DNS training course description This three-day hands on DNS training course studies both the UNIX BIND and the Microsoft (MS DNS) implementations. The course starts with the big picture of how DNS works, then client configuration. Primary and secondary servers are then configured, progressing to DDNS, subdomains and security issues. Hands on sessions follow all sections ensuring that troubleshooting techniques are used throughout the course. Students choose whether to use Windows or UNIX for the hands on sessions. What will you learn Describe the architecture of DNS. Explain how DNS works. Install, configure, maintain and troubleshoot DNS DNS training course details Who will benefit: Technical staff wanting to learn DNS including: Network personnel System administrators. Prerequisites: UNIX Fundamentals (or Windows knowledge). TCP/IP foundation for engineers. Duration 3 days DNS training course contents What is DNS? Hostnames, Name resolution, host files, host file problems, What is DNS? The DNS namespace, TLDs, gTLDs, registering domains, Nameservers, how DNS works. Hands on Testing DNS servers on the Internet. DNS clients Ways to use DNS, dynamic and static configuration, multiple nameservers, domain name, searchlist, resolution issues, testing the configuration. Hands on Client configuration. DNS server software Implementations, Microsoft, BIND, daemons and services, installation, starting and stopping servers. Hands on Setting up a DNS server. DNS zone files What is a zone, Zone file overview, Forward zones, Reverse zones, Resource records, A records, PTR, CNAME, Root hints, local zone file. BIND and Microsoft configuration. Hands on Server configuration files. NS and applications MX records, Mail server load balancing, SPF, SRV records, VoIP and SRV, Microsoft and SRV, NAPTR. Hands on Testing records with dig and nslookup. DNS slaves and other servers DNS server types, Server resilience, Slaves, Zone transfers, SOA records, Serial numbers, recommendations, polling based zone transfers, NOTIFY, AD integration, DNS caching, Negative caching, TTL, Caching only servers. Hands on Masters, slaves and zone transfers. The DNS protocol The DNS stack, DNS port numbers, DNS queries, The DNS header, header section format, question format, other section format. Hands on Troubleshooting DNS with Wireshark. Dynamic DNS DHCP, DDNS, IXFR, WINS integration. Hands on Dynamic DNS. Subdomains Root servers, root server selection, Authority, delegation, NS records, subdomain with and without delegation, reverse delegation. Hands on Delegation, setting up a subdomain server. DNS security Restricting queries, DNS and firewalls, Split DNS, forwarders, internal root servers, the use of proxy servers, DNSSEC, TSIG. Hands on Hardening a DNS server. DNS and IPv6 What is IPv6, IPv6 addressing, IPv6 DNS issues, AAAA, IPv6 reverse delegation. Troubleshooting DNS Problem solving, DNS troubleshooting, Zone file checking, Some common errors, Log files, tools, nslookup, dig, host, DNS design, performance, load balancing. Hands on Putting it all together. Summary Useful books, Internet sites, RFCs. Appendix: ENUM What is ENUM, How ENUM works, NAPTR.
Definitive Ethernet switching course description A hands on comprehensive look at Ethernet switches with extensive coverage of VLANs. The course focuses on the technology and not any one manufacturers product enabling delegates to configure switches from any manufacturer. What will you learn Configure and troubleshoot switches using: Console port telnet HTTP TFTP Configure and troubleshoot switch features such as: Duplex/speed Port based MAC security Spanning Tree Link aggregation Tagged ports Configure and troubleshoot VLANs. Definitive Ethernet switching course details Who will benefit: Technical staff. Prerequisites: Intro to data communications & networking. Duration 3 days Definitive Ethernet switching course contents What is Ethernet? LANs, network cards and cables, CSMA/CD, Ethernet frames, Ethernet evolution, 802.3. Hands on: ping, Ethernet speeds, CSMA/CD. Ethernet layer 2 Layer 2 functions, NICs, MAC addresses, unicasts, multicasts and broadcasts, frame formats. Hands on: Configuring NICs, Analysing MAC addresses with Wireshark IP and Ethernet Relationship Hands on: ARP. What is a switch? Switches connect multiple devices, switches versus hubs, simultaneous conversations, switches work at layer 2, the forwarding database, how the forwarding database is built, broadcast and collision domains Hands on: Difference between hubs and switches. Switch configuration Switch configuration Managed/unmanaged switches, configuration methods, reasons to configure switches. Console ports, HyperTerminal (and alternatives). Hands on: Using the console port to troubleshoot and configure switches. Switches in more detail Latency, forwarding mechanisms, switch fabrics. Hands on: Using telnet and HTTP to switches. Ethernet extensions Auto negotiation, Power over Ethernet. Hands on:Configuring and troubleshooting switch ports: Speed, duplex and security. Redundant links Loops, broadcast storms, STP, BPDU format, STP convergence. Hands on: Tracking blocked ports. STP convergence. Backbone links Architectures, link aggregation, LACP, load sharing, resilience. Hands on: fail over times. VLANs Virtual versus physical LANs, Why have VLANs? Broadcast domains, Creating VLANs, Assigning ports to VLANs. Hands on: Analysing the effect of VLANs on traffic. Enterprise VLANs VLANS are internal, multiple VLANs, Load balancing, Default VLAN, VLAN registration protocols: VTP, GVRP, MVRP. Hands on: VLANs on multiple switches. Tagging/Trunking Reason for tagging, terminology, tagging process, 802.1Q, Tag format, VLAN stacking. Hands on: Configuring and troubleshooting tags. STP variants RSTP, Common STP, Multiple STP, PVST, ring alternatives. Hands on: RSTP. Inter VLANs Layer 3 switching, IP addressing rules, Interconnecting VLANs. Hands on: Routing between VLANs. Troubleshooting Ethernet Methods, tools, locating faults, layer 1 issues, layer 2 issues Hands on: Fixing the network.
IPTV training course description A current hot topic in recent years has been the provision of multimedia services over IP networks aka triple or quadruple play. This course investigates the characteristics of video transmission and then studies the impact on IP networks. What will you learn Use Wireshark to analyse and troubleshoot TV streams. Describe techniques, which can be used in IP to provide low uniform delay. Evaluate IPTV technologies. Design data networks, which will support IPTV. IPTV training course details Who will benefit: Anyone working with IPTV. Prerequisites: TCP/IP Foundation for engineers Intro to data communications & networking. Duration 3 days IPTV training course contents What is IPTV? What is IP? What is TV? Pixels, frames, colour, digital modulation, digital video broadcasting. SDTV, HDTV, 4K. IPTV architectures, Contribution, distribution, delivery. IPTV standards. Hands on Base IP connectivity, VLC. IPTV protocol stacks IP, TCP, UDP, RTP. IPv6. HTTP. Bandwidth requirements. Hands on IPTV bandwidth calculations. Video codecs What is a CODEC, pictures and audio, digitisation, sampling, quantisation, encoding, compressing. MPEG, bit rates, resolution. I, B, P frames, GOP. MPEG 2, MPEG 4, H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1. Hands on Analysing MPEG frames. IP issues Quality vs. bandwidth. Bandwidth, delay, latency, jitter, signalling. Routers. Hands on Analysing jitter and other performance issues. IPTV performance and QoS IP DSCP field, queuing strategies; FIFO, WFQ, custom, priority, RED. Differentiated services, Diffserv. 802.1Q. Traffic shaping. QoE. Hands on best effort versus prioritisation. UDP versus TCP Reliable, unreliable, connection oriented, connectionless. Broadcasts, multicasts and unicasts. TCP flow control, TCP and performance. Hands on TCP window sizes. RTP RTP, ports, mixers, translators, RTCP, SMPTE, FEC. Hands on RTP analysis with Wireshark. Multicasting Multicasting compared to unicasting and broadcasting, when to use and when not to use multicasting. IGMP, PIM-SM, SSM. MLD. Hands on Analysing multicast streams. OTT TV HTTP, HTTPS, Chunked HTTP. Adaptive streaming. HTML5. DASH vs HLS. Hands on Analysing HTTP streams. Security Firewalls, TLS, DRM, watermarking. Encryption. Geolocation. VPNs. IPTV architecture and other protocols Content providers, Service providers, delivery networks, home networks. Caching, Service discovery. RTSP. SAP, SDP. DHCP, DNS, NTP Hands on Fixing the network.
MPLS training course description A hands-on introduction to MPLS covering the basics of what MPLS is and how to configure it, through to more advanced concepts such as MPLS VPNs and traffic engineering with MPLS. What will you learn Describe MPLS Explain how MPLS works Describe the interaction between OSPF/IS-IS/BGP and MPLS Describe MPLS traffic engineering MPLS training course details Who will benefit: Anyone working with MPLS. Prerequisites: IP Routing BGP Duration 3 days MPLS training course contents What is MPLS? What does MPLS stand for? What is MPLS? Core MPLS, MPLS and the 7 layer model, MPLS is a protocol, MPLS is a standard, MPLS runs on routers, MPLS history, Why MPLS? For service providers, For enterprises. MPLS Architecture Label Switch Routers, two types of LSR, PE and P router roles, FEC, swapping labels, MPLS packet format, Loops, TTL control. Hands on: Building the base network. Enabling MPLS. Simple testing and troubleshooting of MPLS. Label distribution Label review, label switch path, label distribution methods, piggybacking, Label distribution Protocols, LDP, LDP operation, LDP packets, discovery messages, session messages, advertisement messages, notification message, Label Information Base, routing tables, the LFIB, MPLS forwarding, penultimate hop popping, handling labels, LSP control modes, when to distribute labels, how long to keep labels, aggregation, label merging. Hands on: LDP traffic analysis. MPLS TE and QoS What is MPLS TE? Why TE? TE versus shorted path, how MPLS TE works, CR-LDP, OSPF-TE, IS-IS-TE, TE with BGP, RSVP-TE, MPLS Fast reroute, MPLS QoS. Hands on: Enabling MPLS-TE. BFD BFD, hello the BFD protocol. MPLS VPN What is a VPN? MPLS VPN types, MPLS VPN comparison, MPLS L3 VPN, VRFs, MBGP, MPLS VPN architecture, VRF RD, VRF RT, the label stack, L2 VPNs, VPWS, AToM, VPLS. Hands on: MPLS L3 VPN setup, troubleshooting.
SNMP training course description A hands-on generic look at the technical operation of SNMP. The course starts with an overview of all the components, which make up SNMP. Hands on starts early with configuration of a managed network. The major versions of SNMP are then put into perspective followed by a look at the SNMP protocol. MIBs are then studied both from the perspective of reading MIBs and writing MIBs. The course finishes with a look at the security implications of SNMP. What will you learn Describe the SNMP architecture. Analyse SNMP packets. Recognise the MIB structure. Describe the SMI. Recognise the strengths and weaknesses of SNMPv2 and SNMPv3. SNMP training course details Who will benefit: Network administrators. Network operators. Programmers writing MIBs and agents. Prerequisites: TCP/IP Foundation for engineers Hands on experience of an SNMP management station would also be beneficial. Duration 3 days SNMP training course contents Network management What is network management? Benefits, issues. What is SNMP? SNMP architecture, SNMP MIBs, SMI, the SNMP protocol, polling security, alternatives to SNMP: CMIP, web based management. Configuring SNMP Auto discovery for management stations, NMS configuration, agent configuration, traps. Hands on Configuring agents and an NMS. SNMP background SNMP history, RFCs, standards, SNMP protocol versions, SNMPv1, SNMPv2, SNMPv3, SNMP SMI versions, which version should you use? Futures. SNMPv1 packets SNMP in the 7 layer model, port numbers, general packet format, BER, GET, GET-NEXT, tables, SET, TRAP, bandwidth issues, in band versus out of band management. Hands on Analysing SNMPv1 packets. SNMPv2 packets SNMPv2 improvements, error handling, GETBULK, v2traps, INFORM. Hands on Analysing SNMPv2 packets. SNMPv3 packets SNMPv3 packet format, use of SNMPv2 messages, REPORT PDU. MIB structure The internet MIB branch, standard mib-2, extra parts of mib-2, private enterprise MIBs, loading extra MIBs. Hands on MIB browsing. mib-2 The mib-2 groups, system group, interfaces group, IP group, ICMP group, TCP group, UDP group, transmission group, SNMP group, RMON. Hands on mib-2 browsing in detail. SMI The MIB layout, obtaining a private enterprise number, MIB definitions, IMPORT, Module identity, Textual conventions, object definitions, notifications, compliance statements, object groups, base SMI data types, application data types, scalars, instances, tables, table definition, writing agents, SMIng. SNMP security Community strings, SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c security practices, SNMPv3 security, SNMPv3 architecture, SNMP applications, the SNMP engine, the EngineID, security fields in SNMPv3 packets, USM, authentication, encryption, timeliness, VBAC, SNMPv3 configuration.
SMTP training course description A hands on course focusing on the workings of email systems and the standard protocols that they use. The course is not specific to any particular implementation, but some vendor specifics are noted. Linux and Microsoft machines are used in hands on sessions to reinforce the theory of major sessions. The course concentrates on troubleshooting and interworking using network sniffing and protocol inspection rather than "which buttons to push". What will you learn Describe and explain SMTP MIME POP3 IMAP PGP, GPG, S/MIME SPF, DKIM, DMARC Configure mail routing Secure email systems SMTP training course details Who will benefit: Technical staff responsible for email systems. Prerequisites: TCP/IP foundation for engineers. Duration 3 days SMTP training course contents SMTP architecture What is SMTP, email before SMTP, SMTP history, the different protocols, clients, servers. Email composition, transmission, delivering emails, storing and reading emails. MUAs, MTAs, POP3, IMAP, SMTP, DNS, webmail. Hands on Setting up MTAs and MUAs and sending a simple email using telnet. The SMTP protocol SMTP protocol stack, SMTP headers, HELO, SMTP mail, MAIL FROM, RCPT TO, DATA, SMTPUTF8, 8BITMIME, TURN, EHLO, ETRN, 3 digit replies. Hands on Analysing SMTP packets on a network. DNS and SMTP SMTP forwarding, SMTP relays, interoperation, how SMTP uses DNS, MX records. Hands on Setting up mail relays. SMTP headers IMF data, From, to, cc, bcc, sender and recipient headers, message Ids, received trails, in-reply-to, received-SPF, mail list headers. Hands on Using clients to analyse details from mail headers, including true originators and path of emails. MIME Email attachments, MIME versions, content type headers, encoding, base 64, binary data, multi part headers, troubleshooting attachments. Hands on Analysing MIME headers and attachments. POP3 What is POP3, where to use POP3, authorisation, transactions, POP3 commands: USER, PASS, STAT, LIST, RETR, DELE. Hands on Setting up a POP3 server, analysing POP3 packets on a network. IMAP and IMAPS What is IMAP, where to use IMAP, authorisation, mailbox structure, IMAP commands: LOGIN, AUTHENTICATE, LIST, CREATE, Examine (message flags), SELECT, STORE. Hands on Setting up an IMAP server and analysing IMAP packets on a network. Interoperation Mail gateways, addressing, Exchange, sendmail. Email security Basics, Transport level: STARTTLS. Content: PGP/GPG, mail signing and encryption, S/MIME, digital certificates, secure email submission. Hands on Setting up and using a PGP key, configure MTAs to use TLS. Email authentication and spam prevention Mail relays, grey listing, block list & RBL, DNSBL (Real-time Black hole List), White list, SPF, Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM), Author Domain Signing Practices (ADSP), Abuse Report Format (ARF), Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC). Hands on Relay spamming and the blocking spamming.
OSPF training course description A detailed hands on examination of OSPF. Hands on sessions are used to reinforce the theory rather than teach specific manufacturer equipment. The course starts with a recap of reading routing tables and then jumps straight in with simple OSPF configuration. OSPF features are then studied and configured before moving onto how OSPF works within an area. Multi area OSPF is then studied before looking at OSPF operation in detail by analysing OSPF packets. Finally areas are covered again in more detail followed by troubleshooting. What will you learn Design OSPF networks. Design IP addressing schemes suitable for route summarisation. Troubleshoot OSPF networks. Describe the operation of OSPF. OSPF training course details Who will benefit: Technical staff working with OSPF. Prerequisites: TCP/IP Foundation for engineers Duration 3 days OSPF training course contents Basic routing and OSPF Reading routing tables, routing protocols, What is OSPF? Process IDs, passive interfaces. Hands on Simple OSPF configuration. OSPF History of OSPF, metrics, costs, convergence, Distance Vector vs. Link state routing protocols, IGPs, classless, OSPF features, load sharing, per packet/destination, OSPF authentication. Hands on Configuring OSPF features. OSPF within an area How OSPF works, LSDB, LSDB benefits and disadvantages, LSA types, Type 1 and 2, LSA propagation, router IDs, hellos, configuring hellos, the exchange protocol. Hands on Investigating OSPF structures. Areas Scalability, why areas? Area IDs, area 0, ABRs, ABR resilience, areas & LSDBs, areas & LSAs, Type 3 LSAs, virtual links. Hands on Multi area OSPF. Redistribution Multiple routing protocols, common scenarios, routing distance, External LSAs, E1 and E2. Type 4 LSAs. OSPF and default routes. Hands on Configuring static route redistribution. Route aggregation Route summarisation. How to aggregate, ABR summarisation, ASBR summarisation. Hands on OSPF address summarisation. OSPF packet formats OSPF packets, protocol stack, OSPF stages, packet flows, packet types, the OSPF header, multicasts, Hello, DDB, LS request, LS update, LS ACK, LSA header, LSA formats, neighbours, neighbour states, DRs, adjacencies, BDRs, DR election. Hands on Analysing OSPF packets, troubleshooting. OSPF network types BMA, NBMA, Point to point links. Hands on Configuring OSPF over Frame Relay. OSPF stub areas LSA types, area types, area architecture, stub areas, default routes, benefits and disadvantages of stub areas, TSSAs, NSSAs, Type 7 LSAs. Hands on Stub and TSSA configuration. The OSPF MIB SNMP overview, MIB 2, the OSPF MIB, OSPF MIB groups, useful objects, OSPF traps. Hands on the OSPF MIB. troubleshooting. Summary RFCs, OSPF design guidelines. OSPF variants (appendix) OSPF on demand, MOSPF, multicast overview, Type 6 LSAs, OSPF for IPv6 (OSPFv3).
VoIP training course description Convergence of voice and data is now a common place mainstream technology. Our Voice Over IP course investigates the characteristics of voice transmission and then studies the impact on IP networks. Practical sessions with soft phones, hard phones and gateways allow the students to see all aspects of VoIP. Network analysers are used to study packets on the wire. What will you learn Describe the issues of voice and data convergence. Describe techniques, which can be used in IP to provide low uniform delay. Evaluate VoIP technologies. Design data networks, which will support voice. VoIP training course details Who will benefit: Anyone working in the field of networking or telecommunications. Prerequisites: TCP/IP foundation for engineers Intro to data communications & networking Duration 3 days VoIP training course contents What is VoIP Voice over IP, brief review of IP, brief review of telephones and voice. Configuring IP softphones What are softphones? Downloading, installing. Hands on Building the base IP network, a simple VoIP call with softphones, Internet telephony. Addressing E164, FQDN, IP addresses, URIs, DNS, SIP addressing, H.323 addressing. VoIP issues Bandwidth, Delay, Jitter, digitising voice, digitisation steps, coding, quality issues, MOS, voice compression, silence suppression, packetising voice, prioritising voice, jitter buffers. Hands on Simple packet analysis. Architectures Desktop, backbone, gateway, hard phones, PoE, integrating phones and PCs, carriers, Softswitches. Hands on Integrating Softphones, hard phones and analog phones. IP performance and QoS ITU delay recommendations, IP DSCP field, DiffServ, IP precedence, queuing strategies; FIFO, WFQ, custom, priority, RED, LLQ. VoIP protocol stack RTP, RTCP, mixers and translators, RSVP. Bandwidth, Erlang models, link layer overhead. Hands on Calculating VoIP bandwidth, analysing RTP packets. ITU Recommendation H.323 Architecture, protocols, terminals, Call setup, Gatekeepers, gateway discovery, H.323 registration with a gatekeeper. Hands on PC to PC using H.323. IETF - Session Initiation Protocol What is SIP? SIP protocol stack, SDP, Sip architecture, SIP messages, Initial SIP phone startup, SIP servers, proxy server, redirect server. Hands on PC to PC using SIP. Carrier networks Signalling systems, SS7, media gateways, Media gateway controllers, signalling gateways, MGCP, Megaco, SIGTRAN. Hands on PSTN interworking. Video over IP Video components, digital video, pictures and audio, video codecs, issues and solutions, video conferencing, multipoint video conferencing, video protocol stack. Appendix 1: Multicasting. Appendix 2: Voice/data integration without IP.
Video conferencing over IP course description A current hot topic in recent years has been the provision of multimedia services over IP networks - triple play. This course investigates the characteristics of video transmission and then studies the impact on IP networks. What will you learn Describe the issues of video and data convergence. Describe techniques, which can be used in IP to provide low uniform delay. Evaluate video technologies. Design data networks, which will support video.. Video conferencing over IP course details Who will benefit: Technical staff. Prerequisites: TCP/IP fundamentals Intro to data communications & networking Duration 3 days Video conferencing over IP course contents Review Traditional video, digital video, video formats, MPEG, brief review of IP, Uses of video: downloading, streaming, TV, CCTV, conferencing. Video over IP issues Delivery methods: FTTH, ADSL, VDSL, 3G and others. Bandwidth, delay, jitter, signalling. Digitising video, CODECS, packetising video, comparison of techniques. IP performance and QOS IP TOS field, queuing strategies; FIFO, WFQ, custom, priority, RED. Differentiated services, diffserv. Video over IP protocol stack RTP, RTCP, mixers and translators, RSVP. IPv6. Conferencing Traditional solutions, Video conferencing over IP, point to point, multipoint, architectures, bridges. IETF - Session Initiation Protocol Comparison with H.323, SIP proxy, proxy server, redirect server. SDP. Multicasting Multicasting compared to unicasting and broadcasting, when to use and when not to use multicasting. IGMP, DVMRP, PIM. Security Impact of firewalls and NAT, ISMA, DRM, DTCP.
Windows clustering training course description This course covers high availability and disaster recovery technologies such as live migration, storage migration and Hyper-V Replica, as well as providing indepth coverage of failover clustering including a detailed implementation of failover clustering of Hyper- V using SoFS. The course also covers System Center Virtual Machine Manager and implementing Network Load Balancing (NLB) and load balancing clusters. What will you learn Plan and implement a failover cluster. Describe managing server roles and clustering resources. Implement and manage virtual machines. Use System Center Virtual Machine Manager. Describe cloud-based storage and high availability solutions. Implement a Network Load Balancing (NLB) cluster. Windows clustering training course details Who will benefit: Technical staff working with Microsoft clusters. Prerequisites: Supporting Microsoft Windows server Duration 3 days Windows clustering training course contents High Availability in Windows Server Defining levels of availability, High Availability and disaster recovery solutions with Hyper-V Virtual Machines, High Availability with failover clustering in Windows Server. Hands on Configuring High Availability and Disaster Recovery. Implementing failover clustering Planning a failover cluster, creating a new failover cluster. Hands on Creating and Administering a Cluster. Server roles and clustering resources Configuring highly available applications and services on a failover cluster, managing and maintaining a failover cluster, troubleshooting a failover cluster, implementing site high availability with multisite failover clusters. Hands on Managing server roles and clustering resources. Failover clustering with Hyper-V Overview of integrating Hyper-V with failover clustering, implementing Hyper-V with failover clustering, managing and maintaining Hyper-V Virtual Machines on failover clusters. Hands on Implementing failover clustering by using Hyper-V Storage Infrastructure Management with Virtual Machine Manager Virtual Machine Manager, managing storage infrastructure with Virtual Machine Manager, provisioning failover clustering in Virtual Machine Manager. Hands on Managing storage infrastructure. Cloud-Based storage and High Availability Azure storage solutions and infrastructure, cloud integrated storage with StorSimple, disaster recovery with Azure Site Recovery. Hands on Managing cloud-based storage and high availability Network Load Balancing Clusters Overview of NLB, configuring an NLB cluster, planning NLB. Hands on Implementing a Network Load Balancing Cluster