Cisco CCIE Service Provider Written Exam: Point-to-Multipoint TE Restrictions

Point-to-Multipoint TE Restrictions

Question

A service provider is using point-to-multipoint TE to forward MPLS traffic from one source to multiple destinations.

What is a restriction of using the method?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

B.

References:

Sure, I'd be happy to help!

First, let me provide a brief explanation of the technologies mentioned in the question.

MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) is a protocol used in high-performance telecommunications networks to forward packets between network nodes. It is a flexible and scalable protocol that can be used in a variety of network architectures.

TE (Traffic Engineering) is a method used to optimize network performance by controlling the flow of traffic through the network. It involves the use of specific algorithms and protocols to determine the most efficient paths for traffic to take through the network.

Point-to-multipoint TE is a specific type of traffic engineering that is used to forward traffic from one source to multiple destinations. It involves the use of a single Label Switched Path (LSP) to carry traffic from the source to all of the destinations.

Now, let's look at the restrictions associated with using point-to-multipoint TE to forward MPLS traffic from one source to multiple destinations, as outlined in the answers:

A. Only node protection is supported on point-to-multipoint TE LSPs. This answer is referring to the fact that point-to-multipoint TE LSPs can only provide protection against node failures (i.e., failures of a specific router in the network). They do not provide protection against link failures or other types of failures. This is a limitation of the technology, but it may not be a significant concern in all network architectures.

B. Point-to-multipoint TE does not support policy-based routing. Policy-based routing is a method used to control the flow of traffic through a network by applying specific policies to different types of traffic. Point-to-multipoint TE does not support policy-based routing, which means that all traffic forwarded through the LSP will follow the same path. This may be a limitation in some network architectures where policy-based routing is necessary.

C. Multicast traffic must be implemented using PIM sparse mode. PIM (Protocol Independent Multicast) is a protocol used to support multicast traffic in a network. Sparse mode is a specific type of PIM that is used to minimize the amount of multicast traffic forwarded through the network. When using point-to-multipoint TE to forward MPLS traffic, multicast traffic must be implemented using PIM sparse mode. This may be a limitation in some network architectures where other types of multicast traffic are used.

D. Destinations must be manually added and removed on the TE tail-end router. When using point-to-multipoint TE to forward MPLS traffic, the destinations must be manually added and removed on the tail-end router (i.e., the router that is closest to the destinations). This can be a time-consuming process, especially in large networks with many destinations.

In summary, the restrictions associated with using point-to-multipoint TE to forward MPLS traffic from one source to multiple destinations include limitations on protection against failures, lack of support for policy-based routing, requirements for PIM sparse mode for multicast traffic, and the need for manual management of destinations on the tail-end router. These restrictions may be significant in some network architectures, so it is important to carefully consider the pros and cons of using point-to-multipoint TE in each specific case.