On an Alcatel-Lucent IOM 3, how is buffer memory allocated per forwarding complex?

Question

Options

• A512 MB ingress, 512 MB egress
• B256 MB ingress, 256 MB egress
• C1 GB dynamically allocated between ingress and egress.
• D768 MB dynamically allocated between ingress and egress.
• E768 MB, with a minimum of 256 MB ingress and egress, and an additional 256 MB dynamically

• A
  5% (2)
• B
  2% (1)
• C
  2% (1)
• D
  91% (40)

Explanation

On the Alcatel-Lucent IOM 3, each forwarding complex is allocated 768 MB of buffer memory that is dynamically shared between ingress and egress traffic (Option D). This dynamic allocation allows the system to flex memory toward whichever direction has higher demand at a given moment, improving efficiency under asymmetric traffic loads.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (512/512 MB) and B (256/256 MB) describe fixed, symmetric splits - the IOM 3 does not use a static ingress/egress partition; dynamic allocation is a key design feature.
• C (1 GB dynamic) gets the allocation model right but overstates the capacity - 1 GB per forwarding complex is incorrect for this platform.
• E (768 MB with fixed 256 MB minimums + 256 MB dynamic) sounds plausible but is fabricated detail - the IOM 3 spec describes the full 768 MB pool as dynamically allocated without defined per-direction minimums.

Memory tip: Think "7-6-8 = Dynamic" - 768 MB and the word dynamic always go together for the IOM 3 forwarding complex. If you see 768 MB on an exam, the answer is dynamic allocation, not a fixed split.

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