4A0-100 Nokia IP Networksand Services Fundamentals Questions and Answers

VLAN Stacking, also known asQ-in-Q tunneling, is a technology that allowsmultiple customers to use overlapping VLAN IDswhile being transported over ashared service provider network.

Key Concepts:

Customer VLAN (C-VLAN):The VLAN used by the customer in their own network.

Service VLAN (S-VLAN):The VLAN used by the service provider to encapsulate the customer VLAN.

When VLAN stacking is applied:

A customer's Ethernet frame already tagged with aC-VLANisencapsulated with an additional outer S-VLAN tag.

This way,multiple customers can use the same C-VLAN ID, but remain isolated by theunique S-VLANassigned to them by the service provider.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

A. VLAN Trunking:Used to carry multiple VLANs over a single physical link but doesn’t allow reuse of VLAN IDs across customers.

C. VLAN Tagging:Refers to the general process of adding a VLAN tag; it doesn't provide the isolation needed across shared infrastructure.

D. VLAN Routing:Refers to Layer 3 routing between VLANs, not to ID reuse or transport over a shared provider backbone.

A/31 subnetin IPv4 provides exactlytwo IP addresses(e.g., 192.168.1.0/31 → usable: 192.168.1.0 and 192.168.1.1). Traditionally, these would represent anetwork address and a broadcast address, butRFC 3021redefines /31 subnets forpoint-to-point links, such as router-to-router connections.

In a /31 subnet:

Broadcast address is not used.

Both IPs are treated as usable host addresses.

It'sideal for point-to-point links, saving address space.

This is widely supported andstandardized in Nokia IP and routing platforms.

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)is used specifically inEthernet Layer 2 networkstoprevent loopscaused byredundant paths.

STPdetects loops and blocks one or more redundant pathsto ensure there is aloop-free topologyin a bridged network.

STP dynamicallyrecalculates the topologyif a link fails, reactivating previously blocked paths.

Explanation of other options:

A. MPLS with LSPs:MPLS uses its own mechanisms for path management, such as RSVP or Segment Routing. STP is not applicable here.

C. OSPF with ECMP (Equal-Cost Multi-Path):OSPF is a Layer 3 protocol that inherently supports multiple paths without loops; STP is not involved.

D. eBGP (Exterior Border Gateway Protocol):Operates at Layer 3 for inter-AS communication; STP is not used in BGP routing.

Therefore,Option Bis correct, as STP is explicitly designed forLayer 2 Ethernet networkswithredundant paths.

When a routerforwards a packet, it performs the following operations:

Looks up the destination IP addressin therouting tableto determine thenext hoporegress interface.

Uses theARP tableto resolve theMAC address of the next-hop IP.

Option Ais incorrect – source IP is not used for route lookup.

Option Cis incorrect – routers don’t resolve thesource MAC.

Option Dis partially true, butrouting begins with the routing table, makingBthe most accurate.

VPLS (Virtual Private LAN Service)is aLayer 2 VPN servicethat emulates abridged Ethernet LANacross an MPLS/IP network.

Learns MAC addresses dynamically from:

SAPs (Service Access Points)

SDPs (Service Distribution Points)

Maintains aForwarding Database (FDB)per VPLS instance.

For unknown MAC destinations, a VPLSfloods the frameto all other sites – just like a regular Ethernet switch.

Option C is FALSE– VPLSdoes NOT discard unknown MACs; itfloodsthem.

In Nokia SR OS, theMD-CLIprovides multiple configuration edit modes to allow different types of user interaction with the configuration system:

Private modeallows multiple users to create individual configuration candidates, which are then merged with the global candidate during commit.

Global modeenables multiple users to edit the same candidate configuration at the same time, with a shared commit session.

Read-only modeallows the user to view the configuration without making changes.

Exclusive moderestricts access to the global candidate configuration such thatonly one user at a timecan enter and make changes. This prevents conflicts and is useful in environments where strict control over configuration changes is necessary.

Therefore, the correct answer isExclusive mode, as itexclusively locks access to the global candidatefor a single user.

The Link layer, also known as the Data Link layer in the OSI model, is responsible for encapsulating packets from the Network layer into frames suitable for transmission over the physical medium. This process includes adding headers and trailers to the packet to create a frame, which contains necessary information for error detection, addressing, and control.​

According to the OSI model, the Data Link layer serves as the intermediary between the Network layer and the Physical layer. It ensures that data is packaged into frames and manages the access to the physical transmission medium.​

Option A correctly describes this function.​

Option B pertains to the Network layer, which is responsible for encapsulating data into IP datagrams and determining the routing of these datagrams across networks.​

Option C relates to the Transport layer, which handles the encapsulation of application data into transport layer segments, such as TCP or UDP messages.​

Option D is a function of the Physical layer, which deals with the transmission and reception of raw bitstreams over a physical medium, including the timing and synchronization of signals.​

In Nokia SR OS, event logging allows the router to report system events, alarms, and operational changes to external systems or users. The valid logging destinations include:

SNMP– Used to send traps or informs to SNMP managers.

Syslog– Sends logs to centralized syslog servers, a standard for log management.

NETCONF– Can be used for event notification in model-driven management setups, although it is more frequently used for configuration and state management.

However,BOF (Boot Options File)isnota valid logging destination. TheBOFis used to store critical system boot configurations, such as:

Which image to boot from

Network interface settings

Auto-boot parameters

BOF plays no role in the logging infrastructure.

On theNokia 7750 SR, theControl Processor Module (CPM)includes two compact flash slots,CF1 and CF2, which are used for storing crucial system files. These include:

Runtime software image

Configuration files

Logs and backup configurations

BothCF1 and CF2are used for redundancy and flexibility. Typically, CF1 is designated as the primary storage location for the active software image and configuration, while CF2 serves as a backup. In some configurations, the router can boot from either CF1 or CF2 depending on system settings and availability.

This redundancy is essential for high availability and fast recovery in the event of a failure or manual software update.