Question 998 of 2,152

MPLS Operations →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

300-410 MPLS Operations Practice Question

This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of mpls operations. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

A network engineer is troubleshooting MPLS TE where a tunnel is configured with explicit path but the tunnel remains down. The show mpls traffic-eng tunnels command shows 'Path computation failed' and the show mpls traffic-eng topology command shows that the explicit path includes a router that is not in the TED. What is the most likely cause?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

A
The router in the explicit path does not have MPLS TE enabled.
Correct because for a router to appear in the TED, MPLS TE must be enabled globally and on its interfaces; otherwise, the headend cannot include it in the path.
B
The explicit path is configured with a loose next-hop.
Why wrong: Incorrect because loose next-hops are allowed in explicit paths; the issue is that the router is not in the TED at all.
C
The tunnel destination is not reachable via the IGP.
Why wrong: Incorrect because TE tunnels do not require IGP reachability to the destination; they use the TED for path computation.
D
The mpls traffic-eng tunnels command is missing on the headend.
Why wrong: Incorrect because the tunnel is configured and the headend is attempting path computation; the command is present.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 in the explicit path does not have MPLS TE enabled.

The explicit path includes a router that is not in the TED, meaning the headend cannot find that router in the traffic engineering database. This is because MPLS TE is not enabled on that router or its interfaces, so its link attributes are not advertised.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

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 in the explicit path does not have MPLS TE enabled.
Why this is correct
Correct because for a router to appear in the TED, MPLS TE must be enabled globally and on its interfaces; otherwise, the headend cannot include it in the path.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The explicit path is configured with a loose next-hop.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because loose next-hops are allowed in explicit paths; the issue is that the router is not in the TED at all.
✗
The tunnel destination is not reachable via the IGP.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because TE tunnels do not require IGP reachability to the destination; they use the TED for path computation.
✗
The mpls traffic-eng tunnels command is missing on the headend.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because the tunnel is configured and the headend is attempting path computation; the command is present.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.

Trap categories for this question

Command / output trap
Incorrect because the tunnel is configured and the headend is attempting path computation; the command is present.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.

TExam Day Tips

Underline the problem statement mentally.
Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A practitioner preparing for the 300-410 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which 300-410 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 300-410 question test?

MPLS Operations — This question tests MPLS Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The router in the explicit path does not have MPLS TE enabled. — The explicit path includes a router that is not in the TED, meaning the headend cannot find that router in the traffic engineering database. This is because MPLS TE is not enabled on that router or its interfaces, so its link attributes are not advertised.

What should I do if I get this 300-410 question wrong?

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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