mediumMultiple Choice
CCNP Practice Question: Examine the following configuration snippet: ip…
Examine the following configuration snippet:
ip pim send-rp-announce Loopback0 scope 10 group-list 10 ip pim send-rp-discovery scope 10 access-list 10 permit 239.0.0.0 0.255.255.255
!
interface Loopback0 ip address 192.168.0.1 255.255.255.255 ip pim sparse-mode
!
What is the purpose of this configuration?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between the roles of candidate RP and mapping agent in Auto-RP, and the trap here is that candidates assume a router configured with `send-rp-announce` is only a candidate RP and cannot also be the mapping agent, but both roles can coexist on the same router.
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
✓
The router will act as both a candidate RP for groups 239.0.0.0/8 and a mapping agent for Auto-RP within a scope of 10 hops.
The configuration enables Auto-RP, where the `ip pim send-rp-announce` command designates the router as a candidate RP for the multicast group range 239.0.0.0/8 (permitted by access-list 10), using Loopback0's IP address (192.168.0.1) as the RP address. The `ip pim send-rp-discovery` command makes the router act as the mapping agent, distributing RP-to-group mappings via Auto-RP discovery messages within a scope of 10 hops. Together, these commands fulfill both roles: candidate RP and mapping agent.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The router will act as both a candidate RP for groups 239.0.0.0/8 and a mapping agent for Auto-RP within a scope of 10 hops.
Why this is correct
The configuration combines both Auto-RP roles: the router is a candidate RP because it announces itself for the 239.0.0.0/8 group range, and it is also the RP-mapping agent because it sends RP-discovery messages. The 'scope 10' parameter limits the TTL of these Auto-RP messages to 10 hops, controlling how far the announcements and discovery messages propagate.
- ✗
The router will only act as a mapping agent and will not advertise itself as an RP.
Why it's wrong here
The 'send-rp-announce' command explicitly configures the router as a candidate RP, causing it to advertise its own IP address for the multicast groups in the specified range. A router that is only a mapping agent would only send RP-discovery messages and would not have a send-rp-announce statement present in its configuration.
- ✗
The router will use the IP address of GigabitEthernet0/0 as the RP address.
Why it's wrong here
The RP address advertised by a candidate RP is taken from the interface specified in the 'send-rp-announce' command, which is Loopback0 in this scenario. The GigabitEthernet0/0 IP address is irrelevant for the RP advertisement; using the loopback interface ensures a stable, always-up address that is preferred for the RP.
- ✗
The router will only accept RP announcements from other routers within 10 hops.
Why it's wrong here
The scope parameter in the Auto-RP mapping agent configuration sets the TTL for the outgoing RP-discovery messages, not a filter for incoming RP announcements. The mapping agent will accept and process RP announcements from any reachable candidate RP, regardless of the hop count, and the scope only limits how far the multicast discovery messages are forwarded throughout the network.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-401 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-401 exam.