show policy-map
Displays the configuration and statistics of all policy maps applied to interfaces, used to verify QoS policies and monitor traffic class counters.
show policy-mapWhen to Use This Command
- Verify that a QoS service policy is correctly applied to an interface and check packet/byte counters for each class.
- Troubleshoot why certain traffic is not being matched or marked as expected.
- Monitor the effectiveness of a shaping or policing policy by observing conform/exceed actions.
- Audit multiple interfaces to ensure consistent QoS policy application across the network.
Command Examples
Basic show policy-map output
show policy-map Policy Map QOS_POLICY
Class VOICE
Average Rate Traffic Shaping
cir 256000 (bps)
police cir 128000 bc 4000 be 4000
conform-action transmit
exceed-action drop
Class VIDEO
Average Rate Traffic Shaping
cir 512000 (bps)
Class class-default
Average Rate Traffic Shaping
cir 1000000 (bps)
Line 1: Policy map name. Lines 2-6: Class VOICE with shaping to 256 kbps and policing at 128 kbps with conform/transmit and exceed/drop actions. Lines 7-9: Class VIDEO with shaping to 512 kbps. Lines 10-12: Default class with shaping to 1 Mbps.
Show policy-map interface for statistics
show policy-map interface gigabitethernet0/1 GigabitEthernet0/1
Service-policy output: QOS_POLICY
Class-map: VOICE (match-all)
0 packets, 0 bytes
5 minute offered rate 0 bps, drop rate 0 bps
Match: ip dscp ef (46)
police:
cir 128000 bps, bc 4000 bytes, be 4000 bytes
conformed 0 packets, 0 bytes; actions: transmit
exceeded 0 packets, 0 bytes; actions: drop
conformed 0 bps, exceed 0 bps
Class-map: VIDEO (match-all)
0 packets, 0 bytes
5 minute offered rate 0 bps, drop rate 0 bps
Match: ip dscp af41 (34)
queue size 0, queue limit 64 packets
(depth/ discard/ tail drops/ no buffer) 0/0/0/0
Average Rate Traffic Shaping
cir 512000 bps, bc 16000 bytes
shaped 0 packets, 0 bytes
drops 0
Class-map: class-default (match-any)
0 packets, 0 bytes
5 minute offered rate 0 bps, drop rate 0 bps
Match: any
queue size 0, queue limit 40 packets
(depth/ discard/ tail drops/ no buffer) 0/0/0/0
Average Rate Traffic Shaping
cir 1000000 bps, bc 31250 bytes
shaped 0 packets, 0 bytes
drops 0
Shows per-interface statistics. For each class: packet/byte counters, offered rate, match criteria, policing/shaping parameters, conform/exceed counters, queue depth and drops. Zero counters indicate no traffic yet.
Understanding the Output
The output lists all configured policy maps and their classes. For each class, it shows match criteria, QoS actions (shaping, policing, marking), and traffic statistics. Key fields: 'cir' (committed information rate), 'bc' (burst committed), 'be' (burst excess). For policing, 'conformed' and 'exceeded' counters show how many packets met or exceeded the rate. For shaping, 'shaped' packets and 'drops' indicate traffic delayed or dropped due to shaping. Queue statistics (depth, limit, tail drops) help monitor congestion. In a real network, increasing drop counters or queue depth may indicate insufficient bandwidth or misconfigured policies.
CCNA Exam Tips
CCNA exam may ask to interpret output to determine if a class is matching traffic correctly (look at packet counters).
Know the difference between shaping (queues and delays) and policing (drops or marks down).
Be able to identify the default class (class-default) and its match-any condition.
Remember that 'show policy-map interface' provides statistics, while 'show policy-map' only shows configuration.
Common Mistakes
Confusing 'show policy-map' (configuration only) with 'show policy-map interface' (statistics).
Assuming zero counters mean the policy is not applied; it may just have no matching traffic.
Misinterpreting 'conformed' and 'exceeded' counters: exceeded packets are dropped or marked, not necessarily bad if within burst allowance.
Related Commands
show class-map
Displays the configuration and match criteria of all class maps or a specific class map, used to verify QoS classification rules.
show policy-map interface
Displays the current QoS policy applied to an interface, including per-class statistics such as packets matched, bytes, and actions taken, used to verify and troubleshoot QoS configurations.
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