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Difficulty: MediumNetwork Topology Architectures

A network engineer is designing a topology for a branch office with approximately 150 users across two floors. To minimize capital expenditure and management overhead while maintaining VLAN redundancy and routing capabilities between local subnets, the engineer selects a Cisco Collapsed Core topology instead of a traditional Cisco Three-Tier hierarchy. Which architectural modification defines this Collapsed Core implementation?

  1. The core layer and distribution layer functions are consolidated into a single pair of switches.Answer
  2. B
    The access layer switches perform inter-VLAN routing to eliminate the need for Layer 3 capabilities at upper tiers.
  3. C
    Trunk connections between access switches and core switches are configured with Spanning Tree PortFast to avoid loop prevention delays.
  4. D
    Core switching logic is migrated directly into Type 1 host hypervisors to eliminate physical distribution hardware.

Answer

The core layer and distribution layer functions are consolidated into a single pair of switches.
The defining characteristic of a Cisco Collapsed Core (two-tier) architecture is merging the core and distribution layers into a single pair of switches. This maintains key Layer 3 routing, policy enforcement, and redundancy functions while reducing overall equipment cost and administration complexity for small to medium enterprise sites.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the requirements of the branch office network design
The scenario requires connecting 150 users efficiently while reducing costs and complexity compared to a full three-tier campus design.
Smaller sites do not have sufficient scale or port-density demands to justify separate Core and Distribution switch pairs.
2
Compare traditional Three-Tier architecture against Collapsed Core (Two-Tier) architecture
A traditional Three-Tier topology consists of distinct Access, Distribution, and Core layers. A Collapsed Core merges the Core (high-speed transport) and Distribution (routing, ACLs, policy enforcement) responsibilities into one tier.
Consolidating these two layers into a single switch pair (collapsed core switches) provides Layer 3 boundaries and inter-VLAN routing while decreasing hardware footprint.

Key Concept

Cisco Collapsed Core Topology Architecture
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Topics

Network Topology Architectures

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