350-501 MPLS and Segment Routing Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Router# show segment-routing traffic-eng policy
Policy name: TE_POLICY_1
Color: 10
Endpoint: 192.168.100.1
Candidate-path name: path1
Preference: 200
Path type: explicit, verification source: local
Explicit segment-list: SL_1
Segment-list: SL_1
Index: 1, Label: 16001
Index: 2, Label: 16005
Index: 3, Label: 16009
Candidate-path name: path2
Preference: 100
Path type: dynamic, metric: TE
Constraints: bandwidth 10000 kbps
Affinity: include-any GREEN
Status: Active path: path1 (preference 200)
Forwarding status: UpRefer to the exhibit. A network engineer is configuring a segment routing traffic engineering policy. The output shows two candidate paths. Why is path1 selected as the active path even though path2 has a bandwidth constraint?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that bandwidth constraints or path type (explicit vs. dynamic) determine path activation, when in reality the preference value is the decisive factor in SR-TE candidate path selection.
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
✓
path2 has a lower preference value.
Path1 is selected as the active path because it has a higher preference value (200) compared to path2 (100). In segment routing traffic engineering, the preference value is the primary tie-breaker for candidate paths; the path with the highest preference is chosen regardless of bandwidth constraints. Bandwidth constraints are only evaluated after preference, and a path with a lower preference is not considered for activation even if it has a bandwidth constraint configured.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
path1 has a shorter segment list.
Why it's wrong here
Segment list length does not determine active path selection.
- ✗
path2 is down due to insufficient bandwidth.
Why it's wrong here
The status shows path1 active; no indication path2 is down.
- ✗
path1 is explicit and always preferred over dynamic paths.
Why it's wrong here
Explicit vs dynamic does not dictate preference; preference value does.
- ✓
path2 has a lower preference value.
Why this is correct
path2 has preference 100, lower than path1's 200; the higher preference wins.
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