Quick Answer
The answer is that a BGP Cease notification indicates the remote peer closed the connection. This is because the Cease notification is a fatal error code sent by a BGP speaker to terminate the session, and when your router logs “BGP recv Notification” with this code, it means the local router received the shutdown message from the neighbor—so the remote peer initiated the closure, not your local device. On the JNCIA-Junos exam, this question tests your ability to interpret BGP notification messages and understand session state transitions; a common trap is assuming the local router caused the error when “recv” clearly points to the peer. The key distinction is that “recv” means received, while “send” would mean your router issued the Cease. Memory tip: “recv = remote closed, send = self ended.”
This JNCIA-JUNOS practice question tests your understanding of operational monitoring and maintenance. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 BGP session is flapping. The engineer runs 'show log messages' and sees 'BGP recv Notification' with error code 'Cease'. What does this indicate?
The BGP table is full
Why wrong: Full table does not trigger Cease.
The hold timer expired
Why wrong: Hold timer expiry sends Hold Timer Expired error.
The remote peer closed the connection
Cease notification means session terminated by peer.
The interface went down
Why wrong: Interface down would cause TCP reset, not BGP Cease.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The remote peer closed the connection
A BGP Cease notification indicates that the remote peer has closed the BGP session, often due to an administrative shutdown, configuration change, or error condition on the peer. The 'BGP recv Notification' message means the local router received this notification from the peer, so the remote peer initiated the closure.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The BGP table is full
Why it's wrong here
Full table does not trigger Cease.
The hold timer expired
Why it's wrong here
Hold timer expiry sends Hold Timer Expired error.
The remote peer closed the connection
Why this is correct
Cease notification means session terminated by peer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The interface went down
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'Cease' with a hold timer expiration, but 'Cease' is a clean notification sent by the peer, while hold timer expiration is a local detection of a missed keepalive.
Detailed technical explanation
The BGP Cease notification (error code 6) is defined in RFC 4271 and is used by a BGP speaker to indicate that it is closing the session for reasons such as administrative shutdown, peer de-configuration, or a hard reset. In Junos, 'show log messages' captures this event, and the engineer can correlate it with 'show bgp summary' to identify the affected peer and check for configuration changes or 'deactivate' commands on the remote side.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the JNCIA-JUNOS 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
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FAQ
Operational Monitoring and Maintenance — This question tests Operational Monitoring and Maintenance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The remote peer closed the connection — A BGP Cease notification indicates that the remote peer has closed the BGP session, often due to an administrative shutdown, configuration change, or error condition on the peer. The 'BGP recv Notification' message means the local router received this notification from the peer, so the remote peer initiated the closure.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This JNCIA-JUNOS practice question is part of Courseiva's free Juniper Networks 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 JNCIA-JUNOS exam.
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