CCIE R/S Troubleshooting Section Strategy

It's been a while since I had a long holiday :)

Well, I now entering the normal life, where 8-5 can make your dream come true, is it?!? :p

what I do now is focusing on my next project, which is Project 'S', where I have to spend my mind, strength, and time on it. yesterday I've attended the CCIE93 Dinner, with the other CCIE candidates, they are telling me that the Troubleshooting part of the R/S Lab exam is make them frustrated, not just because it was difficult, but Cisco put the two-hour troubleshooting session as an opener for the Lab Exam.

I had struggled with the TS part as well, so I try to find a way by mixing several method, and finally I have found Troubleshooting Strategy that fit for my Lab Style, I will show you guys what my TS Strategy to tackle the first 2 hour in the R/S Lab exam

First thing off is to read the guideline, this is very-very important, why? because the TS exam will have some restriction on it, make sure we can solve the trouble ticket without violate the exam rules, otherwise you will not get the score for that trouble ticket.

Prepare TS list can help you to track down your TS Progress, let say when you've read the first trouble ticket, and you think the ticket is very difficult, then you can write in the TS List, that you skipped the first ticket and you'll come back later on, in my case I used '!' mark to determine that this TS was difficult and I will come back later on. You can also write down what you've done in order to solve the ticket, so later on, when you have the time to re-verified your task, It will help you to determine that your solution was not violate the exam rules.

If you think the ticket is easy enough to be solved, and after 5 minutes you haven't solve it, I would say stop your progress, make a documentation about what you have done so far and MOVE ON to the next trouble ticket, you don't want to spend too much of your time on this ticket, otherwise you will get point for the specific ticket, but you will lose a lot of remaining time for another ticket. This is how we can managed the limited time in the R/S Lab exam.

By solving the easier ticket, it will build our confidence, if you have the confidence, your brain will work better, you may find something that previously you've stuck with the specific Ticket.

Note that this strategy is the one I used on my Lab exam, some of you may use this strategy and the other will see my strategy is not suited to their style.

In the End, you have to find your way to have the best strategy that fits you.

I hope that this have been informative and I'd like to thank you for reading ;)