- Topics Mentioned
- Certification(s):
- Cisco Certifications
With modern networks now having the ability to not only service your data requirements for surfing and getting email but also to fulfill your requirements for other services including voice, Cisco started the Cisco Certified Voice track.
As with the other certification tracks, this includes an associate (CCNA Voice), professional (CCVP) and expert level certifications (CCIE Voice).
This article focuses on the requirements for the professional level certification — Cisco Certified Vooice Professional (CCVP).
As with other Cisco professional level certifications CCVP requires one of two prerequisites be accomplished. The two available prerequisites are:
- A current CCNA Voice certification — Implementing Cisco IOS Unified Communications (IIUC) Exam 640-460 (Commercial) OR Cisco Voice over IP (CVOICE v6.0) Exam 642-436 (Enterprise)
- A a current CCIE certification of any discipline
or
It is obvious that if you are interested in continuing on from CCNA Voice to CCVP that just taking the CVOICE exam would allow you to avoid one test as CVOICE is also required for the CCVP certification.
CCVP Exam Requirements
The current CCVP requires five exams, which include:
- Cisco Voice over IP (CVOICE) Exam 642-436
- Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 1 (CIPT1) Exam 642-446
- Quality of Service (QoS) Exam 642-642
- Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 2 (CIPT2) Exam 642-456
- Troubleshooting Cisco Unified Communications Systems (TUC) Exam 642-426
All of the exams detailed in this article can be taken through Pearson-Vue at http://www.pearsonvue.com/cisco/schedule/.
Now let’s look at each of these tests individually.
Cisco Voice over IP (CVOICE) Exam 642-436
The CVOICE exam is a great base VoIP fundamental exam and measures a large number of concepts in a small number of questions. Just the study guide for this exam is a great reference.
- Describe the components of a gateway
- Describe the function of gateways
- Describe DSP functionality
- Describe the different types of voice ports and their usage
- Describe dial peer types
- Describe codecs and codec complexity
- Describe a dial plan
- Describe a numbering plan
- Describe digit manipulation
- Describe path selection
- Describe calling privileges
- Describe call coverage
- Describe the basic operation and components involved in a VoIP call
- Describe VoIP call flow
- Describe RTP, RTCP, cRTP, and sRTP
- Describe H.323
- Describe MGCP
- Describe SCCP
- Describe SIP
- Identify the appropriate gateway signaling protocol for a given situation
- Describe voice quality considerations
- Choose the appropriate codec for a given situation
- Implement a gateway
- Describe the gateway call routing process
- Configure analog voice ports
- Configure digital voice ports
- Describe considerations for PBX integration
- Configure dial-peers
- Configure hunt groups and trunk groups
- Configure digit manipulation
- Configure calling privileges
- Verify dial-plan implementation
- Implement fax and modem support on a gateway
- Configure a gateway to provide DTMF support
- Describe the function and interoperation of gatekeepers within an IP Communications network
- Describe the function and types of gatekeepers
- Describe the interoperation of devices with a gatekeeper
- Describe gatekeeper signaling
- Describe Dynamic Zone Prefix Registration with a gatekeeper
- Describe gatekeeper redundancy
- Implement a gatekeeper
- Configure devices to register with a gatekeeper
- Configure gatekeeper to provide dial-plan resolution
- Configure gatekeeper to provide call admission control
- Verify gatekeeper operation
- Implement an IP-to-IP gateway
- Describe the IP-to-IP gateway features and functionality
- Configure gatekeeper to support an IP-to-IP gateway
- Configure IP-to-IP gateway to provide address hiding
- Configure IP-to-IP gateway to provide protocol and media interworking
- Configure IP-to-IP gateway to provide call admission control
- Verify IP-to-IP gateway implementations
Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 1 (CIPT1) Exam 642-446
The 642-446 exam focuses on the deployment and configuration of CUCM (Cisco Unified Communications Manager) when using a single site and centralized call processing models. The datasheet for the most recent version of CUCM is located here.
- Perform an installation and initial set up of a Cisco Unified Communications Manager cluster
- Describe administrative access to Cisco Unified Communications Manager
- Describe Cisco Unified Communications Manager cluster architecture
- Describe Cisco Unified Communications Manager redundancy designs
- Describe the requirements for Cisco Unified Communications Manager use of
- DHCP, TFTP, DNS, and NTP
- Determine the services necessary to support a Cisco Unified Communications
- Manager deployment and activate the appropriate services
- Perform an install and upgrade on Cisco Unified Communications Manager
- Describe and configure Cisco Unified Communications Manager to support on-cluster calling
- Configure a Cisco Unified Communications Manager group
- Configure users, user groups, and roles
- Configure Cisco Unified Communications Manager to support Cisco SCCP & SIP Phones
- Configure Cisco Unified Communications Manager to support 3rd party SIP phones
- Describe how to harden an IP phone
- Configure LDAP integration
- Configure Cisco Unified Communications Manager profiles and device pools
- Configure Cisco Unified Communications Manager templates
- Configure a Cisco switch to support IP phones
- Use Cisco Unified Communications Manager BAT to manage phones and users
- Describe the function of TAPS
- Describe and configure a route plan for Cisco Unified Communications
- Manager to support off-net calling
- Describe Cisco Unified Communications Manager digit analysis
- Implement an MGCP Gateway
- Configure route patterns and route filters
- Configure route lists and route groups
- Implement toll-fraud prevention
- Configure digit manipulation
- Describe the functions and usage of CSS and partitions
- Implement calling privileges
- Implement call coverage
- Describe and configure Cisco Unified Communications Manager media resources
- Describe media resources
- Configure MeetMe conferencing, hardware conferencing resources, and software
- conferencing resources
- Configure MoH
- Configure MRGs and MRGLs
- Configure the Cisco Unified Communications Manager to support features and applications
- Configure IP phone services
- Enable user web page access
- Integrate Cisco Unified Communications Manager with Unity and UnityConnection
- Configure Call Park, Privacy, Barge, Call Pickup, and Intercom
- Implement Presence
Quality of Service (QoS) Exam 642-642
This exam covers the specifics of the various QoS mechanisms that can be implemented for voice traffic.
- IP QoS Fundamentals
- Given a description of a converged network, identify problems that could lead to poor quality of service and explain how the problems might be resolved
- Define the term Quality of Service (QoS) and identify and explain the key steps to implementing QoS on a converged network
- IP QoS Components
- List and explain the models for providing Quality of Service on a network
- Explain the purpose and function of the DiffServ model
- Describe the basic format of and explain the purpose of the DSCP field in the IP header
- Define and explain the different per hop behaviors used in DSCP
- Explain the interoperability between DSCP-based and IP-precedence-based devices in a network
- Given a list of QoS actions, correctly match the QoS actions to mechanisms for implementing QoS and identify where in a network the different QoS mechanisms are commonly used
- Modular QoS CLI and Auto-QoS
- Given a network requiring QoS, explain how to implement a QoS policy using MQC
- Explain how AutoQoS is used to implement QoS policy
- Classification and Marking
- Explain how link layer and network layer markings are used to define service classes and the different applications represented by each of these service classes
- Given a network and a description of QoS issues, use MQC CLI commands to classify packets
- Given a network and a description of QoS issues, use class-based marking to assign packets to a specific service class
- Describe the function of Network Based Application Recognition
- Describe the purpose of pre-classification to support QoS in various VPN (IPSEC, GRE, L2TP) configurations
- Describe QoS trust boundaries and their significance in LAN based classification and marking
- Identify the different classification and marking options available on Cisco L2 and L3 switching platforms
- Congestion Management Methods
- List and explain the different queuing algorithms
- Explain the components of hardware and software queuing systems on Cisco routers and how they are effected by tuning and congestion
- Describe the benefits and drawbacks of using WFQ to implement QoS
- Explain the purpose and features of Class-Based WFQ (CBWFQ)
- Explain the purpose and features of Low Latency Queuing (LLQ)
- Identify the Cisco IOS commands required to configure and monitor LLQ on a Cisco router
- Describe and explain the different queuing capabilities available on the Cisco Catalyst 2950 Switch
- Congestion Avoidance Methods
- Describe the drawbacks tail drop as a congestion control mechanism
- Describe the elements of a RED traffic profile
- Describe Weighted Random Early Detection and how it can be used to prevent congestion
- Identify the Cisco IOS commands required to configure and monitor DSCP-based CB-WRED
- Explain how ECN interacts with WRED in Cisco IOS
- Traffic Policing and Shaping
- Describe the purpose of traffic conditioning using traffic policing and traffic shaping and differentiate between the features of each
- Explain how network devices measure traffic rates using single rate or dual rate, single or dual token bucket mathematical models
- Identify the Cisco IOS commands required to configure and monitor single rate and dual rate CB-Policing
- Identify the Cisco IOS commands required to configure and monitor percentage based CB-Policing
- Explain how the two rate limits, average rate and peak rate, can be used to rate limit traffic
- Identify the Cisco IOS commands required to configure and monitor CB-Shaping
- Identify the Cisco IOS commands required to configure and monitor Frame Relay adaptive CB-Shaping on Frame Relay interfaces
- Link Efficiency Mechanisms
- Explain the various link efficiency mechanisms and their function
- Identify the Cisco IOS commands required to configure and monitor CB header compression
- Given a list of link speeds and a specific delay requirement, determine the proper fragment size to use at each link speed and identify the typical delay requirement for VoIP packets
- Identify the Cisco IOS commands required to configure and monitor Multilink PPP with Interleaving
- Identify the Cisco IOS commands required to configure and monitor FRF.12
- QoS Best Practices
- Explain the QoS requirements of the different application types
- List typical enterprise traffic classes then identify the delay, jitter, packet loss and bandwidth requirements of each traffic class
- Explain the best practice QoS implementations and configurations within the campus LAN
- Explain the best practice QoS implementations and configurations on the WAN
- customer edge (CE) and provider edge (PE) routers
Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 2 (CIPT2) Exam 642-456
The 642-456 exam picks up on the materials covered on the CIPT1 exam and extends it to multiple sites and the additional technologies used in these situations. The datasheet for the most recent version of CUCM is located here.
- Manage Tcl and VXML call applications on a gateway
- Describe how to obtain call applications
- Configure a gateway to use call applications
- Verify call application implementations
- Describe and implement centralized call processing redundancy
- Describe device fail over
- Configure call survivability
- Configure SRST operation
- Configure CME to provide redundancy
- Configure MGCP Fallback operation
- Verify redundancy operations
- Describe and configure a multi-site dial plan for Cisco Unified Communications Manager
- Describe the issues with multi-site dial plans
- Describe the differences between the various gateways and trunk types supported by Cisco Unified Communication Manager
- Configure Cisco Unified Communications Manager to utilize an H.323 gateway
- Configure a SIP trunk
- Implement a numbering plan for multi-site topologies
- Configure intercluster trunks
- Configure tailend hop off
- Configure Cisco Unified Communication Manager to register with a gatekeeper
- Implement bandwidth management and Call Admission Control
- Configure Regions
- Configure transcoders and MTPs
- Configure Locations
- Implement RSVP agent
- Implement gatekeeper-based Call Admission Control
- Configure AAR
- Configure multi-site MoH
- Secure an IP Telephony network
- Describe the threats to an IP Telephony network
- Describe the features used to mitigate threats to an IP Telephony network
- Describe how authentication and cryptographic services can secure an IP Telephony network
- Configure secure signaling between devices
- Configure devices to support sRTP
- Implement mobility in an IP Telephony network
- Configure device mobility
- Configure Cisco Extension Mobility
- Configure Cisco Unified Mobility
Troubleshooting Cisco Unified Communications Systems (TUC) Exam 642-426
This exam involves the troubleshooting of all of the technologies covered in the other exams including CUCM and Unity.
- Apply the Cisco recommended methodology used to determine general Unified communications system problems and issues
- Describe the steps that can be used to identify a problem with a given unified communication system
- Identify tools that can be used to identify and isolate problems
- Correlate events (using traces, logs, and monitoring tools to identify the problem)
- Parse and interpret trace logs and system logs
- Troubleshoot call setup issues
- Troubleshoot PSTN call setup issues
- Troubleshoot intersite call setup issues
- Troubleshoot intrasite call setup issues
- Troubleshoot registration issues
- Troubleshoot issues with endpoint registration
- Troubleshoot issues with gateway registration
- Troubleshoot issues with gatekeeper registration
- Troubleshoot database issues
- Troubleshoot database replication issues in CallManager 4.x
- Troubleshoot database replication issues in CallManager 5.x
- Troubleshoot 3rd party LDAP synchronization issues
- Troubleshoot application issues
- Troubleshoot voicemail integration
- Troubleshoot CTI integration issues
- Troubleshoot IP phone XML services
- Troubleshoot media resources
- Troubleshoot music on hold
- Troubleshoot conference bridges
- Troubleshoot transcoders
- Troubleshoot MTP
- Troubleshoot voice quality issues
- Troubleshoot echo
- Troubleshoot dropped calls
- Troubleshoot audio quality issues
- Troubleshoot security issues
- Troubleshoot authentication issues
- Troubleshoot certificate issues
Discussion
No comments or trackbacks for “Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP) Certification Overview”Post a comment