CCNP 5.0: Building Scalable Internetworks (BCMSN) Labs

NDG has worked closely with the Cisco CCNP lab team to develop NETLAB+ compatible labs for BCMSN.

BCMSN is supported by one or more of the following NETLAB+ pods:

• Cuatro Switch Pod (CSP)
• Basic Switch Pod Version 2 (BSPv2) ONE LAB ONLY

The supported lab list (below) provides a list of CCNP compatible labs and the pod types that can be used for each lab.

• The new Cuatro Switch Pod (CSP) supports all but one of the switching labs in CCNP 5.0.
  • CSP is the smaller successor of the Advanced Switch Pod (ASP) and is required for CCNP 5.0.
  • Lab 4.1 requires an external router and requires Basic Switch Pod version 2. This lab is coming soon.
• The following switch models are recommended for Cuatro Switch Pod based on the curriculum and official CCNP 5.0 hardware spreadsheet (available on Academy Connection):
  • DLS1 and DLS2: Cisco Catalyst 3560 - Enhanced Multilayer Image
  • ALS1 and ALS2: Cisco Catalyst 2960 - LAN Base Image
• Support for wireless labs has been delayed pending resolution of several limitations and known issues that are outside of NDG control. Shortly after the release of NETLAB AE version 4.0.21 (coming soon), a wireless white paper will be published. This paper will explain how to setup an unsupported wireless pod for those Academies that can accept and work around the known issues and limitations.
• Skills exams are contained in a separate lab package and are enabled in the class settings separately from the core CCNP 3 labs. This allows instructors to defer access to the exams until the end of the course.

Enabling the Labs

To enable CCNP labs and pod types, check the box for "AE CCNP BCMSN V5.0 English" in the class settings. This must be done for each class requiring access to the BCMSN labs.

You may also allow the class to make "pod-only" reservations on a Cuatro Switch Pod. To enable pod-only reservations, check the box for "AE CCNP Pod Reservations (no labs)" in the class settings.

These reservations are not tied to specific lab exercises. Therefore, the pod will be configured using the default network configuration. Please note however, not all BCMSN labs use the default network configuration and must be completed by selecting the correct lab exercise (see the following discussion).

Using the Labs

Always select the correct lab exercise for the lab being performed. Students or teams should schedule the correct lab exercise from the catalog. NETLAB+ will only show those labs for which the required pod type is available. A lab that works on different pod types may appear more than once if your system is so equipped. Instructors should select the correct lab from the Exercise tab during instructor-led lab reservations. This can be done as many times as needed during the reservation.

Importance of Choosing the Correct Lab Exercise

Several of the labs may differ from the standard pod topologies. This is handled by NETLAB+ Dynamic VLAN Mapping technology. Always select the correct lab exercise for the actual lab. This insures that NETLAB+ will set up VLANs on the control switch such that lab devices and PCs are placed in the correct LAN segment for the exercise being performed. Selecting the correct exercise will also make the completed lab output easier to find in the archive.

Supported Lab List