Tag: network services

My First Cisco Live

If you live in the world of technology, Cisco Live is one of the biggest events of the year. It’s an event where thousands come to learn and spend time with other like-minded individuals. There are exciting announcements, great speakers, and cool parties. It is the place to be. For years, I’ve always tried to attend, but it never worked out. The first year I received an actual approval to go to the conference was 2020, so the trip did not happen. Eventually I came over to Cisco. Even here though, it was not a guarantee I could attend the conference. Finally, this year I was selected with a few other colleagues to represent the team and attend with our customers. It was an outstanding experience and I want to tell you all about it! Continue reading “My First Cisco Live” →

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Simple Cisco FMC Upgrades

I’ve only recently started diving a bit deeper into Cisco Firepower. I’ve heard some mixed reviews regarding using and upgrading Firepower Management Center and the FTDs. Some have had decent luck while others seem to run into issues. As I have an FMC that is non-production (for now), I’ve decided to upgrade it to the latest version and find out for myself how difficult these upgrades are. I’ll also need to head into version 6.7 for some SAML capabilities on the FTDs. One factor you should look for when deciding to use certain products is how easy it is to maintain them. Continue reading “Simple Cisco FMC Upgrades” →

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Adventures in Troubleshooting: Chapter 1

To quote the late Bob Ross, “It’s hard to see things when you are too close. Take a step back and look.” When you are in the middle of those early morning troubleshooting sessions, it can be easy to panic. First, you are dealing with being woken up abruptly; everything is fuzzy. Then the person on the other end of the line might not be able to explain exactly what is happening. This combination usually leads to some fun times, sarcastically speaking. The best advice is to take that step back and look at the overall picture. No matter what your troubleshooting approach might be, the goal is to have one. The worst thing you can do is aimlessly wander around hoping to bump into the solution. In this entry I will dig into my mental ticket system of random issues I’ve ran into over the years, pull out three, and cover how those issues were resolved. Continue reading “Adventures in Troubleshooting: Chapter 1” →

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3 Things Engineers Need from Leaders

Being a manager does not make you a leader.
Now that I have your attention, I’ll dive in a little deeper. Think of it in terms of creating a meal. You can look at your pantry and see you are missing certain ingredients to your recipe. You go out to the store and purchase those ingredients. You come back and toss the ingredients in the pantry. Done! The meal has been created. Well actually, no. You have the ingredients you need, but nothing else was done. You still have to spend time putting the ingredients together, cooking the meal, making sure the taste is right, add a ton of salt and pepper, and finally serving it. It’s easy to gather the ingredients listed in a recipe, but it might not be as easy to turn that recipe into the perfect meal. It takes time and effort. The same applies to an engineering team. As a leader, or perhaps a chef, having the ingredients is not enough. In order for an engineer to grow in an environment, work must be done. Yes, some of it falls squarely on the shoulders of the engineer, but some of it comes from leadership. My goal here is to discuss three ingredients that a leader can combine that can make a difference in their team. Continue reading “3 Things Engineers Need from Leaders” →

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Simple Cisco Text File Changes

As we are busy diving into the world of programming and automation, I’d like to remind everyone of a way to make simple config changes to a Cisco switch or router using a text file. This might not be a breakthrough, but it helps when making changes to switches or routers when those changes can possibly disconnect you from the device. Imagine working on a re-IP of a switch or even a point to point link. You have your notepad ready to go. There is a new IP and default route and all you have to do is copy/paste. You paste in the IP and lose connection. Your default route change never actually pasted because you lost connection right after the IP change. You can no longer connect to the device; panic ensues. What might be a better way to make this change and avoid the “Uh oh!” moment? Continue reading “Simple Cisco Text File Changes” →

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Cisco 3504 Software Upgrade

If you are an administrator in a network somewhere you probably already know an important fact: Everything needs maintenance. At one point or another you have to upgrade something. In a perfect world, we would have consistent upgrade windows and periods of time we can take down a network for maintenance. If you have that, you are a lucky person. Looking for maintenance windows might fall into the same category as spotting a UFO. Often times, bugs or vulnerabilities bring forth these needed maintenance windows. In this case, I am upgrading a 3504 controller from version 8.5.151.0 to 8.5.161.6. The reason: CSCvs89410. This bug can corrupt images on 3600 and 3700 series access points. Continue reading “Cisco 3504 Software Upgrade” →

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Beyond Engineering

So you are interested in networking? I don’t mean attending gatherings, handing out business cards, shaking hands and kissing babies. I mean being a network engineer or administrator? Perhaps you just started the journey at a company and feel slightly lost. If you are, then the following paragraphs are meant for you. This is not only meant to be a motivator to continue learning and applying, but here you will find three things to look for or try to work on that can push you upwards in the work place.

Whether you are part of a small team, large team or riding solo there is much more to network engineering. Sure, there are days where it seems like everyone needs a port configured, but there will be times where you can bring forth your ideas into fruition. There will be times where you look around and figure out ways to improve existing infrastructure. You might be interested in pursuing certain software that can improve a process or provide valid insight. You might want to create or update documentation. You might just want to improve certain aspects of a network, such as routing or security. These are all good things to do, time-permitting and team-willing. If you have good ideas bring them up to your team or your manager. This will not only be a good way to learn, but you can excel career-wise by getting involved and pursuing ways to improve your company. Continue reading “Beyond Engineering” →

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Data Center Move: A Perspective

Have you ever had a work-related dream that you’ve woken up from and were thankful it was just a dream? Designing and executing the network for a new data center will definitely give you a few night terrors. I recall the night before our data center move, I dreamed that I woke up late on the day of the move. That’s not too bad right? Well for some reason, in my dream the data center was in another state instead of an hour away. Then my car did not start; I had to “borrow” a car and I got lost on the way there. Again, I was thankful it was a dream. The actual move went a bit smoother. However, these types of projects can be real nightmares for teams. The main thing to do is plan. You the follow this with a few healthy doses of additional planning. Continue reading “Data Center Move: A Perspective” →

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