Optimizing Core Switch Performance with Jumbo Frames
Short answer
D The engineer should enable Jumbo frames to increase the MTU, thereby reducing packet overhead and interrupt counts for efficient high-bandwidth transfers.
Question
• Efficiently handle high-bandwidth data transfers.
• Optimize resource consumption.
• Minimize fragmentation.
Which of the following should the engineer enable?
Key Takeaways
The question tests the specific benefit of increasing MTU size (Jumbo Frames) over simply adding bandwidth (Link Aggregation), focusing on overhead reduction rather than raw throughput capacity.
To efficiently handle high-bandwidth transfers while minimizing fragmentation and resource usage on core switches, network engineers should enable Jumbo frames to increase the Maximum Transmission Unit size.
Common mistake: Candidates often choose Link Aggregation because it increases total bandwidth, but it fails to address the specific constraints of reducing packet header overhead and CPU interrupts associated with small frames.
Expert Analysis
The question requires identifying a feature that simultaneously addresses high-bandwidth efficiency, resource optimization, and fragmentation minimization in core switch configurations.
Jumbo Frames (Option D) are the correct solution. Standard Ethernet frames have a Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) of 1,500 bytes. By increasing this to 9,000 bytes, jumbo frames allow more data to be transmitted per packet. This directly reduces the number of packets required for large data transfers, which leads to fewer CPU interrupts and header processing overheads (optimizing resource consumption). Additionally, because each frame carries more payload, the ratio of useful data to protocol headers increases, effectively minimizing the relative impact of header overhead and reducing the frequency of segmentation/fragmentation issues at higher layers.
Link Aggregation (Option B) is a strong distractor as it combines multiple physical links into one logical channel to increase bandwidth. However, it does not inherently change the MTU size or reduce the overhead per byte of data transferred; it simply provides more lanes. It does not specifically address "minimizing fragmentation" in the context of frame size efficiency.
802.1Q Tagging (Option A) adds a 4-byte tag to frames for VLAN identification. This actually increases overhead slightly and can cause issues if the resulting frame exceeds the MTU, potentially leading to fragmentation if not managed. It does not optimize resource consumption for bulk data transfer.
Spanning Tree (Option C) is a Layer 2 loop-prevention protocol. It is essential for stability but consumes resources by blocking redundant paths and generating BPDUs. It has no role in optimizing data transfer efficiency or handling large payloads.
The key distinction here is between bandwidth capacity (Link Aggregation) and payload efficiency (Jumbo Frames). The prompt's focus on "resource consumption" and "fragmentation" points squarely to frame size optimization.
Exam Strategy
When asked about optimizing data transfer efficiency, look for keywords like 'overhead,' 'interrupts,' 'headers,' or 'fragmentation.' These point toward Jumbo Frames (Layer 2 frame size). If the question focuses solely on 'throughput' or 'redundancy' without mentioning overhead, consider Link Aggregation. Always distinguish between moving more data (bandwidth) and moving data more efficiently (payload-to-header ratio).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Jumbo frames require configuration on both ends?
Does enabling Jumbo frames improve latency?
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Discussion 2 contributions
Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.
From public community threads 2
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ERB14 👍 1 Answered DJumbo frames increase the standard Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) size from 1,500 bytes up to 9,000 bytes. By transmitting larger payloads per frame, jumbo frames: Efficiently handle high-bandwidth data transfers: Packets transport more data payload per frame. Optimize resource consumption: Switches and host CPUs process significantly fewer packet headers and interrupts per gigabyte of transferred data. Minimize fragmentation: Larger frames accommodate bulk data packets without splitting them into smaller pieces across the network.
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Skri113xX 👍 1 Answered DIt can't be [Option X] because of [reason]. It can't be [Option Y] because... So it must be D.
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