CCNP Collaboration study plan
CCNP Collaboration · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Protocols and Endpoints
Compare SIP, SCCP, MGCP, and H.323 signalling by diagramming their message flows from memory
Build a CUCM publisher/subscriber lab (or sandbox) and register one SIP phone, one SCCP phone, and one third-party SIP endpoint
Capture and annotate a full SIP REGISTER + INVITE + 200 OK + BYE exchange in Wireshark
Configure DHCP option 150, NTP, and DNS so endpoints register without manual server entry
List the media characteristics (codec, payload type, packetization) for G.711, G.722, G.729, and Opus
Your checkpoint
A one-page protocol reference table (ports, transport, purpose, typical use) plus an annotated Wireshark capture of a successful endpoint registration
Call Control
Design a partitions and calling search space hierarchy that separates internal, local PSTN, long distance, and emergency calling
Build route patterns, route lists, and route groups for a two-site dial plan with 4-digit internal dialing
Apply digit manipulation (prefix, discard, transformations) to normalize numbers between sites and the PSTN
Create translation patterns and called-party transformations to support abbreviated dialing and +E.164
Troubleshoot three deliberately broken dial-plan calls using DNA and SDL trace output
Your checkpoint
A documented multi-site dial plan with a call-flow table showing digit strings at each hop, validated by 10 successful test calls including 911 and international
Call Control & Protocols and Endpoints
Configure regions, locations, and media resources (MTP, transcoder, conference bridge, annunciator) and prove when each is invoked
Build a SIP trunk between two clusters and verify URI dialing with SIP normalization and header manipulation
Explain and test early offer versus delayed offer behavior on the SIP trunk
Diagnose call admission control failures by reading location bandwidth errors in traces and RTMT
Your checkpoint
A lab write-up showing five distinct call scenarios (codec mismatch, TRP requirement, URI call, CAC-blocked call, conference escalation) each with the trace evidence that proves the expected behavior
Infrastructure and Design
Sketch a two-site, high-availability CUCM cluster design with redundancy options, sizing, and OVA selection
Document backup/restore, certificate management (tomcat, CallManager, TVS, CAPF), and smart licensing steps
Harden the cluster: secure SIP/SCCP, phone VPN or 802.1X considerations, roles and access control
Produce a design justification for a 2,000-user migration to a centralized cluster with SRST at the branch
Your checkpoint
A 3-5 page design document covering topology, redundancy, sizing, licensing, and certificate plan, defended against three 'what if' failure scenarios
Collaboration Applications
Deploy Unity Connection call handlers, routing rules, and a greeting tree for a sample department
Configure and verify MWI across SIP and SCCP endpoints, including a broken-MWI troubleshooting exercise
Enable Extension Mobility and single number reach for a test user and validate the behavior on two devices
Configure IM&P presence, a chat room, and federation basics, then verify presence states propagate to Jabber
Your checkpoint
A working voicemail + presence + mobility demo with a test matrix of at least 8 user scenarios marked pass/fail and notes for each failure
Collaboration Edge and Services
Diagram Expressway-C and Expressway-E registration, traversal, and firewall port requirements for MRA
Configure MRA so an off-network Jabber client registers and makes an internal call
Explain B2B calling and DNS SRV/zone configuration needed for business-to-business video
Describe CMS/conferencing placement and sizing considerations versus hosted conferencing
Your checkpoint
A port-and-protocol matrix for the collaboration edge plus a configured or fully specified MRA design that passes a peer review checklist
Collaboration Edge and Services & Infrastructure and Design
Configure LDAP directory synchronization and test user import, then document what does and does not sync
Enable SSO or certificate-based authentication and verify login behavior across CUCM, Unity Connection, and IM&P
Set up CDR/AMR data collection and pull a call-detail report for five test calls
Re-drill the two domains with the lowest practice-question scores and log each missed concept with a corrective action
Your checkpoint
A remediation log listing every missed objective from the previous six weeks with a verified fix, plus one passing report or config proof per week-7 goal
Infrastructure and Design & Protocols and Endpoints & Call Control & Collaboration Applications & Collaboration Edge and Services
Complete two timed 90-question mixed practice exams and review every wrong answer to root cause
Re-run the full lab topology from scratch in under 90 minutes without notes
Compress all five domains into a single-page cheat sheet of commands, ports, and decision points
Identify any remaining weak area and close it with a focused 2-hour drill before exam day
Your checkpoint
Two practice exam scores of 85% or higher plus a one-page personal cheat sheet and a clean lab rebuild completed within the time limit
Milestones
Week 2: Register 3 endpoint types and place a successful internal, local, long-distance, and emergency call through the designed dial plan; score 80%+ on a 30-question self-quiz on domains 2 and 3
Week 4: Pass a 60-question mixed assessment covering domains 1, 2, and 3 at 75% or higher, and complete a peer-reviewable cluster design document
Week 6: Demonstrate an off-network Jabber client registering through Expressway and calling an internal extension, and score 80%+ on a 40-question domain 4 and 5 quiz
Week 8: Score 85%+ on two timed 90-question mixed practice exams and rebuild the full lab topology from scratch within 90 minutes