Cisco 400-007 - Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE v3.1)

In OSPF, a ring topology typically converges more slowly because:

Link failures can create longer SPF recalculations as alternate paths are fewer.

Only one alternate path usually exists for each link failure, extending the time needed for failure detection and SPF recalculation.

CCDE v3.1 stresses that designs like full mesh or triangulated topologies provide faster convergence due to multiple available alternate paths, which reduce SPF computation complexity.

Why other options are incorrect:

A, D, E: These topologies provide multiple paths.

B: Full mesh offers immediate redundancy for any failure.

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C (Both modes use control packets):Regardless of whether echo packets are used, BFD asynchronous mode always relies on periodic transmission of control packets to verify session liveliness.

E (Echo mode uses separate packets):When echo is enabled, the echo packets are transmitted in addition to control packets, providing even faster failure detection by relying on data plane processing.

Other options explained:

A: Control and echo packets are never combined into a single packet.

B: Both modes always use control packets; echo packets are optional.

D: BFD echo packets are locally looped, not reflected back from the remote device.

A: The overload bit (OL bit) signals other routers to avoid using the overloaded router as a transit path for Level 2 traffic. However, the overloaded router can still forward Level 1 local area traffic if applicable.

D: The overload bit is commonly used during router bootup to prevent temporary black holes while the router completes its routing protocol convergence and LSDB synchronization.

Why other options are incorrect:

B: CSNP prioritization is not related to overload bit functionality.

C: LSDB synchronization occurs through normal IS-IS mechanisms; overload bit is not involved.

E: The overload bit prevents transit usage, not attracts traffic.

PortFast is a feature that allows access ports to enter the STP forwarding state immediately, without waiting for the usual listening and learning states. This accelerates the connection of end devices like PCs or servers.

A key design benefit is that PortFastdoes not trigger topology changeswhen devices are plugged in or disconnected. This prevents unnecessary STP recalculations and protects core stability.

Correct Statement (A):STP does not consider link transitions on PortFast-enabled ports as topology changes, reducing control-plane overhead.

Other options misrepresent the function of PortFast:

B:PortFast does not disable STP; it bypasses specific STP states.

C/D/E/F:These describe other features like Loop Guard or UDLD, not PortFast.

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B (Strong cryptography for cardholder data):PCI DSS requires strong cryptographic protocols (e.g. TLS 1.2 or higher) to protect sensitive data during processing and storage.

C (Strong encryption for transmission):Data-in-transit across public or untrusted networks must be encrypted using strong protocols to comply with PCI DSS.

Other options explained:

A/D/E: These are general security best practices but not directly tied to TLS upgrade compliance for cardholder data under PCI DSS.

B (Encrypt data when it is at rest and in motion): In hybrid cloud deployments, encryption is one of the most critical mechanisms to protect sensitive enterprise data both during storage (at rest) and while being transmitted (in motion). This ensures confidentiality and integrity across both private and public cloud environments.

Other options explained:

A: Using standard protocols is a general best practice but insufficient without encryption.

C: Communication of risks is part of compliance but does not enforce technical security.

D: Using standard protocols without encryption exposes data to risks.

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Zero Trust principles cover multiple domains:

A (Workload): Securing application workloads regardless of location.

C (Workplace): Securing user access to services across office, remote, or hybrid work models.

Zero Trust design ensures authentication, authorization, and policy enforcement at every access point for both users and applications.

Why other options are incorrect:

B, D, E: These terms are not recognized Zero Trust domains in CCDE or industry frameworks.

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To split an Ethernet domain and ensure isolation of configuration and topology changes, the key mechanism is separating the VLAN management domains. This is achieved through:

VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol) domain separation

Each VTP domain controls its own set of VLAN information and will not propagate VLAN changes across domain boundaries. By assigning unique VTP domain names to each half of the network, administrators prevent unintended synchronization of VLANs between switches.

Other options:

B. VTP password: Adds security but does not separate domains.

C. STP type: All switches in the domain can run the same or different STP versions and still be part of the same Ethernet domain.

D. VLAN ID: These can overlap across domains; uniqueness is not required to split domains.

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Ansible is an open-source automation tool that enables configuration management, application deployment, cloud provisioning, and orchestration.

It uses simple YAML-based playbooks and SSH-based connectivity, making it agentless, highly scalable, and easy to integrate with networking environments.

Commonly adopted in network automation, cloud infrastructure provisioning, and service orchestration as part of modern network design practices covered under CCDE v3.1.

Why other options are incorrect:

B (Contrail): Network virtualization platform, not primarily an automation tool.

C (Java): General-purpose programming language, not specifically designed for infrastructure automation.

D (Jinja2): Templating engine, used inside Ansible but not an automation tool by itself.

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B (Segment Routing): Allows traffic engineering and micro-segmentation across networks by steering traffic based on policies and labels.

D (Firewalls): Provide Layer 4-7 segmentation and security enforcement between segments.

Why other options are incorrect:

A: Policy-based routing influences forwarding, but is not a segmentation technology.

C: Data plane markings support QoS but do not create segmentation boundaries.

E: Filter lists are used in routing policy, not for full network segmentation.

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