What is the function of an intermediate node in a Cisco SD-Access fabric?

Question

Options

• Ato encapsulate and de-encapsulate packets with a VXLAN header
• Bto provide reachability between fabric clients and nonfabric clients on the same subnet
• Cto route packets within the fabric based on the Layer 3 information in the header
• Dto provide an entry and exit point between the fabric and external resources

• A
  6% (1)
• C
  89% (16)
• D
  6% (1)

Explanation

SD-Access Intermediate Node Explanation

An intermediate node in a Cisco SD-Access fabric functions purely as a transit/routing layer, forwarding VXLAN-encapsulated packets between fabric nodes using the Layer 3 information already present in the VXLAN header - it simply routes traffic through the underlay network without performing any encapsulation or policy enforcement itself, making C correct.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A is incorrect because encapsulation/de-encapsulation is the role of edge nodes, which add or remove the VXLAN header at the fabric boundary
• B is incorrect because bridging between fabric and non-fabric clients on the same subnet is the job of the border node
• D is incorrect because providing entry/exit points to external resources (like the internet or WAN) is also the border node's responsibility

Memory Tip: Think of intermediate nodes as the "middle child" - they don't start anything (no encapsulation), they don't finish anything (no de-encapsulation), they just pass things along using Layer 3 routing. The word intermediate literally means "in between," which perfectly describes their transit-only role.

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