Cisco IOS XR - Important Information

 

Cisco IOS XR Q&A Summary

Question 1

How many line card slots does the Cisco 8812 router have, including RP slots, and how many RU of space does it occupy?

Correct Answer: The Cisco 8812 router has 12 slots in total (including RP slots) and occupies 21 RU of space.

Explanation: The Cisco 8812 is a modular router with 12 slots for line cards and route processors. It is designed for high-performance networking and occupies 21 rack units (RU) in a standard equipment rack.

Question 2

Which two general types of deployment exist for the Cisco IOS XRd router? (Choose two.)

Options:

·       - Cisco IOS XRd Router

·       - Cisco IOS XRd Control Plane

·       - Cisco IOS XRd PCE

·       - Cisco IOS XRd Route Reflector

·       - Cisco IOS XRd vRouter

Correct Answers: Cisco IOS XRd Control Plane, Cisco IOS XRd vRouter

Explanation: Cisco IOS XRd supports two main deployment models: Control Plane (for route reflector and PCE use cases) and vRouter (includes control plane and virtual forwarder for full routing and forwarding capabilities).

Question 3

Into which three planes is Cisco IOS XR Software partitioned? (Choose three.)

Options:

·       - Control

·       - Admin

·       - Process

·       - Data

·       - Management

Correct Answers: Control, Data, Management

Explanation: Cisco IOS XR is partitioned into Control Plane (routing protocols), Data Plane (packet forwarding), and Management Plane (configuration and monitoring).

Question 4

Which three of the following user groups are typically predefined in Cisco IOS XR? (Choose three.)

Options:

·       - root-system

·       - root-lr

·       - admins

·       - cisco-support

·       - configurator

Correct Answers: root-system, root-lr, cisco-support

Explanation: Predefined user groups in IOS XR include root-system (full admin), root-lr (local route control), and cisco-support (diagnostics).

Question 5

Which command allows you to check Task permissions assigned to the user that is currently logged in?

Options:

·       - show users

·       - show tasks

·       - show user tasks

·       - show permissions

Correct Answer: show user tasks

Explanation: The 'show user tasks' command displays task permissions for the current user in IOS XR.

Question 6

Which command displays the difference between target and running configuration?

Options:

·       - show configuration

·       - show configuration running-config

·       - show configuration commit changes

·       - show configuration changes

Correct Answer: show configuration changes

Explanation: This command shows the differences between the target configuration and the running configuration in IOS XR.

Question 7

What routing protocol session is required between two PEs to exchange VPNv4 routes?

Options:

·       - external BGP

·       - OSPF

·       - IS-IS

·       - MP-IBGP

Correct Answer: MP-IBGP

Explanation: MP-IBGP (Multiprotocol IBGP) is used between PE routers to exchange VPNv4 routes in MPLS Layer 3 VPNs.

Question 8

What is the generic name of the protocol running between a CE device and the service provider's MPLS network?

Options:

·       - CE protocol

·       - PE-CE protocol

·       - VRF

·       - OSPFv3

Correct Answer: PE-CE protocol

Explanation: The PE-CE protocol refers to the routing protocol used between the Provider Edge and Customer Edge routers, which can be static, BGP, OSPF, etc.

Question 9

In MPLS networks, which device type does the service provider typically not own?

Options:

·       - CE

·       - PE

·       - P

·       - RR

Correct Answer: CE

Explanation: The CE (Customer Edge) router is typically owned and managed by the customer, not the service provider.

Question 10

Which three software packaging formats does Cisco IOS XR support? (Choose three.)

Options:

·       - .iso

·       - .bin

·       - .rpm

·       - .tar

·       - .exe

Correct Answers: .iso, .rpm, .tar

Explanation: Cisco IOS XR supports .iso (installation), .rpm (modular packages), and .tar (bundled files). .bin and .exe are not used in IOS XR.

Question 11

How do you perform software downgrade on Cisco IOS XR?

Options:

·       - With the install downgrade command.

·       - By installing the software package with the argument downgrade.

·       - By installing and activating an older software version.

·       - By rebooting the Admin VM with an argument downgrade.

Correct Answer: By installing and activating an older software version.

Explanation: Downgrading in IOS XR is done by installing and activating an older version of the software using standard install commands.

Question 12

Which command should you use to check Cisco-certified upgrade and downgrade paths on Cisco IOS XR software?

Options:

·       - show upgrade-matrix

·       - show upgrade paths

·       - show install upgrade-matrix running

·       - show install software

Correct Answer: show install upgrade-matrix running

Explanation: This command displays the certified upgrade and downgrade paths for the currently running IOS XR version.

Cisco nexus Switches( Cisco NX-OS) vs Cisco Catalyst Switches (Cisco IOS XE)

 When building a network, selecting the right switch platform is crucial. Cisco offers two powerful families—Nexus and Catalyst—each optimized for different use cases. Here's a side-by-side breakdown to help you understand which suits your environment best:

Feature	Cisco Nexus (NX-OS)	Cisco Catalyst (IOS XE)
Best Suited For	Data centers where performance, scale, and speed are critical	Campus and enterprise networks with large user bases and access layer needs
Network Scale	Fewer, more powerful switches per fabric	Many distributed switches across multiple floors or buildings
Performance Profile	High-speed packet processing with minimal latency	Balanced throughput with cost-effective performance
Buffer Capacity	Large buffers to handle bursty traffic and prevent packet drops	Optimized buffers for typical end-user traffic patterns
Interface Preference	Fiber-first: 25G, 40G, 100G via SFP+/QSFP+ ports	Copper-focused: Gigabit/10G via RJ45 ports
Storage Integration	Designed with native support for FCoE and Fibre Channel	Primarily LAN-focused, not intended for storage networking
PoE & Wireless	No Power over Ethernet or wireless support	Full support for PoE/PoE+ and integrated wireless controllers
Redundancy & High Availability	vPC (Virtual Port Channel) allows dual-active uplinks with no STP loops	StackWise/StackWise Virtual enables seamless switch stacking and redundancy

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🧠 Key Insight

• Choose Nexus if you’re building a high-performance, latency-sensitive data center with storage requirements and fast uplinks.

• Go for Catalyst if your goal is to support workforce connectivity, wireless access, and PoE devices in an enterprise environment.

What is floating static route

 A floating static route is a static route with a higher administrative distance than the primary route, so it only takes over if the primary route becomes unavailable.

Example

ip route 10.10.10.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.2.1 200

The standard order of accessing modes on a Cisco device

 

The standard order of accessing modes on a Cisco device (like a router or switch) running IOS or IOS XE is:

✅ User EXEC mode → Privileged EXEC mode → Global Configuration mode → Specific Configuration modes

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📘 Detailed Order:

1. User EXEC Mode (>)
• Access level: Basic
• Prompt: Router>
• Limited commands (e.g., ping, show version)
• Entry point when you first log in
2. Privileged EXEC Mode (#)
• Access level: Elevated
• Prompt: Router#
• Accessed using: enable
• Allows full monitoring and some configuration
3. Global Configuration Mode ((config)#)
• Prompt: Router(config)#
• Accessed using: configure terminal
• Allows device-wide configuration changes
4. Specific Configuration Modes
• Examples:
• Interface mode: Router(config-if)#
• Line mode: Router(config-line)#
• Router protocol mode: Router(config-router)#
• Accessed by entering sub-configuration commands from global config

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✅ Summary of Command Flow:

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User EXEC Mode        →       enable

   Router>                   ─────────►   Router#

                                      Privileged EXEC Mode

 

Privileged EXEC Mode  →   configure terminal

   Router#                   ─────────►   Router(config)#

                                      Global Configuration Mode

 

Global Config Mode    →   interface Gig1/0

   Router(config)#            ─────────►   Router(config-if)#

                                      Specific Config Mode

Cisco IOS XE Devices - Switches Catalyst 9200 vs 9300 vs 9400 vs 9500 vs 9600 - Routers 8200 vs 8200L vs 8300 vs 8500

 

Switches

Router

Create a Match-All Contract in Cisco ACI (via GUI)

Creating a "match all" contract in Cisco ACI means defining a contract that allows all traffic types (all protocols, all ports) between EPGs (Endpoint Groups). This is often used in lab environments or for initial testing, but should be used with caution in production due to its permissiveness.

🔧 Steps to Create a Match-All Contract in Cisco ACI (via GUI):

1. Log in to the APIC GUI.
2. Navigate to:
3. Tenants > [Your Tenant] > Contracts
4. Right-click on Contracts > Create Contract.
• Name: e.g., match_all_contract
• Scope: Tenant (or as per your requirement)
• Click Next.
5. Add a Subject:
• Name: e.g., match_all_subject
• Filter: Click + to add a filter.
6. Create a New Filter:
• Name: e.g., match_all_filter
• Click + to add a filter entry.
7. Add Filter Entry:
• Entry Name: e.g., allow_all
• EtherType: ip
• Protocol: unspecified
• Source Port: unspecified
• Destination Port: unspecified
• Apply Both Directions: ✅ (checked)
• Click OK, then Finish.
8. Associate the Contract:
• Go to the EPG that should provide the contract.
• Under Provided Contracts, add match_all_contract.
• Go to the EPG that should consume the contract.
• Under Consumed Contracts, add match_all_contract.

 

Overview of BGP Aggregation

BGP route aggregation is a powerful feature that helps reduce the size of routing tables by summarizing multiple specific routes into a single, broader route. This is especially useful in large-scale networks where route optimization and scalability are critical.

In Cisco IOS, the aggregate-address command provides flexible options to control how and when summary routes are advertised. Whether you're looking to advertise only the summary, retain specific routes, or apply custom attributes, this command gives you granular control over BGP route announcements.

By default, when you use the aggregate-address command, the router advertises both the aggregate route and the more specific routes that fall under it

Let’s dive in and understand how each option can be used to fine-tune your BGP advertisements.

  1. as-set

• Purpose: Includes the AS numbers of the contributing routes in the AS path of the aggregate.
• Use Case: When you want to preserve AS path information for loop prevention or policy decisions.
• Effect: The aggregate route will have an AS_SET attribute, which is a list of AS numbers from the contributing routes.

2. summary-only

• Purpose: Suppresses the advertisement of the more specific routes.
• Use Case: When you want to advertise only the summarized route and hide the specifics.
• Effect: Only the aggregate route is advertised; specific routes are not sent to BGP peers.

3. suppress-map <map-name>

• Purpose: Selectively suppress specific routes from being advertised.
• Use Case: When you want to suppress some specific prefixes but still advertise others along with the aggregate.
• Effect: Routes matching the route-map are suppressed; others are advertised.

4. advertise-map <map-name>

• Purpose: Controls which specific routes are used to generate the aggregate.
• Use Case: When you want the aggregate to be created only if certain routes exist.
• Effect: Aggregate is advertised only if routes matching the map are present in the BGP table.

5. attribute-map <map-name>

• Purpose: Applies specific BGP attributes to the aggregate route.
• Use Case: When you want to set attributes like MED, community, or local preference on the aggregate.
• Effect: The aggregate route inherits attributes defined in the route-map.