CCNP Virtualization Practice Question
A data center team is deploying a VXLAN EVPN fabric on Cisco Nexus 9000 switches and wants to eliminate the need for multicast underlay replication for broadcast, unknown unicast, and multicast traffic. Which mechanism should the team implement to achieve ingress replication of BUM traffic?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse multicast replication in the underlay with EVPN-based ingress replication, which is signaled by Type 3 routes.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable head-end replication using EVPN Type 3 routes
With EVPN, Type 3 Inclusive Multicast Ethernet Tag routes advertise each VTEP's interest in a VNI, allowing ingress leaf switches to construct a list of remote VTEPs per VNI. BUM frames are then replicated by the ingress VTEP directly to each remote VTEP, which is head-end replication and removes the need for a multicast-capable underlay.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure PIM sparse mode on all underlay interfaces
Why it's wrong here
PIM sparse mode is the multicast approach used for BUM replication in flood-and-learn VXLAN fabrics and in older designs, and it requires multicast group allocation and RP configuration. It does not provide ingress replication; instead it builds multicast distribution trees. Implementing it would add complexity rather than remove the need for multicast underlay replication as the team intends.
- ✗
Enable IGMP snooping on all leaf access ports
Why it's wrong here
IGMP snooping constrains multicast forwarding within a Layer 2 domain by tracking group membership, but it operates on locally attached receivers and does not create inter-VTEP replication lists. It cannot replace multicast underlay replication for BUM traffic across the fabric, so it does not meet the design goal of ingress replication between leaf switches.
- ✓
Enable head-end replication using EVPN Type 3 routes
Why this is correct
EVPN Type 3 Inclusive Multicast Ethernet Tag routes advertise VTEP and VNI membership, letting each ingress VTEP build a replication list of remote VTEPs. The ingress leaf then replicates BUM frames individually to every remote VTEP, which is head-end or ingress replication. This removes the requirement for multicast in the underlay entirely.
- ✗
Configure MSDP peering between all leaf switches
Why it's wrong here
MSDP shares source information between PIM-SM domains and is unrelated to VXLAN BUM traffic handling. It neither provides ingress replication nor removes the need for multicast in a VXLAN underlay, so deploying it would add an unnecessary protocol without addressing the stated requirement for BUM replication.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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