A network engineering team is evaluating topological designs for a expanding enterprise facility. The current infrastructure uses a Collapsed Core topology where distribution and core functions are combined on a single redundant switch pair. As the facility adds multiple new buildings with high port densities and complex policy enforcement requirements, the team considers migrating to a traditional 3-Tier Campus design. Which technical requirement or operational constraint best justifies transitioning to a full 3-Tier architecture?
- The quantity of access-layer switches and distribution-layer interconnects exceeds the interface density and processing capacity of a single consolidated switch pair.Answer
- BThe campus needs to isolate Layer 2 broadcast domains by replacing distribution routers with Layer 2 switches at the network core.
- CInter-switch trunk connections between distribution and access switches require STP PortFast activation to accelerate Spanning Tree convergence across buildings.
- DAccess switches must host Type 1 hypervisors directly on hardware interfaces to process inter-VLAN routing for host servers.
Answer
The transition to a 3-Tier architecture is justified when the volume of access switches and interconnections exceeds the port density, backplane performance, and policy processing capacity of a collapsed distribution/core pair.
In expanding campus networks, a Collapsed Core topology can become a bottleneck due to limited physical uplink ports, buffer sizes, and control-plane processing under high policy loads. Transitioning to a traditional 3-Tier design adds a dedicated Core layer that interconnects multiple distribution blocks, providing scalable throughput and switch port availability.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Cisco 3-Tier Campus vs Collapsed Core Architectural Scaling
Estimated Time:1m 30s