Topics

Complete Networking Learning Path

Quick Navigation: Fundamentals | Network Virtualization | Routing | BGP EVPN | Enterprise

📚 Complete Networking Fundamentals

• Basic Networking Terms
• OSI and TCP/IP Model
• Binary and Hexadecimal
• IP Addressing
  • IPv4 Addressing History and Classes
  • Special Addresses
  • IPv4 Subnetting
• TCP/UDP Transport Layer Protocol
• Enterprise & Campus LAN Switching
  • Enterprise & Campus LAN Switching Overview
  • Media Access Control address (MAC address)
  • Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN)
  • VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP)
  • Port Aggregation With Etherchannels
• Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) - Complete 4-Part Series
  • STP Fundamentals
    Root bridge election, BPDU operations, port roles, and basic optimization
  • STP Variants & Advanced Operations
    PVST+, RPVST+, MSTP protocols with load balancing strategies
  • STP Security & Protection Features
    BPDU Guard, Root Guard, Loop Guard with hands-on attack labs
  • STP Troubleshooting & Real-World Labs
    Performance optimization, debugging, and enterprise deployment
• First Hop Redundancy Protocol (FHRP)
  • FHRP - Gateway Redundancy Overview
  • HSRP (Hot Standby Routing Protocol)
  • VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol) - Coming Soon
  • GLBP (Gateway Load Balancing Protocol) - Coming Soon
• Multicast
  • Introduction to Multicast
  • Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP)
• DNS (Domain Name System)
  • Introduction to DNS
  • Domain Name Space
  • Domain Name Resolution
  • Domain Name Registration
  • DNS Data Storage
  • DNS Protocol Analysis
  • DNS Security

🌐 Network Virtualization & Overlay Fundamentals

🎯 New Complete Series - Essential for BGP EVPN Understanding
Master these concepts before diving into BGP EVPN technology

1. Network Virtualization and Overlay Networking Fundamentals
   Evolution, tunneling concepts, and underlay requirements
2. VXLAN Overlay Network Topologies Guide
   Network vs Host vs Hybrid architectures
3. Location and Identity Separation: Foundation for BGP EVPN
   Core overlay networking concept and control plane necessity
4. Multi-Tenant VXLAN Networks: VNI-Based Isolation
   Enhanced with postal address analogy for tenant isolation concepts
5. VXLAN Overlay Forwarding Mechanics and Benefits
   Complete guide with overlay networking advantages and L2/L3 comparison
6. VXLAN Tunneling Challenges and Solutions
   Enterprise implementation: Load balancing, MTU, visibility, and operational best practices

Traditional VXLAN Content:

• VXLAN Overview (Traditional Approach)

🛣️ Dynamic Routing Protocol

• Interior Gateway Protocol
  • Distance Vector Routing Protocols
    • RIP - Coming Soon
    • Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) - Coming Soon
  • Link State Routing Protocols
    • Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)
    • Intermediate-System to Intermediate-System (ISIS) - Coming Soon
• Exterior Gateway Protocol
  • Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)

🚀 BGP EVPN Fabric

📚 Prerequisites: Complete the Network Virtualization series above for full understanding

BGP EVPN Foundation Series

• Why BGP EVPN Became the Industry Standard: Complete Network Evolution Guide
  The comprehensive story of networking evolution
• From VPLS Flooding to BGP EVPN Optimization: The Layer 2 VPN Revolution
  Technical comparison showing BGP EVPN advantages

BGP EVPN Technical Implementation

1. VXLAN Introduction and BGP EVPN Necessity
   Why VXLAN was needed, host vs network overlays, and BGP control plane requirements
2. BGP EVPN Building Blocks: Route Distinguishers and Route Targets
   Master RD/RT concepts with intuitive school classroom analogies
3. VXLAN Packet Structure and Encapsulation Deep Dive
   Complete packet analysis, headers, VNI fields, and UDP load balancing innovation
4. Traditional Ethernet vs VXLAN Forwarding
   Revolutionary comparison: flood-and-learn vs BGP EVPN control plane
5. BGP EVPN Route Types Overview
   Complete guide to Route Types 1-5: functions, interactions, and implementation strategies
6. BUM Traffic Handling in BGP EVPN Networks
   Ingress replication, multicast underlay, and ARP suppression approaches with practical examples
7. BGP EVPN Multihoming: Complete Guide to High Availability and Load Balancing in VXLAN Networks
   Comprehensive multihoming implementation: redundancy modes, ESI configuration, DF election, BUM traffic handling, MAC mobility, and fast convergence mechanisms
8. EVPN Routing Design Considerations: Asymmetric vs Symmetric Architecture Decision Guide
   Comprehensive design framework for choosing between asymmetric and symmetric routing: scalability analysis, multi-tenancy considerations, operational simplicity comparison, and vendor-agnostic decision matrix
9. EVPN Routing Deep Dive: Advanced Technical Analysis of Asymmetric vs Symmetric Architectures
   Advanced packet-level analysis of EVPN routing mechanics: bridging vs routing fundamentals, MAC address requirements, L3 VNI architecture, control plane efficiency, and performance vs scalability trade-offs
10. EVPN Underlay Configuration Guide
    Comprehensive practical configuration guide covering IGP-based and BGP-based underlay options: OSPF fundamentals, multicast underlay for BUM traffic, IBGP implementation, EBGP two-AS and multi-AS designs, critical considerations for AS path handling, next-hop preservation, route target filtering, complete configuration examples, and deployment best practices
11. BGP EVPN Hands-On Configuration
    Complete practical implementation guide: underlay foundation setup, ingress replication configuration, Layer 2 overlay with EVI instances, BGP Route Type analysis, Layer 3 overlay with symmetric routing, VRF configuration, distributed anycast gateway, L3 VNI implementation, advanced verification commands, troubleshooting techniques, and complete configuration templates for production deployment

🔒 Network Security

• VPN Overview
• IPsec Framework
• IPsec Protocol
• Introduction to DMVPN

🏷️ Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS)

• MPLS Introduction
• MPLS Architecture
• MPLS Data and Control Plane
• MPLS Label and its Exchange Protocol
• MPLS L3VPN Control and Data Plane

🏢 Enterprise Technologies

Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI)

• Cisco ACI Overview
• Cisco ACI Fabric Initialization
• Cisco ACI Fabric Access Policies(Physical Construct)
• Cisco ACI Tenants (Logical Construct)

Cisco Identity Service Engine (ISE)

• Cisco ISE Overview
• Cisco ISE Certificate and Licensing Overview and Installation
• Extensible Authentication Protocol(EAP)
• Cisco ISE Secured Wired Access
• Server Dead Scenario in Cisco ISE
• Machine Authentication and User Authentication

Wireless LAN (WLAN)

• Wireless LAN – Standard -Architecture

Cisco Software-Defined WAN (SDWAN)

• Introduction to SDWAN
• Cisco SDWAN Architecture Components and its Terminology
• Cisco SDWAN Deployment
• Cisco SDWAN Secure Control Plane
• Overlay Management Protocol (OMP)
• Cisco SDWAN Secure Data Plane
• Cisco SDWAN Orchestration Plane
• Cisco SDWAN Management Plane
• Firewall Port Considerations for Cisco SDWAN

☁️ Cloud & Modern Technologies

Amazon Web Services Cloud (AWS)

• Cloud Computing Overview
• AWS Cloud Overview
• Identity and Access Management Concept
• IAM - Identity and Access Management for AWS
• Amazon EC2 Instance

Docker and Kubernetes

• Introduction to Docker
• Kubernetes Fundamentals - Coming Soon

DevOps & Security Tools

• HashiCorp Vault Fundamentals
  Complete secrets management guide: installation, development mode, CLI/UI/API interactions
• HashiCorp Vault Authentication Methods
  Complete implementation guide: userpass, AppRole, external integrations (LDAP, AWS, GitHub), configuration examples
• HashiCorp Vault Policies - Complete Access Control Guide
  HCL syntax, path wildcards, capabilities (CRUD, list, sudo, deny), policy assignment methods, real-world scenarios
• HashiCorp Vault Token Management
  Service vs batch tokens, TTL management, token hierarchy, root tokens, periodic tokens, accessor patterns, hands-on implementation
• HashiCorp Vault Secrets Engines
  Static vs dynamic secrets, KV versioning, Transit encryption, Consul integration, response wrapping, complete hands-on labs
• HashiCorp Vault Leases
  Lifecycle management, renewal strategies, revocation patterns, TTL inheritance, prefix operations, AWS and Consul use cases

🎯 Recommended Learning Path

Beginner: Start with Networking Fundamentals

Intermediate: Dynamic Routing Protocols & Enterprise Technologies

Advanced: Network Virtualization Series → BGP EVPN

Expert: Cloud & Modern Technologies

📚 RJS Cloud Academy - Comprehensive Networking Education
🔗 www.rjscloudacademy.com