300-410 Question 66
Single answerA network engineer is designing an OSPF network for a small branch office that primarily sends traffic to a central data center. The branch office has limited resources and does not need to maintain a full OSPF topology database. Which OSPF area type should the engineer configure to optimize resource usage while ensuring connectivity to the central data center?
- A
Stub area
- B
Totally stubby area
- C
Not-so-stubby area (NSSA)
- D
Backbone area
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
In this scenario, the branch office primarily sends traffic to a central data center and does not require a full OSPF topology database. Configuring the branch office as a totally stubby area is the most efficient solution, as it blocks both external and inter-area routes, reducing resource usage. A default route to the central data center is sufficient for this setup.
- A. Incorrect.
A stub area can reduce routing overhead by blocking external routes, but it still allows inter-area routes, which might not be necessary for this scenario.
- B. Correct.
A totally stubby area is the most optimized type for this scenario because it blocks both external and inter-area routes, requiring only a default route to the central data center, reducing resource usage significantly.
- C. Incorrect.
An NSSA is used when the area needs to import external routes while limiting some OSPF overhead, but it is unnecessary in this scenario since the branch office does not need external routes.
- D. Incorrect.
The backbone area is the core of an OSPF network and is not intended to reduce routing overhead. It would not optimize resource usage for a branch office.