Extreme Data Center (VOSS/VSP) study plan

Draw from memory the Extreme Data Center two-tier SPB fabric topology (edge and core roles) and label where VOSS runs, how IS-IS adjacencies form, and how I-SIDs map to services.

Explain the difference between VOSS and VSP operating-system terminology and state which platforms and form factors each applies to, writing the comparison as a one-page glossary.

Walk through the VOSS control-plane stack (IS-IS, SPB, L2/L3 forwarding) and describe what each layer installs into the forwarding table.

Define the fabric roles of Backbone Edge Bridge, Backbone Core Bridge, and BEB-to-BEB service reach, and map each to a physical switch in your diagram.

List the ten VOSS CLI command modes and practice moving between them in a lab console until you can navigate without reference.

Install or bring up two VOSS nodes in a lab (physical or virtual) and capture the boot sequence, including what the default configuration contains.

Configure management access: management VLAN/IP, default gateway, SSH, and user authentication, then verify each with a show command.

Perform a configuration save and a reboot, confirming the saved config survives and documenting the exact commands used.

Compare factory-default versus configured running-config to identify which settings are mandatory before fabric formation.

Create a checklist of pre-deployment tasks (licensing, firmware baseline, NTP, syslog, credentials) and validate it against your lab build.

Enable Fabric Connect on both lab nodes and configure the fabric (nickname, system ID, IS-IS) so the two nodes form an adjacency; capture the adjacency state.

Configure Auto-Sense on an edge port and demonstrate automatic I-SID assignment when a device is connected, recording the resulting service.

Explain how Fabric Connect replaces traditional per-VLAN provisioning and describe the role of the SPB backbone in carrying unknown unicast.

Configure a manual Fabric Attach or static I-SID service as a contrast to Auto-Sense, and record the command differences.

Troubleshoot one intentionally broken fabric (wrong nickname, mismatched area) and document the isolation steps that found it.

Trace an end-to-end SPB path across the lab fabric using show isis and show spbm output, identifying the shortest-path tree and the forwarding entries installed.

Explain how SPB uses IS-IS link-state information to build multiple equal-cost paths and how it avoids the need for Spanning Tree blocking.

Configure and verify a multi-area or multi-node fabric extension (add a third node or simulate a core) and confirm service continuity.

Describe the SPB MAC-in-MAC encapsulation and identify the backbone MAC, I-SID, and B-VLAN fields in a captured frame.

Compare SPB with a traditional STP-based L2 design on convergence and loop prevention, and write the trade-off summary.

Map a business requirement (two isolated tenants plus a shared service) to VLAN, I-SID, and B-VLAN assignments and document the mapping table.

Provision the three services on the lab fabric using the CLI, then verify isolation and reachability with ping and show commands.

Configure a VLAN-to-I-SID translation at the edge and explain when translation is required versus transparent mapping.

Demonstrate what happens when two services are assigned the same I-SID, and document the resulting conflict and how to detect it.

Write the rollback steps for removing a service cleanly without disrupting the remaining services, and test the rollback.

Configure IP routing on the fabric, including an anycast or distributed gateway, and verify host reachability across I-SIDs.

Configure a routed uplink from the fabric to an external network and prove end-to-end reachability with a routing protocol or static route.

Explain how VOSS performs Layer 3 over SPB and where routing happens relative to the BEB, and document the forwarding path for one flow.

Configure and verify VRRP or an equivalent first-hop redundancy mechanism on a routed interface.

Troubleshoot a deliberately misconfigured route or missing gateway and record the diagnostic sequence.

Configure redundant fabric links or a redundant core path and demonstrate failover by disabling one link while traffic continues.

Explain how SPB reconverges after a link or node failure and measure or estimate the convergence time in the lab.

Configure and test a high-availability feature such as VRRP or MC-LAG (if supported in your lab) and document the state transitions.

Describe graceful restart or non-stop forwarding behavior on VOSS and identify the commands that show it is enabled.

Write a failure-mode table listing at least five failure scenarios, the expected fabric response, and the verification command for each.

Configure syslog, SNMP, and NTP on the lab fabric and confirm logs and traps are received at a collector.

Use show commands and log analysis to diagnose one simulated fault (I-SID down, adjacency down, or route missing) and document the root cause.

Perform a configuration backup and a firmware or config restore on one node, verifying service recovery.

Build a one-page operational runbook covering daily health checks, backup cadence, and escalation triggers.

Take a timed practice review across all eight domains, scoring each domain and listing the two weakest for further study.