Don Pezet's Blog

Configuring Port Aggregation Between Cisco Switches

No problem. I just finished recording one. It is processing on Vimeo now and should be ready to watch within 15 minutes. 

Thanks,

This tutorial demonstrates how to configure remote logging to a syslog server on a Cisco Router or Switch. The following commands are demonstrated in the video:

Comparison of Remote Desktop Software

Quickly Enable SSH on a Cisco Router or Switch

This tutorial demonstrates how to quickly and easily enable SSH on a new Cisco router or switch. This will enable secure terminal sessions to the device without the risks associated with plain text protocols like telnet.

Something happened towards the end where the video stops displaying what I am typing. Here is the command summary that I was trying to type:

hostname <name> ip domain-name <domain> crypto key generate rsa <1024> username <name> priv 15 secret <password> aaa new-model line vty 0 4 transport input ssh

Inactivating Tasks in Microsoft Project 2010

All too often I see people struggling to remember passwords. There are any number of password vault programs out there and they are almost all a waste of money in my opinion. Things would be much simpler with single sign on (SSO) technologies were a little more common place. Although the holy grail of one user / one password is a long way off, there are things we can do to help. For example, I used to work at an organization that had over 100 Cisco routers and over 200 Cisco switches. That is a lot of equipment. Now, imagine maintaining a separate username and password for each of those devices… it would be impossible. So, how can we simplify managing all these usernames and passwords? Well, if you have a Microsoft Windows Active Directory domain, why not just use the account you already have?

Windows Active Directory does Kerberos and NTLM authentication, neither of which are supported by Cisco’s IOS. Cisco routers and switches use local authentication by default and don't even look to the AD. However, Cisco devices support RADIUS for authentication and so does Microsoft Windows. Microsoft does not advertise it much, but included in Windows Server 2003 called Internet Authentication Services (IAS) and in Windows Server 2008 Network Policy Services (NPS). Both of which contain a standards based implementation of RADIUS perfect for authenticating our Cisco equipment. Good bye local IOS accounts, hello AD.

So, how do you configure this? It is really not that bad.

There is a good write-up with instructions for Windows Server 2003 found here:

http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/1478/how-to-setup-ias-to-use-radius-to-authenticate-cisco-device/

There’s an even better write-up for Windows Server 2008 found here:

http://aaronwalrath.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/install-windows-2008-r2-nps-for-radius-authentication-for-cisco-router-logins/

In the end, you will be able to authenticate on your Cisco equipment using your windows login, which means one less password to remember. Also, you get the added benefit of Windows Active Directory’s password policies now applying on your router/switch logins.

On a final note, if you have Windows Server 2003/2008 Standard Edition, you will only be able to support up to 50 routers or switches authenticating against your RADIUS server. If you want more, you will need to go to Enterprise Edition which gives you unlimited clients.

So far, 2010 has been a pretty exciting year. With Microsoft’s refresh of their office products completed, many of you are scrambling to update your skills to the new 2010 software. Between Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft SharePoint 2010 and Microsoft Project Server 2010 we all have a lot of updating to do. To make our jobs a little easier, Microsoft has released a pair of virtual machines with all three products pre-installed and configured to help evaluate the new features and functionality of these new products. If you have been looking for a chance to experience any of these products, be sure to download the VMs here. 

In order to run the VMs, you will need a base machine meeting the following requirements:

·         Windows Server 2008 R2 with the Hyper-V role enabled.

·         Drive Formatting: NTFS

·         Processor: Intel VT or AMD-V capable

·         RAM: 8 GB or more recommended

·         Hard disk space required for install: 50 GB

If you don’t have a copy of Windows Server 2008 R2 lying around, you can download a 180 demo from Microsoft .

Here is a complete list of the software available in these two VMs:

·         Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition with Analysis, Notification, and Reporting Services

·         Microsoft Office Communication Server 2007 R2

·         Microsoft Visual Studio 2010

·         Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise Edition

·         Microsoft Office Web Applications

·         Microsoft FAST Search for SharePoint 2010

·         Microsoft Project Server 2010

·         Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010

·         Microsoft Visio 2010

·         Microsoft Project 2010

·         Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2

·         Microsoft Exchange Server 2010

Many of you know that I deliver the majority of my classes online. As a result, I have had more than my fair share of experience with streaming online video. As a result, from time to time I receive e-mails asking about various streaming technologies. This morning I received an interesting one asking about a technology I have not previously covered. I was asked to explain what Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 Pro was, and how it fit in the video streaming puzzle. The answer to this is pretty easy if you are familiar with streaming video, however if you are new to the field it can be a little confusing. So, to help the uninitiated, let me cover what a typical video streaming organization uses.

Your typical video stream is made up of four pieces:

1) A video encoder that translates your digital video into a streamable format (VP6, H.264, etc). 2) A streaming media server capable of transmitting the stream to the various clients. 3) A web server to host the video web site. 4) A video player client which is usually embedded in the website.

Despite what some people in Cupertino, California say, Adobe is still the king of online video. With HTML5 around the corner this is soon to change, but for now Adobe is the most common. The four pieces of software that fit in the four categories above usually work out as follows:

1) Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder 2) Flash Media Streaming Server 3) Apache 4) JW Player

Adobe FMLE can encode video from a video input into numerous streaming formats. It then uploads the stream to an FMS capable of broadcasting the stream. Apache is the web’s most popular web server, and the JW Player is a flash video player that is designed to be embedded in web sites. Now, just because Adobe is the market leader right now doesn’t mean there are no other options. Microsoft has been steadily gaining market share with their Silver Light media format and that is where the Expression Encoder 4 Pro comes in. Here is Microsoft’s solution:

1) Expression Encoder 4 Pro 2) IIS with the IIS Media Services Pack 3) IIS 4) Microsoft Silverlight Plug-in

The first thing you will notice is that #2 and #3 are both IIS. Here is how it works. First, Expression Encoder 4 Pro encodes video from a video input into a streamable format. It then uploads the stream to an IIS web server that is also running the IIS Media Services Pack to enable streaming video support natively inside IIS. Web pages are then hosted on IIS and utilize the Silverlight web browser plugin to stream the content. There are a few advantages to this, the foremost being price. IIS is included with the Windows Server OS, and the IIS Media Services Pack is a free download. Also, it is one less server to support. Another long answer for a short question, but there it is.

Happy streaming!

Welcome to my new weekly supplement called Cisco Command of the Week. In this column I will highlight a new Cisco IOS command to help make your job administering Cisco equipment a little easier. This week’s command is: logging synchronous.

Have you ever been typing a command on a Cisco router or switch only to be interrupted half way through by a system message popping up on the screen? For example:

Router(config)# interface serial1/0/3 Router(config-if)# no shutdown Router(config-if)# encapsula00102: *Aug 31 20:05:13.120 EDT: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial1/0/3, changed state to up

These messages, while important, can be pretty disruptive. At a minimum you may forget what letter you were on or forget what you were doing all together. At worst, you could issue an incorrect command and not realize it due to the interruption. Well, there are two solutions to this. First, assuming your terminal emulator supports it, you can hit <Ctrl-R> to send the “repaint” command to the Cisco IOS. This will cause the entire command line you were typing to be reprinted at the bottom of the screen, after the interrupting message.

However, this is not the greatest solution if you are performing an activity that generates a lot of messages (like monitoring debug output). For these situations logging synchronous saves the day. When you issue the logging synchronous command on your VTY or console lines it will cause the router or switch to automatically repaint your command line after the interrupting message. This is especially useful when debugging. It is like having a helping hand that is pressing <Ctrl-R> for you every time a system message appears.

So, let’s see the above example, but with logging synchronous helping us out:

Router(config)# line vty 0 4 Router(config-line)# logging synchronous Router(config-line)# line console 0 Router(config-line)# logging synchronous Router(config-line)# exit Router(config)# interface serial1/0/3 Router(config-if)# no shutdown Router(config-if)# encapsula00102: *Aug 31 20:05:13.120 EDT: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial1/0/3, changed state to up Router(config-if)# encapsula

So, it repaints the line, including the prompt, and I can continue on as if I wasn’t interrupted at all. This is a pretty standard command for me, and I use it in my Cisco template that I apply to almost every device I work on. I hope that helps you out, and be sure to look for new commands posted each week.

Over the last few months I have spoken with a number of my project management students trying to decide on which Project Management Institute (PMI) certification they should be working towards. Most PMs have heard of the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and that is the typical goal of my average student. However, many people become intimidated by the PMP training and decide that the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is the better choice for them.

In this posting, I want to clear up some of the information to help you make the correct decision between these two excellent certifications. Now, if you are reading this posting, you are probably already familiar with the details of the certifications. If you are not, I recommend reading the PMP Handbook and theCAPM Handbook, but to save time, here is a summary:

PMP

Target Audience: Personnel whose primary function is to lead and direct project teams

Requirements: A High School Diploma, 7,500 hours of project management experience and 35 hours of project management training

OR

Requirements: A Bachelor’s Degree, 4,500 hours of project management experience and 35 hours of project management training

Exam: 4 Hours / 200 Questions

Re-certification: Must attend 60 hours of PM training every three years

CAPM

Target Audience: Personnel who contribute to project teams.

Requirements: A High School Diploma and 1,500 Hours of experience

OR

Requirements: A High School Diploma and 23 hours of PM education.

Exam: 3 Hours / 150 Questions

Re-certification: Must re-take the examination every 5 years

Again, this is probably nothing new to you if you have made it this far. The tricky part, however, seems to be deciding between the two. The decision is intended to be a simple one: If you are currently a project manager within your organization, then you should sit for the PMP exam; if you are not a project manager, but a team member instead, you should sit for the CAPM exam. What I see happen all too often, though, is that a student wants to obtain the PMP certification but ultimately decides to attempt the CAPM certification instead because they believe it is the easier of the two.

Well, that is why I am writing this article. I am a project management instructor with a PMI authorized Registered Education Provider (REP). I deliver both PMP and CAPM training on a regular basis, and therefore have an intimate knowledge of the course content for both. Let me assure you, the CAPM exam, while 50 questions shorter, is no easier than the PMP exam. Let me throw out a few details here that you won’t find in the handbooks:

The student guide for my PMP class is 602 pages taught over five days and covers 42 processes organized into 5 process groups.

The student guide for my CAPM class is 614 pages taught over three days and covers 42 processes organized into 9 knowledge areas.

Notice the similarities between the two. The page counts are almost identical because they cover the same topics. However, the PMP class takes two extra days as we cover content in a little more detail and focus on execution of the tools and techniques, as such the content is presented chronologically in the same order a project would be executed. The CAPM class, on the other hand, is only three days as we cover the concepts from the perspective of someone who is being led as opposed to leading, and as such the content is presented by the various knowledge areas as a team member will only be responsible for portions of the project. Both classes are based off of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) 4th edition.

So, my advice to you is simple: decide which certification is best for you by comparing you current job title and experience with the two certifications. Do not make the decision based on which exam will be easier. In the end, you will end up with the most appropriate certificate and will be better for it.

Good luck!