Referring to the exhibit, what is the highlighted device in a data center called?

Question

Exhibit

Options

• Aa spine node
• Ba leaf node
• Ca core node
• Dan aggregation node

• B
  83% (15)
• C
  11% (2)
• D
  6% (1)

Explanation

In a modern data center spine-leaf architecture, the highlighted device is a leaf node (B) - the access-layer switch that directly connects to servers, storage, and other endpoints, acting as the entry point into the fabric.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (spine node): Spine switches sit at the aggregation tier, interconnecting all leaf switches but never connecting directly to endpoints - they are the "backbone" of the fabric.
• C (core node): "Core" is terminology from traditional three-tier (core/distribution/access) architectures, not spine-leaf; it doesn't apply here.
• D (aggregation node): Again, this is three-tier language - in spine-leaf, the aggregation function is absorbed by the spine layer, so "aggregation node" is not a valid role in this topology.

Memory tip: Think "leaf = last mile" - just as leaves are at the edge of a tree, leaf nodes are at the edge of the network where end devices plug in.

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