350-501 Automation and Quality of Service Practice Question
An SP uses BGP FlowSpec to mitigate DDoS attacks. They also want to rate-limit the traffic per FlowSpec rule. Which configuration is required to enable policing within a FlowSpec action?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that FlowSpec actions require external QoS mechanisms (like policy-maps or PBR), when in fact the 'rate-limit' action is a native, built-in FlowSpec action that directly enables policing within the rule.
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
✓
Include the 'rate-limit' action in the FlowSpec rule using the 'action' clause.
BGP FlowSpec allows the inclusion of a 'rate-limit' action within the FlowSpec rule's 'action' clause to enforce policing. This action directly applies a traffic rate limit (in bits per second) to the matched flow, enabling DDoS mitigation without requiring external QoS policies or MPLS TE reservations.
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 MPLS TE bandwidth reservation for the FlowSpec routes.
Why it's wrong here
MPLS TE is unrelated to FlowSpec policing.
- ✗
Use policy-based routing (PBR) to set QoS parameters.
Why it's wrong here
PBR is not integrated with FlowSpec.
- ✗
Apply a QoS policy-map to the interface and match the FlowSpec destination.
Why it's wrong here
FlowSpec actions are defined within the BGP update, not via a separate policy-map.
- ✓
Include the 'rate-limit' action in the FlowSpec rule using the 'action' clause.
Why this is correct
FlowSpec allows rate-limiting directly in the rule definition.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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