350-401 Question 218
Single answerA network engineer needs to monitor traffic on a specific VLAN across multiple switches in a network. The engineer decides to configure a method that allows the mirrored traffic to be sent to a remote monitoring station. Which method should the engineer use, and what key configuration is required for this setup?
- A
Configure SPAN and set the VLAN as the source.
- B
Use RSPAN and configure a dedicated VLAN for traffic mirroring.
- C
Deploy ERSPAN and ensure the monitoring station has an IP address reachable through the network.
- D
Use SPAN and configure a physical port as the destination for the mirrored traffic.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
RSPAN enables traffic from a VLAN on one switch to be mirrored and sent to a destination port on another switch in the network. To achieve this, a dedicated RSPAN VLAN must be configured to carry the mirrored traffic between switches. This method is specifically designed for remote traffic monitoring across multiple switches, making it the most suitable choice for the given scenario.
- A. Incorrect.
SPAN (Switch Port Analyzer) can only mirror traffic to a local destination port on the same switch and does not support VLAN-based traffic mirroring across multiple switches.
- B. Correct.
RSPAN (Remote SPAN) is the correct method for mirroring VLAN traffic across multiple switches. It requires a dedicated VLAN (RSPAN VLAN) to carry the mirrored traffic between switches.
- C. Incorrect.
ERSPAN (Encapsulated Remote SPAN) extends RSPAN functionality by encapsulating mirrored traffic into GRE packets, requiring IP connectivity. However, the scenario does not mention GRE encapsulation or IP connectivity, making this option incorrect.
- D. Incorrect.
SPAN cannot mirror traffic across multiple switches as it only supports local mirroring to a physical destination port on the same switch.