Cisco Self-Study: Building Cisco Metro Optical Networks (METRO)

Rating:
Summary: The book to begin learning Metro Optical networking.
Review: "Cisco Self-Study: Building Cisco Metro Optical Networks (METRO)" by Dave Warren and Dennis Hartmann, ISBN: 1587050706, is an excellent Metro Optical book. This book covers all of the pertinent information on the topic of Metro Optical Networks. I felt this book was well organized to help the reader understand foundational concepts of Metro Area Optical Networking as well as grasping the application of the different technologies. Each section has a solid foundation, followed by detailed implementation examples.

The first three chapters offer excellent information on the core information regarding the applications that a Metro Area Network supports. Chapters 8-12 cover the various technologies used in the Metro space. The review questions after each chapter really help to re-enforce the content of the chapter.

The chapter on SONET is an outstanding overview of the topic, with just enough detail to be a good desktop reference. The authors did a good job of keeping subjects like framing overhead informational, without becoming boring. It does a good job explaining the section, line, and path layers without putting you to sleep. The differences between 1+1 and 1:1 protection are explained quite clearly, and this carries over to helping the reader in understanding UPSR and BLSR. Every major SONET topic is arranged to build the topics from the line up in a clear and concise way. This chapter is an invaluable resource.

This book covers basic setup and configuration on the Cisco ONS 15454 and 15327 devices, as well as hardware installation for the equipment. There are screenshots of the Cisco Transport Controller application used to manage these devices. However, the pictures are somewhat grainy and hard to understand. As the content may change with each new release, these may become outdated quickly. As with all devices, you will want to get the updated manuals off of Cisco's website. Chapter 5 does have an excellent section on SONET timing. This area is often misunderstood, and the authors do a good job of explaining the subject.

One area this book is light on is its coverage of Metro Ethernet and DWDM. Both topics were treated to very little substance. Most information was Cisco specific and not applicable to other platforms. It would be nice to see more vendor neutral information on the use of these technologies. "Metro Ethernet" by Sam Halabi, ISBN: 158705096X will serve the reader better in understanding Metro Ethernet.

The book covered Packet over SONET (POS) and Dynamic Packet Transport (DPT) in enough detail. Both sections have a good informational basis built before exploring the configuration details. Again, these examples are Cisco specific, but contain plenty enough information to get the reader started in working with these technologies. Anyone looking to implement them will find these chapters a good place to start in the book.

Overall, this book is well organized and is easy to read. If you need to get up to speed quickly in the Metro Optical arena, this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: The book to begin learning Metro Optical networking.
Review: "Cisco Self-Study: Building Cisco Metro Optical Networks (METRO)" by Dave Warren and Dennis Hartmann, ISBN: 1587050706, is an excellent Metro Optical book. This book covers all of the pertinent information on the topic of Metro Optical Networks. I felt this book was well organized to help the reader understand foundational concepts of Metro Area Optical Networking as well as grasping the application of the different technologies. Each section has a solid foundation, followed by detailed implementation examples.

The first three chapters offer excellent information on the core information regarding the applications that a Metro Area Network supports. Chapters 8-12 cover the various technologies used in the Metro space. The review questions after each chapter really help to re-enforce the content of the chapter.

The chapter on SONET is an outstanding overview of the topic, with just enough detail to be a good desktop reference. The authors did a good job of keeping subjects like framing overhead informational, without becoming boring. It does a good job explaining the section, line, and path layers without putting you to sleep. The differences between 1+1 and 1:1 protection are explained quite clearly, and this carries over to helping the reader in understanding UPSR and BLSR. Every major SONET topic is arranged to build the topics from the line up in a clear and concise way. This chapter is an invaluable resource.

This book covers basic setup and configuration on the Cisco ONS 15454 and 15327 devices, as well as hardware installation for the equipment. There are screenshots of the Cisco Transport Controller application used to manage these devices. However, the pictures are somewhat grainy and hard to understand. As the content may change with each new release, these may become outdated quickly. As with all devices, you will want to get the updated manuals off of Cisco's website. Chapter 5 does have an excellent section on SONET timing. This area is often misunderstood, and the authors do a good job of explaining the subject.

One area this book is light on is its coverage of Metro Ethernet and DWDM. Both topics were treated to very little substance. Most information was Cisco specific and not applicable to other platforms. It would be nice to see more vendor neutral information on the use of these technologies. "Metro Ethernet" by Sam Halabi, ISBN: 158705096X will serve the reader better in understanding Metro Ethernet.

The book covered Packet over SONET (POS) and Dynamic Packet Transport (DPT) in enough detail. Both sections have a good informational basis built before exploring the configuration details. Again, these examples are Cisco specific, but contain plenty enough information to get the reader started in working with these technologies. Anyone looking to implement them will find these chapters a good place to start in the book.

Overall, this book is well organized and is easy to read. If you need to get up to speed quickly in the Metro Optical arena, this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Metro Optical Networks Unveiled
Review: I recently read the book titled "Cisco Self-Study: Building Cisco Metro Optical Networks (METRO)" by Dave Warren and Dennis Hartmann. ISBN: 1587050706. This book has some pretty good information on the topic of Metro Optical Networks. The key word in this title is 'optical'. I think this book is very well organized to help the reader understand foundational concepts of Metro Area Optical Networking as well as grasping the application of the different technologies. The book accomplishes this by first laying down the foundation of a given topic then presenting a practical application of the technology. The application of the technology is geared more for Cisco Equipment, but nonetheless gives the reader a whole view on the topic.

The first three chapters offer superb information on the foundational information regarding the applications that Metro Area Network supports. Being an enterprise type person I was able to grasp the concepts of Metro Optical rather easily. There are review questions at the end of each chapter that really helps to re-enforce the content of the chapter. It also helps to identify whether a particular concept was understood correctly and in the right context.

This book is best suited for Service Provider design and implementation Engineers, but enterprise engineers will find this book equally intriguing, because of how it unlocks the mysteries of Metro Area Optical Networking. Consultant in the Metro Area Networking space will find this book to be worth its weight in gold. Not many folks take the time to understand the often-complex world of MAN and what Service Providers are offering, beyond the marketing pitch.

One thing that would have been useful in this book would have been a glossary of terms. Although the author has done a good job of explaining terms throughout the book, a glossary of terms would have been a handy place to reference in the future. One can still utilize the index and locate a term or topic rather quickly.

Because the title is written to educate the reader on Optical networks, it has an outstanding section covering SONET. Yes, there are other books on the market that cover SONET with more detail and a little fluff, however I'm not one to dedicate my life to the pursuit of learning every detail about SONET, that I will probably never need. After all I'm not in R & D. This title documents SONET really well. Giving good illustrations and is not so lengthy that you have to block out a Saturday just to get through a concept. The authors did a good job of consolidating the information. So the topic in not overwhelming, but gives the reader a solid understanding of the technology.

The title covers basic information about the Cisco ONS 15454 and the Cisco ONS 15327 as well as initial configuration of the equipment. There are figures in the book that are snapshots of the application used to configure the equipment. While this could be very useful, in my opinion, it's a little risky because if the interface should ever change, then the book is now dated. On second thought, what isn't dated these days?

A section I found rather valuable is a section on configuring SONET timing. Network timing in general is often misunderstood at many levels. The authors did a good job of documenting the challenges of network timing.

This title has a fairly short chapter on Metro Ethernet. If you're interested in Metro Ethernet I would recommend the title "Metro Ethernet" by Sam Halabi, ISBN: 158705096X
This book seems like a good place to start when setting out to understand Metro Area Optical Networks, but with the combination of adding implementation detail, it's just enough information to help grasp the concept of the technology. It doesn't seem to be a book that one would go to for actual implementation/configuration details, but rather a place to understand the technology and to get a basic understanding of how a given technology is implemented.

Rating:
Summary: Metro Optical Networks Unveiled
Review: I recently read the book titled "Cisco Self-Study: Building Cisco Metro Optical Networks (METRO)" by Dave Warren and Dennis Hartmann. ISBN: 1587050706. This book has some pretty good information on the topic of Metro Optical Networks. The key word in this title is 'optical'. I think this book is very well organized to help the reader understand foundational concepts of Metro Area Optical Networking as well as grasping the application of the different technologies. The book accomplishes this by first laying down the foundation of a given topic then presenting a practical application of the technology. The application of the technology is geared more for Cisco Equipment, but nonetheless gives the reader a whole view on the topic.

The first three chapters offer superb information on the foundational information regarding the applications that Metro Area Network supports. Being an enterprise type person I was able to grasp the concepts of Metro Optical rather easily. There are review questions at the end of each chapter that really helps to re-enforce the content of the chapter. It also helps to identify whether a particular concept was understood correctly and in the right context.

This book is best suited for Service Provider design and implementation Engineers, but enterprise engineers will find this book equally intriguing, because of how it unlocks the mysteries of Metro Area Optical Networking. Consultant in the Metro Area Networking space will find this book to be worth its weight in gold. Not many folks take the time to understand the often-complex world of MAN and what Service Providers are offering, beyond the marketing pitch.

One thing that would have been useful in this book would have been a glossary of terms. Although the author has done a good job of explaining terms throughout the book, a glossary of terms would have been a handy place to reference in the future. One can still utilize the index and locate a term or topic rather quickly.

Because the title is written to educate the reader on Optical networks, it has an outstanding section covering SONET. Yes, there are other books on the market that cover SONET with more detail and a little fluff, however I'm not one to dedicate my life to the pursuit of learning every detail about SONET, that I will probably never need. After all I'm not in R & D. This title documents SONET really well. Giving good illustrations and is not so lengthy that you have to block out a Saturday just to get through a concept. The authors did a good job of consolidating the information. So the topic in not overwhelming, but gives the reader a solid understanding of the technology.

The title covers basic information about the Cisco ONS 15454 and the Cisco ONS 15327 as well as initial configuration of the equipment. There are figures in the book that are snapshots of the application used to configure the equipment. While this could be very useful, in my opinion, it's a little risky because if the interface should ever change, then the book is now dated. On second thought, what isn't dated these days?

A section I found rather valuable is a section on configuring SONET timing. Network timing in general is often misunderstood at many levels. The authors did a good job of documenting the challenges of network timing.

This title has a fairly short chapter on Metro Ethernet. If you're interested in Metro Ethernet I would recommend the title "Metro Ethernet" by Sam Halabi, ISBN: 158705096X
This book seems like a good place to start when setting out to understand Metro Area Optical Networks, but with the combination of adding implementation detail, it's just enough information to help grasp the concept of the technology. It doesn't seem to be a book that one would go to for actual implementation/configuration details, but rather a place to understand the technology and to get a basic understanding of how a given technology is implemented.

Rating:
Summary: My life is changed
Review: Like Lazarus, two weeks ago, I had no undertsanding of Cisco System 5.5.5. It seemed over-complex to me, and I knew my job was riding on finding the gem of a nugget at the center of Cisco. With mounting debt and money problems, and a looming presentation that would decide my career future, my marriage future, and my procreation future, I had two options: A) prostitution, or B) Dave Warren. I chose Dave. I just hope you'll be as smart as I was... It was the best sixty bucks I ever spent. And now my wife will give it to me any place, any time!

Rating:
Summary: My life is changed
Review: Like Lazarus, two weeks ago, I had no undertsanding of Cisco System 5.5.5. It seemed over-complex to me, and I knew my job was riding on finding the gem of a nugget at the center of Cisco. With mounting debt and money problems, and a looming presentation that would decide my career future, my marriage future, and my procreation future, I had two options: A) prostitution, or B) Dave Warren. I chose Dave. I just hope you'll be as smart as I was... It was the best sixty bucks I ever spent. And now my wife will give it to me any place, any time!

Rating:
Summary: A good investment
Review: The book "Cisco Self-Study: Building Cisco Metro Optical Networks (METRO)" by Dave Warren and Dennis Hartmann is worth every penny of the price tag. A recent job change requires me to grasp an in-depth understanding of optical networking fast. I was looking for a book with a good overview of SONET and practical knowledge on the Cisco ONS boxes. In reading this book, I got much more than what I bargained for.

The chapter on SONET alone was worth the bucks. It does a good job explaining the section, line, and path layers without giving you a headache. The breakdown on framing overheads gives you a good start when you need to troubleshoot an issue. The difference between 1+1 and 1:1 protection were often misunderstood, after reading the section the difference should be really clear. Which also helps in understanding UPSR and BLSR. The different types of alarms and the line of alarm indication signal (AIS) is now my desktop reference whenever there is a problem. In fact, I used it the other day to quickly identify an issue and took action accordingly.

The overview and configuration of the ONS 15454 and 15327 product chapters provide a good start when you need to work with those products. I do find the need to read the manuals on Cisco's web site when I was actually trying to implement them on the field. Every network is different and the optical product line is pretty extensive, no one book can cover it all. The screen shots were based on an older version of CTC, but the general layout is the same and you can still get a good feeling of the configuration steps.

I do wish the book covers more ground on Metro Ethernet and DWDM. The chapters briefly explain the concepts behind the two technologies and basic configurations. I think both parts can be dug into a little further without making the head spin. The same can be said about Packet over SONET. Depending on your own experience, the section on configuring PoS interfaces can be a complete waste or very useful. If you have a solid background in Cisco gears and a good understanding on SONET after reading chapter 3 of this book, you can probably configure PoS interfaces using the question mark in Cisco IOS. But there is nothing wrong with reinforce those commands by reading them again. Especially if you are an enterprise network support and only deals with configuring WAN interfaces once in a while.

The book does a good job explaining dynamic packet transport. Even after working with SRP for over 2 years, I still learned a few new things from the chapters on DPT. I wish this book was available a few years ago when I was first introduced to SRP, it could have saved me a lot of headache and a few trips to a remote hub site. If your company is thinking about implementing DPT or SRP, I would jump right to the chapter on DPT after reading their SONET chapter. DPT is a cool technology that addresses some of the deficiencies of a SONET ring topology and the book does a good job explaining the inner workings of DPT.

The book is really an excellent investment if you want to learn more about optical networking. As with any Ciscopress books, you get a Cisco-view on the technology. If you are thinking about pursuing the Cisco certification in optical networking, this book is a must have. As with any book that try to cover a wide-range of topics, it leaves out a thing or a two. But you can always start with the book and choose the topic you want to explore more on the Cisco web site. It is both a good learning tool and a desktop reference. In my opinion, it is the best sixty bucks I have spent on learning optical networking.