Nicholas (Nick) Russo, CCDE™ #20160041 and CCIE™ #42518, holds active CCIE certifications in both Routing and Switching and Service Provider. Nick was among the first individuals to pass the CCIE Service Provider version 4 lab examination and this book represents his personal journey towards that end. Nick also holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science, and a minor in International Relations, from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Nick lives in Maryland, USA with his wife, Carla, and daughter, Olivia.