing tests. This will be just another way that the different cultures rub up against each other as we change the way our networks work.
(Read more...)Network Field Day 7 had many interesting presentations and discussions. I’m still working through them all, but one from Dell caught my eye, where they declared that CCIEs were no longer required. They were slightly exaggerating their case for impact, but there is some substance to it - we shouldn’t need CCIEs to generate basic network configurations for standard networks.
(Read more...)Vendor ‘clubs’ or programs have troubled me for some time. They are not all bad, but I am concerned about the influence that vendors are trying to exert, and the effect this has on the standings of respected people in the social media communities. I fear we are selling our independence too cheaply.
(Read more...)Many engineers struggle with business writing. They get easily lost in detail, and produce tortured documents that are technically correct, but of little business value. This is classic “technician” or “engineer” writing. Here’s some guidance for producing “Consultant”-style documents will be far more use to the organisations you’re working with.
(Read more...)A quick reminder - do not use the symbol ‘@’ in SNMPv1/2 community strings. I came across this again this week - it causes issues with monitoring some equipment, and should be avoided.
(Read more...)This article is Part 3 in a 12-Part Series.
The CCIE Routing & Switching v5 blueprint introduces a new module in the lab exam: DIAG. This section does not have any direct device access, but instead uses a variety of information sources, including some console output.
(Read more...)Previously I’ve looked at the overall ScienceLogic architecture, and HA options for the Collectors and UI. This post looks at DR and HA options for the core Database layer - the heart of the ScienceLogic system.
(Read more...)Earlier I looked at the basics of ScienceLogic EM7 architecture. I didn’t cover how to achieve HA or DR with ScienceLogic. The architecture offers a few options for doing this, at each of the three layers - Collectors, UI and DB. In this post I’ll cover some HA options for the Collectors and the UI.
(Read more...)IPv4 exhaustion is a real issue for large parts of the world. IPv6 is the long-term solution, but it doesn’t solve today’s problems facing ISPs. Alternatives are needed - either CGN, or purchasing more IPv4 blocks on the open market. Recently I’ve been involved in the purchase & transfer process - here’s my notes on how it works within the APNIC region.
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