Chapter 4 of 6 · Cisco CCNP 350-401 ENCOR
Network Assurance
Ping, debug, SNMP, syslog, NetFlow, SPAN, IP SLA, Catalyst Center, NETCONF and RESTCONF topics.
- 7topics
- 37 minfast track
- 6diagrams and exhibits
- 10%of the exam
Topics in this chapter
Take them in order, or jump to the one you need.
- 1Debugs, Conditional Debugs, Ping and TracerouteDiagnose network problems with ping, extended ping, traceroute, debug commands and conditional debugs on IOS XE, and learn how to…5 min
- 2SNMP and Syslog for MonitoringConfigure and read SNMP v2c and v3 and syslog on IOS XE: community strings, security levels, traps, severity levels, logging…5 min
- 3Flexible NetFlowConfigure and verify Flexible NetFlow on IOS XE with flow records, exporters and monitors, key and non key fields, interface…5 min
- 4SPAN, RSPAN and ERSPANConfigure SPAN, RSPAN and ERSPAN to mirror traffic to an analyser: sources and destinations, the RSPAN VLAN, GRE for ERSPAN, and…Diagram6 min
- 5IP SLA Probes and TrackingConfigure and verify Cisco IP SLA probes such as icmp echo and udp jitter, schedule them, track results for backup routing, and…Diagram6 min
- 6Cisco Catalyst Center WorkflowsLearn how Cisco Catalyst Center, formerly DNA Center, designs, provisions and monitors a network, with discovery, templates…Diagram5 min
- 7NETCONF and RESTCONFConfigure and verify NETCONF and RESTCONF on IOS XE: ports, transport, datastores, operations, HTTP methods, YANG data paths and…Diagram5 min
About this chapter
What this chapter covers
Network assurance is about knowing what your network is doing, and finding out quickly when it goes wrong.
It covers the tools that test, measure, record and report.
Some are simple commands you type during a fault. Others run all the time and send data to a central system. The chapter ends with the controller and the programmable interfaces that bring the data together.
The chapter follows the Network Assurance domain of the CCNP 350-401 ENCOR outline. It has six outline topics, and they are spread across seven pages.
How the topics fit together
The tools run from quick manual checks to automated, central views.
- Ping, traceroute and debug are the first tools for a live fault.
- SNMP and syslog record what happened and let a management system watch the device.
- Flexible NetFlow records who talked to whom and how much.
- SPAN, RSPAN and ERSPAN copy traffic so that an analyser can inspect packets.
- IP SLA measures reachability and quality from the device itself.
- Catalyst Center collects much of this data and turns it into health scores and suggested actions.
- NETCONF and RESTCONF let software read and change devices through a standard model.
Many tools need configuration on both ends, such as a collector for NetFlow or a responder for IP SLA, so check both sides when a test gives no result.
How to use these pages
Each topic page has the same shape, so you can skim for what you need.
- What it is: the idea in plain words.
- How it works: the mechanism, with diagrams and example commands.
- What to remember for the exam: the facts to memorise.
- Common mistakes: the classic traps.
- Check yourself: three questions to test your understanding.
These topics reward practice. Configure each feature in a lab, trigger a fault, and watch what the tool shows. For the programmable interfaces, learn the ports, the methods and the data formats, since exam questions often turn on those details.
Ready for more practice?
The full Cisco CCNP 350-401 ENCOR question bank has 854 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.
This study guide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cisco. Vendor names, certification names and exam codes are trademarks of their respective owners and are used for identification only.