None Scheduled Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of the 7-layer OSI model You will need: N/A
	Note: If there are no scheduled dates or if they are unsuitable for you please contact us to discuss further options. Contact

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Duration: 3 days

Audience: Networking professionals wanting to enhance their protocol analysis techniques.

This course focuses on the application of protocol analysis tools to specific troubleshooting methods and proactive network performance assessment. Students are taught how to apply, use and interpret the results from their analyser tool. In addition, a focus on fundamental Ethernet and IP engineering provides the necessary base of knowledge to participate in the WP-103 "TCP/IP Protocol Analysis" class. Anyone with general networking experience needing to enhance network management skills will benefit from this class.

Certification: WP-101 is a course which can help you prepare for the AA Tech Certificate, the first level of NAX certification.

T.E.N. Video Workshop: WP-101 is complemented by Session 1, Module 2, "Protocol Analysis Methodology," Session 1, Module 3, "Number Base Conversion," and Session 2, Module 1, "Ethernet Frame Formats."

Day 1

Introduction

Course organisation
The protocol analysis methodology
Statistical monitoring vs. expert analysis vs. packet analysis
The troubleshooting method we will use
Pre-Capture Configuration
Choosing where to plug in the analyser
How switches affect protocol analysis
Setting analyser options before capture

Activity:
Identify key analyser attachment locations
Initial Assessment of the Network Methodology
Guidelines for assessment of common statistics
Fundamental technique: look for the unexpected
Walk-through example of analysing common statistics

Activity:
Analyse common statistics in a captured example
Draw conclusions about the captured example based on the analysis
analysing Node and Protocol Statistics
Main uses for node and protocol statistics
Layer 2 vs. Layer 3 addresses
How interconnect devices affect addressing
Analysis of User vs. Background traffic
Using Select Related to quickly filter
Naming stations with the Name Table

Activity:
Configure the name table for future use
Analyse background and foreground traffic
Identify incorrect MAC addresses on a network

Day 2:

Expert Analysis Methodology

Two expert troubleshooting methods
Viewing problem reports in the expert system:
All problems in the trace
All problems associated with a particular conversation
All problems, by type of problem
Finding which conversations had the most problems
analysing Latency and Throughput with the expert system

Activity:
Use the expert system to determine what goes wrong when two disparate networks are joined by a VPN
Configuring the expert for optimal performance

Activity:
Practice customising expert settings based on a hypothetical network
Troubleshooting with the Peer Map

Activity: Use the Peer Map and other functions of the analyser to determine whether it's safe to take down a secondary frame relay link.
Conversation Analysis Methodology
Characteristics and analysis of 3 different Application Architectures
Examples of specific problems encountered in each architecture
Building a mental picture of the conversation
analysing application response time: network latency vs. processing delay
Setting the analyser's display options based on the type of problem being investigated

Activity:
Troubleshoot a slow FTP conversation
Analysis of Protocol Decodes
Interpreting and understanding how decodes are presented in a protocol analyser
Specific fields to look for and their meaning
Navigating quickly through a trace file

Activity:
Analyse the headers of a TFTP conversation, focusing on the implications of the sequence numbering and checksums

Activity:
Analyse the IP Time To Live field

Day 3:

Advanced Filtering Methodology

Definition of filters and filtering
Types of filters: Pre-capture and Post-capture
When to use each type of filter
When to use filters vs. Select Related
recognising the four Ethernet frame formats
Filtering based on Ethernet frame format
Creating filters
Applying filters both pre-capture and post-capture

Activity:
Use filters to isolate different occurrences of a protocol on the network
Assess the implications of the different occurrences of the protocol
Create an advanced filter to catch frames that may be involved in a routing loop
Tracking Packet Flow
Drawing a picture of the conversation using just the information in the trace
Walk-through example of the method

Activity:
Draw a picture of the network traffic in order to determine why a user can't access a web site
Baselining and Benchmarking
Baseline measurement
Benchmark measurement
Practical application of benchmark numbers
Benchmarking with the expert system
Creating custom graphs in the analyser
Printing and exporting graphs, packets and statistics

Activity:
Assess the amount and appropriateness of HTTP traffic on the network
Applying Active Testing Methods
Application of active network test tools such as Ping and Traceroute
Traffic generation

Activity:
Review of active network test tools
Unattended analyser Operations
Unattended analysis methods
The Log
Triggers
Alarms
Actions
Defining a trigger
Creating an alarm
Configuring analysis modules

Activity:
Create an alarm and use it to determine whether the amount of traffic on the network is acceptable.

Activity:
Create a trigger that detects packets that might be involved in a routing loop.