Building Scalable Cisco Networks

From the Book: In April 1998, Cisco Systems, Inc., announced a new professional development initiative called the Cisco Career Certifications. These certifications address the growing worldwide demand for more (and better) trained computer networking experts. Building upon our highly successful Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) program-the industry's most respected networking certification vehicle-Cisco Career Certifications enable you to be certified at various technical proficiency levels. Building Scalable Cisco Networks presents in book format all the topics covered in the challenging instructor-led and e-learning certification preparation courses of the same name. The BSCN courses replace the Advanced Cisco Router Configuration 11.3 course. As such, BSCN addresses those tasks that network engineers need to perform when managing access and controlling overhead traffic in growing, routed networks after basic connectivity has been established. This is one of four recommended training courses for CCNP or CCDP certification. Whether you are studying to become CCNP- or CCDP-certified or simply are seeking to gain a better understanding of the products, services, and policies that enable you to control traffic over LANs and WANs and to connect corporate networks to an Internet service provider, you will benefit from the information presented in this book. Cisco and Cisco Press present this material in text-based format to provide another learning vehicle for our customers and the broader user community in general. Although a publication does not duplicate the instructor-led or e-learning environments, we acknowledge that not everyone responds in the same way to the samedelivery mechanism. It is our intent that presenting this material via a Cisco Press publication will enhance the transfer of knowledge to a broad audience of networking professionals. Along with Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices, Designing Cisco Networks, Building Cisco Remote Access Networks, Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks, Cisco Internetwork Troubleshooting, and Cisco Internetwork Design, this course supplement covers all of the most current recommended training courses developed by Cisco Systems for the CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, and CCDP routing and switching certification tracks. Cisco Press will present existing and future courses through these coursebooks to help achieve Cisco Worldwide Training's principal objectives: to educate the Cisco community of networking professionals and to enable that community to build and maintain reliable, scalable networks. The Cisco Career Certifications and classes that support these certifications are directed at meeting these objectives through a disciplined approach to progressive learning. The books Cisco Press creates in partnership with Cisco Systems will meet the same standards for content quality demanded of our courses and certifications. It is our intent that you will find this and subsequent Cisco Press certification and training publications of value as you build your networking knowledge base. Thomas M. Kelly Vice President, Worldwide Training Cisco Systems, Inc. June 2000