Nokia SRA Composite study plan

Nokia SRA Composite · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Fixed networks

Map the fixed-access architecture chain from optical line terminal to subscriber premises equipment, labeling each interface and its function.
Explain GPON and XGS-PON downstream and upstream framing, split ratios, and power-budget trade-offs in your own words.
Differentiate DSL variants (VDSL2, G.fast) by frequency band, loop length, and achievable rate.
Describe how wholesale access and bitstream products are handed off between operator and retail provider.

A one-page labeled fixed-access topology diagram plus a 300-word written comparison of PON versus copper access trade-offs.

Week 2

Trace how a residential service is provisioned end-to-end across access, aggregation, and edge layers.
Identify where QoS marking, shaping, and policing occur along the fixed-access path.
Explain the role of BNG/BRAS session handling and subscriber authentication in fixed broadband.
Connect access-node uplinks to their transport-layer protection and capacity assumptions.

A provisioning walkthrough document with 10 numbered steps, each naming the node, protocol, and failure point.

Week 3

Compare 4G EPC and 5G core functional splits, naming the key network functions in each.
Describe the 5G RAN split options (CU/DU, RRC/PDCP/RLC/MAC/PHY placement) and the transport needs each creates.
Explain network slicing from UE registration through slice selection and QoS enforcement.
Outline mobility and session-continuity procedures for idle and connected-mode UEs.

A side-by-side 4G versus 5G architecture table covering at least 8 network functions and their roles.

Week 4

Calculate required backhaul and midhaul capacity for a given cell configuration and busy-hour load.
Explain synchronization requirements (frequency and phase) for TDD and carrier aggregation, and how they are delivered.
Describe fronthaul transport options and their latency and jitter budgets.
Map RAN transport failure scenarios to their user-visible service impact.

A capacity and synchronization worksheet for one sample site, showing the arithmetic and the resulting transport recommendation.

Week 5

Explain OTN framing (ODU, OTU), multiplexing hierarchy, and where grooming happens.
Compare SDH/SONET protection schemes with OTN and packet-layer protection switching.
Describe carrier Ethernet service types (E-Line, E-LAN, E-Tree) and their OAM functions.
Trace a protected path failover and state which layer detects and repairs the fault first.

A fault-recovery timeline for three injected failures, showing detection layer, protection mechanism, and estimated outage.

Week 6

Compare DWDM fixed-grid and flex-grid channel spacing, and explain ROADM add/drop and degree architecture.
Explain optical link budgeting: launch power, span loss, amplifier gain, OSNR, and dispersion limits.
Describe IP/MPLS forwarding, label distribution, and traffic engineering tunnels versus plain IGP routing.
Explain segment routing concepts and how they simplify MPLS control-plane state.
Map how IP underlay and optical layer interact for restoration and capacity planning.

A worked optical link budget plus a 250-word explanation of IP-over-optical restoration interaction.

Week 7

Differentiate perimeter, segmentation, and zero-trust approaches for telecom networks.
Explain subscriber and control-plane security threats in mobile and fixed networks and their mitigations.
Describe automation building blocks: model-driven interfaces, telemetry streaming, and closed-loop control.
Outline intent-based configuration and how validation and rollback are enforced.

A threat-to-control matrix listing 8 threats, the affected domain, and the specific mitigation for each.

Week 8

Re-derive the key formulas and reference values for each domain from memory and check against notes.
Resolve every flagged weak area from earlier weeks, marking each as closed or still open.
Work through integrated cross-domain scenarios that combine access, transport, IP/optical, and security.
Build a one-page summary sheet of the 20 facts you are most likely to misremember.

A timed 60-question mixed-domain self-test with a scored review identifying remaining gaps.

Week 2: Can explain the full fixed-broadband path from PON to BNG without notes, naming each protocol at each hop.

Week 4: Can compute backhaul capacity and phase-sync needs for a sample cell site and justify the transport choice.

Week 6: Can complete an optical link budget and explain OSNR limits and protection interaction unaided.

Week 8: Scores at least 80 percent on the mixed-domain self-test with no domain below 70 percent.