350-501 Networking Practice Question
An SP engineer is troubleshooting IS-IS routing. The network uses wide metrics, and some links have been configured with TE metrics. Which statement correctly describes the relationship between TE metrics and narrow metrics in IS-IS?
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
✓
Wide metrics allow values up to 2^24 - 1, while narrow metrics allow up to 63.
IS-IS supports both narrow (6-bit) and wide (24-bit) style metrics. TE metrics are separate TLVs that carry additional information for MPLS-TE and do not replace the standard metric used for SPF computation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Narrow metrics are used only for L1 routes, while TE metrics are used for L2.
Why it's wrong here
Both metric types can apply to L1 and L2; narrow metrics are not limited to L1.
- ✓
Wide metrics allow values up to 2^24 - 1, while narrow metrics allow up to 63.
Why this is correct
Wide metrics use 24 bits (max 16777215), narrow use 6 bits (max 63).
- ✗
TE metrics override narrow metrics for SPF calculations.
Why it's wrong here
TE metrics are not used for SPF; they are for TE path computation.
- ✗
TE metrics are used by default when metric-style wide is configured.
Why it's wrong here
TE metrics are always separate; wide metric style does not automatically set TE metrics.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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