BCMSN (Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks)

BCMSN teaches you how to build campus networks using multilayer switching technologies over high speed Ethernet. This course addresses the integration of routing and switching technologies to create an efficient campus network.

The one sentence goal for this course is best stated:

The purpose of this course is to design, build and configure a campus network so that if any physical link, switch or router fails an end user won't know; i.e. 24x7 user access to the network.

To meet this goal the students will be taught not only to design physical redundancy into their network, but about the Layer 2 and 3 protocols that are necessary to guarantee users constant access to their campus network.

Spanning Tree is a layer 2 protocol that permits redundant layer 2 physical paths. Spanning Tree is covered in depth in this course. Students will review the default spanning tree rules, then be shown why they usually do not want to accept many of the default spanning tree parameters. They will be shown how to "tweak" the default spanning tree parameters so that their data is taking the correct physical path and that in the event this path fails, a backup path is quickly made available. They will learn about protocols such as Uplinkfast and Backbonefast that need to be configured to speed convergence times in the event a physical path fails. They will learn why DHCP will fail unless "portfast" is enabled. They will also learn how to get more bandwidth between network devices by configuring etherchannel.

At the higher layers the students will learn the advantages of Layer 3 and 4 switching and the steps necessary to configure this process. They will also learn how to configure routers to run HSRP so that if a router fails another router will take over routing user traffic.

Classroom Outline
1. Overview of a Campus Network

2. Connecting the Switch Block

3. Defining Common Workgroups

4. Managing Redundant Links

5. Inter-VLAN Routing

6. Improving IP Routing Performance With Multilayer Switching

7. Configuring HSRP for Fault Tolerant Routing

8. Multicast Overview

9. Configuring IP Multicast

10. Controlling Access to the Campus Network

Lab 1: Plug and Play - Create a Switch Block and Establish IP Connectivity

Group switches into a switch block, reset all RSMs and switches, and establish IP connectivity between PCs.

Lab 2: Basic Switch Configuration

Login and provide a base configuration for the Catalyst 2912xl's and Catalyst 5505 Supervisor IIIG Cards.

Lab 3: Create VLANs

Create multiple VLANs for use by users and as a management VLAN for the switches.

Lab 4: Enable VLAN Trunk Protocol (VTP)

Explore the nuances of Cisco's VTP protocol including the effect of different VTP modes, different domain names, and different domain revision numbers. Enable VTP pruning.

Lab 5: Configuration of Spanning Tree (STP) Parameters

Explore the nuances of STP including establishing a root & secondary root bridge, load balancing across redundant links by VLAN, and enabling PortFast.

Lab 6: Configuration of Fast Etherchannel and UplinkFast

Create Fast Etherchannel links between switches for improved performance. Then enable Uplinkfast to limit network downtime.

Lab 7: Configuration of RSM for Inter-VLAN Routing

Configure a Route Switch Feature Card (RSFC) to establish connectivity between VLANs.

Lab 8: Multilayer Switching (MLS) Configuration

Configure a RSFC and Catalyst 5505 Supervisor IIIG for basic Multilayer Switching. Modify Multilayer Switching performance by configuring standard and extended access lists.

Lab 9: Configuration of Hot Stand-By Routing Protocol (HSRP)

Configure Cisco's Hot Stand-By Routing Protocol (HSRP) between two RSFCs. This provides fault tolerance to end users in the event that a gateway router becomes inoperable.

Lab 10: Configuration Management and Access Control

Save and restore switch and router configurations from a TFTP server. Perform password recovery on a Catalyst Switch. Enable privilege levels on the RSFC to limit user control.

The Catalyst Switch Series

The Catalyst Switch is an integral part of the Cisco product offering. As switching technology grows in importance, the Catalyst LAN Switch will become even more critical. This course provides 5 days of comprehensive hands-on training on the multilayer switching capabilities of Cisco Catalyst products.

Virtual Classroom e-Learning Outline

Virtual Classroom e-Learning content follows the Classroom Learning outline above. Hands-on virtual labs are as follows:

Lab 1: Initial Configuration

The "Initial Configuration" lab is designed to provide a first look at Cisco switches and introduces students to the Catalyst Operating System command line interface. This lab is an appropriate starting point for most switching students and specifically supports those preparing for the Cisco CCNP-track switching exam.

Lab 2: VLANs, Trunking and VTP

"VLANs" gives switching students an initial look at VLANs and guides them through configuration of Trunking and VTP. This lab begins with the correct configuration from "Initial Configuration" and is an appropriate next step for students preparing for the Cisco CCNP-track switching exam.

Lab 3: Configuring redundant links

"Redundant Links" moves switching students to thinking about redundant layer-two topologies. This lab begins with the correct configuration from "VLANs" and is an appropriate next step for students preparing for the Cisco CCNP-track switching exam.

Lab 4: InterVLAN Routing

"InterVLAN Routing" builds on the concept of VLANs by providing a mechanism for InterVLAN communication. This lab begins with the correct configuration from "Redundant Links" and is an appropriate next step for students preparing for the Cisco CCNP-track switching exam.

Lab 5: Multilayer Switching

"Multi-layer Switching" improves the idea of InterVLAN routing by using the switch as a low-latency routing agent. This lab begins with the correct configuration from "InterVLAN Routing" and is an appropriate next step for students preparing for the Cisco CCNP-track switching exam.

Lab 6: Configuring HSRP

"Redundant Links" showed a redundant layer two topology, and "InterVLAN Routing" demonstrated communication between broadcast domains. But how do we implement redundancy for the Layer 3 routing process? "HSRP" answers this question by exploring the Hot Standby Router Protocol. This lab begins with the correct configuration from "Multi-layer Switching" and is an appropriate next step for students preparing for the Cisco CCNP-track switching exam.

Lab 7: Multicast Routing

Multicasting is a one-to-many transmission mode supported by multi-access technologies such as Ethernet. "Multicast Routing" shows students how Multicasting is implemented in a switched network. This lab begins with the correct configuration from "HSRP" and is an appropriate next step for students preparing for the Cisco CCNP-track switching exam.

Lab 8: Controlling Access

"Controlling Access" discusses ways to control access to internetwork equipment. This lab begins with the correct configuration from "Multicast Routing" and is an appropriate final step for students preparing for the Cisco CCNP-track switching exam.

Self-Paced e-Learning Details

Package Titles 1-10 282674

Title 1: Overview of Campus Networks - 282675

Title 2: Connecting the Switch - 282676

Title 3: Defining Common Workgroups - 282677

Title 4: Managing Redundant Links - 282678

Title 5: InterVLAN Routing - 282679

Title 6: Multilayer Switching - 282680

Learn how MLS (multilayer switching) works and which network devices are needed to implement MLS. Discover how to configure the MLS-SE (Multilayer Switching-Switch Engine) and understand the various commands to enable or disable MLS. Gain the knowledge of how MLS functions in different topologies.  

Title 7: Configuring HSRP for Fault Tolerant Routing - 282681

Title 8: Multicast Overview - 282682

Title 9: Configuring IP Multicast - 282683

Title 10: Controlling Access to the Campus Network - 282684