Here is a quick template to setup a Cisco Nexus 56128 or any other switch in the 5600 series. These are solid 40G switches that offer a ton of features. Fabricpath is used in this template for switch to switch communication. These are also setup as a “Leaf” switch in a spine/leaf two tier design. These are running Nexus 7.0.X code. For reference here is the spine configuration: Spine template

This is kind of general holding place for commands that I run into and need to keep track of in Linux. I mainly play with Ubuntu and Kali but these should work with almost any distro. If you run a ssh server on the internet, you want to minimize the risk of brute forcing. Its best to not allow root logins via anywhere, so that removes the easy job of guessing a username.

The configuration can vary depending on the type of switch you are using, so this is for the Nexus 5600 series, tested on the 56128. Unified ports on this device are available on the modules you can install in the top two slots, they are 24 ports each unified. So you can have a total of 48 ports. The border is orange so you know they are different. By default they are Ethernet 10 gig ports, so if that’s what you want then you don’t need to change anything.

VPC: Virtual Port Channel - this is a port channel that instead of connecting multiple ports only on one switch, you are spreading it over two physical switches. This give more redundancy in most cases. it can be a bit tricky to setup, so here is a config that I have used which seem to work great. The keep alive is done with the management port, and the peer-link is a leaf to leaf (in a fabricpath network) or switch to switch direct link.

Here is a quick template to setup a Cisco Nexus 6004 or 6001 (recently renamed to the 5600 series, so now the 5696). These are solid 40G switches that offer a ton of features. Fabricpath is used in this template for switch to switch communication. These are also setup as a “Spine” switch in a spine/leaf two tier design. This code was created on 7.0.x NX-OS. !!!MGMT port config interface mgmt0 vrf member management ip address x.

This is a great story I see on the net, wanted to re-post it. Sums up quite a bit about life! A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. “Not very long,” answered the Mexican. “But then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the American.

This article deals with the wealth of information out there, and how to make sure yours is accurate. There are a few things I do to keep tabs on myself. The online world has an excellent memory. Your most likely have done it; Google yourself! Type your name with quotes “a name” and see what comes up. Try all the different variants of your name. Use a different search engine too, they all have different results.

There is a decently easy way to make your online accounts more secure (as in logging into them). Its still up to the site owners to keep your data safe, but thats another day. The method is called 2-factor authentication. A username and password is the first part, and a randomly generated code is the second part. So if someone gets ahold of your password, the random code will stop them from logging in (unless of course they steal the device giving you the codes as well, but we can only do so much).

So the jury is still out on Bitcoin, but I really like the idea of a virtual currency. Its value has been swinging quite a bit the last few years, but people who were in on the front-end have been rewarded. If you have some extra cash, and don’t mind a little volatility, then why not get some BC? It could be an investment if you have a high risk tolerance.