Cisco and Microsoft Lab Procedures FAQ
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3/17/2010 8:36:03 PM ET
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The list below addresses frequently asked questions about Cisco and Microsoft lab procedures. You might find it useful to print out this FAQ page.
An FAQ list devoted to general questions, operating system questions and user issues is also available.
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Lab Procedures for Cisco labs
I want to preserve what I’ve done so far in a Cisco lab...how do I
save my configurations?
There are three buttons that are important for you to know:
"Cycle Break", "Save", and "Reset". "Save" allows you to save the current
configurations in your lab and "Load" will return the devices to that
saved state. Maybe you're unsure of the next configuration command and you
want to be able to return to a safety point or, maybe, you want to try
something outside the parameters of the lab and you will want to get back
to where you left. If you "Save" the device configuration, perform the
experimental step, and find that step to be unworkable, you can "Cycle
Break" (if communications are completely lost) or "Reset" and then "Load"
your saved configuration.
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If I start a Cisco lab and can't finish it in the scheduled time
frame, can I continue?
Yes. Equipment configurations are automatically saved at the end
of a session unless you choose to manually save one or more device
configurations during the course of your lab. If you do perform a "Save"
during a lab, you will need to manually "Save" all your configurations
before the lab ends. At the expiration of the lab time, your manual "Save"
or the automatic "Save" configurations can be archived from your locker.
You can then purchase the lab again, giving yourself another hour of lab
time. When you take the "new" lab, you can retrieve your saved
configurations and load them into the corresponding devices in the "new"
lab. In this way, you are able to continue the lab from the point at which
you ran out of time.
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How do I 'Archive' my Cisco lab?
How do I 'Archive' my Cisco lab?
If you run a lab and never initiate any "Saves" during the
course of that lab, the system will automatically save your configurations
when the lab is complete or runs out of time. At this point, the lab moves
from the "Purchased" section of your locker to the "Completed" section.
Now, one of the options associated with the lab is "Archive". This moves
the lab from "Completed" to "Archived".
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What are the Cisco 'Lab Buttons' and what do they do?
There are three buttons that are important for you to know:
"Cycle Break", "Save", and "Reset".
"CYCLE BREAK"
"Cycle
Break" is the button of last resort. Should you enter a configuration
which prevents you from communicating with the device(s), "Cycle Break"
resets the device(s) with no configuration. You can then select "Reset" to
restore the original lab configurations. Select "Load", if you have saved
configurations you would like to restore. Performing a "Cycle Break/Reset"
or "Load" will break communication with that device and you will have to
re-initiate a telnet session by selecting the device on the lab diagram.
WARNING: DO NOT SELECT "CYCLE BREAK" AND THEN "SAVE".
"RESET"
"Reset" allows you to reset one or more of the
devices in your lab. You may have inadvertently or experimentally changed
a configuration setting that caused the device(s) to hang. "Reset" allows
you to get back to the starting configuration of the lab. If you do
perform a reset, you will lose communication with that device and will
have to re-initiate a telnet session by selecting the device on the lab
diagram.
"SAVE"
"Save" allows you to save the current
configurations in your lab and "Load" will return the devices to that
saved state. Maybe you're unsure of the next configuration command and you
want to be able to return to a safety point or, maybe, you want to try
something outside the parameters of the lab and you will want to get back
to where you left. If you "Save" the device configuration, perform the
experimental step, and find that step to be unworkable, you can "Cycle
Break" (if communications are completely lost) or "Reset" and then "Load"
your saved configuration.
Note:
Selecting "Cycle Break"
and "Save" in sequence will cause an error condition that will disable the
equipment, and you will not be able to continue with your lab. Should this
happen, contact Customer Support to reschedule your lab.
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What interfaces are available?
The router and switch interfaces vary depending on the specific
module on which you are working. Various labs support configuring serial,
Ethernet, Frame-Relay, ISDN, switch, and voice interfaces.
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What is the lab configuration?
The term "lab configuration" differs from the router
configurations - and is another common term. Router configurations are
data resident inside the router that contains addressing and parameter
information. The term "lab configuration" simply refers to the way the
routers in a lab are interconnected.
The lab configuration will vary
depending on the specific lab you are working on. The routing labs will
support one or more suites of three routers, depending on the specific
exercise, as well as the equipment needed to establish frame relay and
ISDN. The Switch Labs and the Voice-Over-Layer2 Labs, of course, contain
the required gear to provide a basic environment.
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Can the lab configuration be changed?
Yes. When you take a lab, you are given exclusive access to an
equipment group assigned by that lab. Once you are in "Config" mode, you
can do whatever you'd like, based on the connectivity available for that
equipment group.
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When starting a lab, what do I need to do to acquire the
configurations that apply to my lab? When I begin, there are no
configurations. Am I leaving off a step?
The starting configurations will be loaded on all the equipment
when you start the lab. That is why a takes a few minutes to load the lab
before you can start your changes. Depending on the lab you take, some
labs will have many pre-configurations and others will have hardly any.
Please consult the preview scenario for your starting conditions. You can
also check the sample solution for hints on how to proceed.
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What is Cisco pre-work, and why do you suggest I do it before
starting the lab session?
After registering for the lab and signing up for an online
session, you will be able to pull down the pre-work material. Review of
the pre-work material before your onion session will make your entire
learning experience more productive. When your assigned time slot is
active, you will configure and monitor the actual routers and switches in
equipment group.
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How long after completing the labs will the configurations and other
information that is archived be available to me?
Archived materials stay in the locker indefinitely. However, if
you are planning on saving them long term please copy them to another
location.
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Lab Procedures for Microsoft labs
If I start a Microsoft lab and can't finish it in the scheduled time
frame, can I continue?
Unfortunately not. The computers in the vLab system modules are
loaded with a completely fresh version of the operating system, configured
with the appropriate settings for each individual lab, each time you start
a lab.
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What are the 'Lab Buttons' and what do they do?
- The Select All button selects all of the devices to be
included in the action that the user will next request.
- The Clear All button will uncheck all devices that have been
previously selected.
- The Reload button will reload the device or devices that have
been selected with the lab’s starting configuration.
- The Reboot button will perform a power cycle on the device or
devices that have been selected.
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What operating systems are available?
You will be working with Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000
Professional computers. Each lab involves a different combination of
computer types and network configurations.
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How do I log on or log off to the vLab system computers?
Normally, you initiate a Windows 2000 logon by pressing the
Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination on your keyboard. If you do this during the
vLab exercise, your own local system will intercept the keystrokes and
respond. To work around this, you can click the "Send Ctrl+Alt+Del" button
at the top of each vLab browser window and then follow normal Windows 2000
logon procedures. See the instructions in your individual lab for user
logon names and passwords.
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I need administrative access to my vLab system computers. How do I
do that?
You have full administrative access to all your vLab system
computers at all times. You can log on to any computer or domain as the
Administrator user. The password for this user is always
"password."
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Why does each vLab system computer have two network connections?
One connection is an internal interface to the vLab system
virtual LAN, and one is an external Web connection to support the
browser-based vLab system interface. The Local Area Connection object
connects to the virtual LAN, and the Do Not Touch object connects to the
Internet.
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Can I reconfigure the network connections?
Feel free to reconfigure the Local Area Connection object as
necessary. Don’t reconfigure the connection labeled Do Not Touch. If you
do, you will lose your Internet connection to the vLab system computer,
and you will have to reboot the machine to continue working. Also, don’t
make any configuration changes that affect both connections; for example,
don’t remove the Client for Microsoft Networks from either
connection.
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Why am I getting a Found New Hardware message? Do I really need to
reboot?
No, you do not need to reboot your vLab system computers when
you see the Found New Hardware message. The hardware variations between
individual vLab system computer are extremely minor. Your vLab system will
key correctly without rebooting.
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What if I need to restart my vLab system – for example, if I add a
network service, or run a domain controller promotion?
You can restart the system from the computer console or your lab
Web page. The computer will reboot, and while it does, your connection
will be inactive and your browser window will be blank. To reconnect to
the system once it comes back on line, return to the console where you
started the lab and click on the appropriate device link. Be very careful,
however, always to restart the system and never to do a complete shut
down. If the system is shut down completely, there is no way for you to
re-connect to it remotely via the Web.
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Why did my browser window go blank? Why is my connection to the vLab
system computer unavailable?
The remote computer is probably rebooting. You’ll be able to
reconnect once it comes back on line.
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How can I reconnect to a computer once it’s rebooted?
Return to the console page and click on the appropriate device
link.
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My lab was supposed to be ready at a given time, and it’s not. What
gives?
Although the lab load process generally completes within the
scheduled time, at times there will be slight system delays. Your lab will
be available shortly. If your lab loads so slowly that you feel you do not
have time to complete the lab activities, call technical
support.
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Why does it take so long for reboots?
There are various scripts and applets that need to run at boot
time to create the vLab system environment. This might cause a slight
perceived delay in the normal system boot cycle.
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When can I use keyboard shortcuts, and when do I need to use the
mouse?
It is always safe to use the mouse to interact with the remote
vLab system console. In many cases, you can also use keyboard
alternatives, such as pressing [Esc] to select the Cancel button, or
pressing [Enter] to choose OK. However, you want to avoid keystrokes that
might be intercepted by the active application on your local system. For
example, [Alt] = [F4] will close your local browser window, not the open
application on the remote vLab system. If this happens to you, no problem;
just go back to the Console Page and click the appropriate device link to
re-connect. Your system will still be running, exactly the way you left
it.
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What percentage of Microsoft Certified Professional test objectives
are covered in each lab and each lab pack?
Each vLab exercise contains activities that are practically
useful for Windows 2000 system administrators as well as that support test
preparation activities for MCP candidates. However, there is no base
percentage of test objectives covered in each lab or lab pack. Objectives
can range in scope from very minute to very broad, and don’t necessarily
relate directly to a given amount of lab activity. Also, some test
objectives are purely theoretical and do not lend themselves well to the
hands-on vLab system learning model. Before you schedule your
certification test, you should definitely plan to review the entire test
preparation document for your test and perform any necessary individual
study and preparation.
For more information on MCP testing, see the
Microsoft Certification web site at www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/.
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