The Importance of the Documentation CD

One of the widely accepted axioms of the CCIE lab is “if you do not know how to navigate the Documentation CD, you will not be able to pass the CCIE”. In a sense, this is very true – for several reasons. Before we jump into them, let’s touch up on a little bit of history. While it’s a boring subject at times, sometimes knowing a little bit of history can take you long way.

What we call the Documentation CD today is far from a CD. In fact, I’ll be surprised if contents could fit on one 700 MB disc. We call it that way, because Cisco’s online documentation was born from something called UniverCD. This was a compilation of all Cisco documentation, white papers and other useful documents. Until 2002 or so, this CD was shipped with each and every device Cisco delivered to customers. At around 2002, Cisco stopped shipping this CD to customers, but it was available for purchase from Marketplace. All along, the contents were available at URL hardcoded into mind of every aspiring CCIE at the time – http://www.cisco.com/univercd/. This was the URL available to candidates in the lab and for some (all successful students), the first source of information on configuration guidance and command reference. Navigating UniverCD, being able to find information quickly was essential for success.

In 2007, Cisco announced that they were migrating the content away from UniverCD into a new location, called “Cisco Technical Support and Documentation”. Sometime in late 2008, change was announced to CCIE candidates that they will no longer have access to UniverCD, rather to this new and improved documentation site. In lack of better name and urge to communicate the difference between the two, name DocCD was born for the new location. This location is what CCIE students are using today – http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/psa/default.html?mode=prod. Enough with history, this is now. This is what we call DocCD.

Why is it important to master the contents of this site, relevant to the track you are studying? For one very simple reason – blueprints for all tracks are huge. There is no single person who can know every single detail and nuance of every single thing on those blueprints. Faced with psychological pressure in the lab, the ticking clock, unfamiliar test environment, students can feel scared and start forgetting things. In those circumstances, we need a safe ground, a firm support. Knowing DocCD can be that one thing.

As we all know, search function in the lab is not available. One needs to find information manually. Sometimes, this does sound intimidating given how much information is available, but do not despair. There is a simple, powerful, albeit time-consuming way to conquer this beast.

If you work with Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, phones, etc. every day – stop using Google and other search engines to find information. Even for your studies. When you need some information, go to DocCD and look for it. Don’t search, try to reason your way through the links. Yes, it will take time at first. Perhaps too long time, but the learning effect will be immense. Remember, learning new things is a time-consuming process. It took most of us around 8-9 months just to learn to walk, even more to learn how to talk! DocCD is just another thing that you need to learn. After initial wandering around various parts of it, you will realize the logic behind it and start finding information quicker and quicker and quicker. Ultimately, anything on the blueprint should be within your reach in 30 seconds, or less!

Now, imagine your CCIE lab exam. You are sitting there looking at task 7.4 and you have no idea how to do what they ask. You have vague familiarity with the subject, yet its hour 6, you are tired, hungry and your brain is playing games on you. You open DocCD and stare at it. You always used Google to find this kind of stuff. What to do next… $1400 + tax & travel is hanging on you finding this one bit of info and you are stuck. Is this where you want to be?

Bottom line – http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/psa/default.html?mode=prod for everything you don’t know, but beware… we do find errors from time to time there, as well :-).

–
Marko Milivojevic – CCIE #18427
Senior Technical Instructor – IPexpert
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