IT Certification and Career Paths

The 642-785 Maintaining Cisco Service Provider Quality of Service (MSPQS) exam is the exam associated with the CCNP SP Operations certification. This exam tests a candidate's knowledge of QoS mechanisms to support Service Provider networking environments, including how they are monitored, implemented, and troubleshot using both Cisco IOS and IOS XR operating systems. Furthermore, it assesses a candidate's ability to manage performance and capacity based on QoS statistics gathered from a SP IP NGN environment.Candidates can prepare for this exam by taking the MSPQS Maintaining Cisco Service Provider Quality of Service course.

Exam Topics

The following information provides general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam. In order to better reflect the contents of the exam and for clarity purposes the guidelines below may change at any time without notice.

Describe QoS fundamentals

• Describe fundamental QoS technology
• Describe QoS traffic classifications
• Describe MQC in IOS and IOS XR
• Configure and interpret Cisco IOS Software legacy QoS mechanisms
• Describe QOS for MPLS VPNS for end-to-end service
• Describe the IOS QoS mechanisms
• Explain QoS issues which are unique to service providers
• Describe QoS issues resulting from implementing of oversubscription

Manage performance and capacity based on QoS statistics in an IP NGN network operating center (NOC) environment

• Use industry standard network management to monitor and diagnose QoS
• Issue standard CLI commands in Cisco IOS and Cisco IOS XR Software for monitoring QoS operations
• Use IP SLA to monitor traffic performance and diagnose QoS
• Use Netflow to monitor traffic performance
• Analyze statistics based on traffic classes and patterns
• Given a QoS policy ticket that accurately defines an issue, describe the adverse effects that might result from a fix
• Given a QoS policy change that has created an adverse effect, provide a potential solution

Troubleshoot QoS in an IP NOC environment

• Describe the state of QoS on the router or interfaces using statistical data gathered from MIBs and from various IOS commands
• Describe the effects on the network traffic based on given IOS QoS configurations
• Perform and interpret packet capture to address a customer issue
• Given a particular customer complaint, describe the actual QoS problem
• Given a QoS problem, produce a recommended policy change and change order to fix the problem
• Recognize typical QoS issues for different provider edge-customer edge (PE-CE) connection types
• Recognize typical end-to-end QoS MPLS VPN issues

The following course is the recommended training for this exam.

• Maintaining Cisco Service Provider Quality of Service (MSPQS)

Courses listed are offered by Cisco Learning Partners-the only authorized source for Cisco IT training delivered exclusively by Certified Cisco Instructors. Check the List of Learning Partners for a Cisco Learning Partner nearest you

A variety of Cisco Press titles may be available for this exam. These titles can be purchased through the Cisco Marketplace Bookstore, directly from Cisco Press.