Designing Cisco Network Service Architectures (ARCH) Foundation Learning Guide: (CCDP ARCH 642-874) 3rd Edition

I must say this book was a good surprise and i found it to be an easy read while providing a great wealth of information on a wide array of Cisco tech. I think it will prove to provide a good reference on network designs well into the future and it seems sufficient as a study reference for all the design specific questions on the ARCH exam.

Used this as my primary study material for the 642-874 ARCH exam, passed on first attempt.Also a good reference book for some technologies, hardware platforms & recommended practices. Overall well written, definitely recommended.

This book is better than the CCNA version ( http://www.amazon.com/CCDA-640-864-Official-Guide-Edition/dp/1587142570/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400617986&sr=8-1&keywords=ccda )which thought nothing at all except for introductory topics into the technology. This book goes further. I liked the Layer 3 chapter for scalability, the WAN chapter for different topology considerations, the Campus Design chapter. The other chapters were good also, but overly focused on 6500 and Nexus. The security chapter, though very good, focused almost on 6500 FWSM. I did like the intro to different NAC and IPS topologies though.There are typos in this book. Over 30 of them, but you should easily be able to identify them, so they shouldn't hurt your study. Some of the other reviewers were correct that this book glosses over technology. For the CCNA level, that is understandable, but we're learning to be professionals here. If you have already taken the CCNP Route from the official book, this book is much more watered down than that one. Seems to be the best book to choose from though at the moment. I will probably test in another 3 weeks (move my date up). First I will reread all highlighted sections I've made and do some practice exams.If you haven't heard of this book, please check out Top-Down Network Design. It doesn't go over much of Cisco tech (6500, Nexus, exc...), but it teaches you about the aspects and steps of a quality design built around a client's specific needs and future expansion. It is a must read if going for CCNP along with a book like this one. I just wish they focused more on ASA/3750/4500 than Nexus/6500. You could say it's because it is Professional focused, but then there is the lack of depth which doesn't make sense.One thing it will do is make it to where you have great references for down the road. Then you will just need to study up on the specific implementation guidelines to fill in the gaps.Conclusion:All in all, this book's depth is in-between the CCDA and the CCNP route. I would use it again for certifying as I will be done with it in 2 days or so (1.5 chapters left). It has opened my eyes to many things, and glossed over a few in the process. Typos aren't that bad. It's review questions are lacking per chapter (usually around 6-10 per chapter).

Great tool for your CCDP.

As advertised

Truly an excellent book. I highly recommend it to anybody trying to gain insight into network architectural issues.

If you are looking learn about design or achieve your ARCH certification, this is the way! Easy to understand and learn.

The book is okay. It doesn't do a very good job in teaching the technology. The authors frequently use acronyms without even first explaining what the acronym stands for. I find myself having to search Google on top of reading this book. The book offers many different designs for the same scenario. It would have been nice if the authors had a (do's and don't section) instead of just going on and on about a particular subject. The book is very wordy and when a technology can be described in maybe one paragraph this book over elaborates and injects extra unnecessary wording that doesn't help to teach the concept.Also the diagrams in the book are not very descriptive, and I find myself trying to decipher the diagrams which takes too much time. I'd rather have everything presented in a clear and concise fashion and broken down into simpler terms. This is not my first Cisco press book, and it's definitely not the best. Its very wordy and extremely boring to read.