[c-nsp] Certification Ethics

[Charles Wyble]

Peter Rathlev wrote:
> On Mon, 2009-05-11 at 19:52 -0500, Derick Winkworth wrote:
> ...
>> So hearing you say that some CCIE, or multiple CCIEs, didn't remember
>> fact "x" and therefore you call into question the value of the CCIE as a
>> certification... I guess that demonstrates how badly you are missing the
>> point. 
> 
> I think you missed my point. The specific example given was something he
> was tasked with and couldn't get to work. His excuse was that someone
> else didn't do what they should. The problem was that MED was not the
> right tool.

This unfortunately sounds like many systems/network personnel who hold 
some ideal view of the world and when things don't conform they lash out.

> 
> I didn't say _all_ CCIEs are wrong. And I don't expect everyone to
> remember everything always. I do expect though that if I ask you about
> how to control traffic flow across several independent ASs you don't
> answer "MED" and stay with that answer even though others point out that
> it won't work.

Yeah. I mean even someone like me with a wikipedia level of knowledge 
about many network bits knows that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Gateway_Protocol#Uses_of_multi-exit_discriminators 


MEDs, defined in the main BGP standard, were originally intended to show 
the advertising AS's preference, to another neighbor AS, the advertising 
AS's preference as to which of several links, to the same AS,

key word SAME AS.



  I do expect a CCIE having chosen a specific setup to be
> able to explain what choices he made and why, e.g. the general
> differences between SRA and SRB instead of saying "You'er welcome to
> read the release notes.", especially when being paid to do so.

Exactly. This is what good engineers should be able to do.

> 
> I have also met CCIEs that I'm very impressed with, and many CCIEs I've
> seen explain things have been way beyond what I understand. I'm just
> saying that some CCIEs are good at networking and others are good at
> taking exams
> 

Yep.