Introduction

The Implementing and Operating Cisco Service Provider Network Core

Technologies (SPCOR 350-501) exam is the required “core” exam for the
CCNP Service Provider certifications. This exam tests your knowledge of
implementing core service provider network technologies including ar-
chitecture, services, networking, automation, quality of service, security,
and network assurance.

Implementing and Operating Cisco Service Provider Network Core

Technologies (SPCOR 350-501) is a 120-minute exam.

Tip

You can review the exam blueprint from Cisco’s website at

[Link]

This book gives you the foundation and covers the topics necessary to
start your CCNP Service Provider or CCIE Service Provider journey.

The CCNP Service Provider Certification

The CCNP Service Provider certification is one of the industry’s most re-
spected certifications. In order for you to earn the CCNP Service Provider
certification, you must pass two exams: the SPCOR exam covered in this
book (which covers core security technologies) and one of four available
service provider concentration exams of your choice, so you can custom-
ize your certification to your technical area of focus.

Tip
 The SPCOR core exam is also the qualifying exam for the
CCIE Service Provider certification. Passing this exam is the
first step toward earning both of these certifications.

The following are the CCNP Service Provider concentration exams:

Implementing Cisco Service Provider Advanced Routing Solutions

(300-510 SPRI)
Implementing Cisco Service Provider VPN Services (300-515 SPVI)
Automating Cisco Service Provider Solutions (300-535 SPAUTO)
Designing and Implementing Cisco Service Provider Cloud Network
Infrastructure (300-540 SPCNI)

The CCIE Service Provider Certification

The CCIE Service Provider certification is one of the most admired, elite,
and challenging certifications in the industry. The CCIE Service Provider
program prepares you to be a recognized technical leader. In order to
earn the CCIE Service Provider certification, you must pass the SPCOR
350-501 exam and an eight-hour, hands-on lab exam. The lab exam cov-
ers very complex network service provider network scenarios. These sce-
narios range from designing through implementing, operating, and opti-
mizing dual-stack solutions (IPv4 and IPv6) of complex service provider
networks.

Cisco considers ideal candidates to be those who possess the following:

Extensive hands-on experience with Cisco’s Service Provider portfolio

Experience deploying Cisco’s wide assortment of legacy and modern
service provider technologies
Deep understanding of multiple transport protocols and multitenant
segmentation solutions
Hands-on experience with MPLS networks and VPN solutions
Configuring and troubleshooting QoS, mobility networking, device
hardening, and general and access control
Deep understanding of network automation and orchestration
constructs
The Exam Objectives (Domains)

The Implementing and Operating Cisco Service Provider Network Core

Technologies (SPCOR 350-501) exam is broken down into five major do-
mains. The contents of this book cover each of the domains and the
subtopics included in them, as illustrated in the following descriptions.

The following table breaks down each of the domains represented in the
exam.

Percentage of Representation in
Domain
Exam

1: Architecture 15%

2: Networking 30%

3: MPLS and Segment 20%

Routing

4: Services 20%

5: Automation and 15%

Assurance

Total 100%

Here are the details of each domain:

Domain 1: Architecture: This domain is covered in Chapters 1–3, 14, 16–

18, and 21.

1.1 Describe service provider architectures

1.1.a Core architectures (Metro Ethernet, MPLS, unified MPLS, SR, SRTE,
SRv6)
1.1.b Transport technologies (xDSL, DWDM, DOCSIS, TDM, and xPON)

1.1.c Mobility (packet core, RAN xhaul transport for 5G vRAN and ORAN
transport)

1.1.d Routed optical network

1.2 Describe Cisco network software architecture

1.2.a IOS

1.2.b IOS XE

1.2.c IOS XR

1.3 Describe service provider virtualization

1.3.a NFV infrastructure

1.3.b VNF workloads

1.3.c Containers

1.3.d Application hosting

1.4 Describe QoS architecture

1.4.a MPLS QoS models (Pipe, Short Pipe, and Uniform)

1.4.b MPLS TE QoS (MAM, RDM, CBTS, PBTS, and DS-TE)

1.4.c DiffServ and IntServ QoS models

1.4.d Trust boundaries between enterprise and SP environments

1.4.e IPv6 flow label

1.5 Configure and verify control plane security

1.5.a Control plane protection techniques (LPTS and CoPP)

1.5.b BGP-TTL security and protocol authentication

1.5.c BGP prefix suppression

1.5.d LDP security (authentication and label allocation filtering)

1.5.e BGP sec

1.5.f BGP flowspec

1.6 Describe management plane security

1.6.a Traceback

1.6.b AAA and TACACS

1.6.c RestAPI security

1.6.d DDoS

1.7 Implement data plane security

1.7.a uRPF

1.7.b ACLs

1.7.c RTBH

1.7.d MACsec

Domain 2: Networking: This domain is covered in Chapters 4–8, 19, and

20.

2.1 Implement IS-IS (IPv4 and IPv6)

2.1.a Route advertisement

2.1.b Area addressing

2.1.c Single/Multitopology
2.1.d Metrics

2.2 Implement OSPF (v2 and v3)

2.2.a Neighbor adjacency

2.2.b Route advertisement

2.2.c Multiarea (addressing and types)

2.2.d Metrics

2.3 Describe BGP path selection algorithm

2.4 Implement BGP (v4 and v6 for IBGP and EBGP)

2.4.a Neighbors

2.4.b Prefix advertisement

2.4.c Address family

2.4.d Path selection

2.4.e Attributes

2.4.f Redistribution

2.4.g Additional Paths

2.4.h PIC

2.5 Implement routing policy language and route maps (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS)

2.6 Troubleshoot routing protocols

2.6.a Neighbor adjacency (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS)

2.6.b Route advertisement (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS)

2.7 Describe IPv6 transition (NAT44, NAT64, CGNAT, MAP-T and DS Lite)
2.8 Implement high availability

2.8.a NSF / graceful restart

2.8.b NSR

2.8.c BFD

2.8.d Link aggregation

Domain 3: MPLS and Segment Routing: This domain is covered in

Chapters 10, 14, and 15.

3.1 Implement MPLS

3.1.a LDP sync

3.1.b LDP session protection

3.1.c LDP neighbors

3.1.d Unified MPLS

3.1.e MPLS OAM

3.2 Describe traffic engineering

3.2.a IS-IS and OSPF extensions

3.2.b RSVP functionality

3.2.c FRR

3.3 Describe segment routing

3.3.a Segment types

3.3.b SR control plane (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS)

3.3.c Segment routing traffic engineering

3.3.d TI-LFa

3.3.e PCE-PCC architectures

3.3.f Flexible algorithm

3.3.g SRv6 (locator, micro-segment, encapsulation, interworking gateway)

Domain 4: Services: This domain is covered in Chapters 9, 11–13, and

21.

4.1 Describe VPN services

4.1.a EVPN

4.1.b Inter-AS VPN

4.1.c CSC

4.1.d mVPN

4.2 Configure L2VPN and Carrier Ethernet

4.2.a Ethernet services (E-Line, E-Tree, E-Access, E-LAN)

4.2.b IEEE 802.1ad, IEEE 802.1ah, and ITU G.8032

4.2.c Ethernet OAM

4.2.d VLAN tag manipulation

4.3 Configure L3VPN

4.3.a Intra-AS VPN

4.3.b Shared services (extranet and Internet)

4.4 Implement multicast services

4.4.a PIM (PIM-SM, PIM-SSM, and PIM-BIDIR, PIMv6)

4.4.b IGMP v1/v2/v3 and MLD

4.5 Implement QoS services

4.5.a Classification and marking

4.5.b Congestion avoidance, traffic policing, and shaping

Domain 5: Automation and Assurance: This domain is covered in

Chapter 22.

5.1 Describe the programmable APIs used to include Cisco devices in net-
work automation

5.2 Interpret an external script to configure a Cisco device using a REST

API

5.3 Describe the role of Network Services Orchestration (NSO)

5.4 Describe the high-level principles and benefits of a data modeling lan-
guage, such as YANG

5.5 Describe configuration management tools, such as Ansible and

Terraform

5.6 Describe Secure ZTP

5.7 Configure dial-in/out, TCP, TLS, and mTLS certificates using gRPC and
gNMI

5.8 Configure and verify NetFlow/IPFIX

5.9 Configure and verify NETCONF and RESTCONF

5.10 Configure and verify SNMP (v2c/v3)

Steps to Pass the SPCOR Exam

There are no prerequisites for the SPCOR exam. However, students must
have an understanding of networking and cybersecurity concepts.
Signing Up for the Exam

The steps required to sign up for the Implementing and Operating Cisco
Service Provider Network Core Technologies (SPCOR 350-501) exam:

1. Create a Certiport account at

[Link]
2. Once you have logged in, make sure that “Test Candidate” from the
drop-down menu is selected.
3. Click the Shop Available Exams button.
4. Select the Schedule exam button under the exam you wish to take.
5. Verify your information and continue throughout the next few
screens.
6. On the Enter payment and billing page, click the Add Voucher or
Promo Code button if applicable. Enter the voucher number or
promo/discount code in the field below and click the Apply button.
7. Continue through the next two screens to finish scheduling your exam.

Facts About the Exam

The exam is a computer-based test. The exam consists of multiple-choice

questions only. You must bring a government-issued identification card.
No other forms of ID will be accepted. You can take the exam at a Pearson
Vue center or online via the OnVUE platform. Visit the OnVUE page for
your exam program: [Link]
online-proctoring/[Link]

Once there, navigate to the FAQs section of the page, where you’ll find
helpful information on everything from scheduling your exam to system
requirements, testing policies, and more.

Note

Refer to the Cisco Certification site at

[Link] for more information re-
garding this, and other, Cisco certifications.
About the CCNP SPCOR 350-501 Official Cert Guide

This book maps directly to the topic areas of the SPCOR exam and uses a
number of features to help you understand the topics and prepare for the
exam.

Objectives and Methods

This book uses several key methodologies to help you discover the exam
topics that need more review, to help you fully understand and remem-
ber those details, and to help you prove to yourself that you have retained
your knowledge of those topics. The book does not try to help you pass
the exam only by memorization; it seeks to help you to truly learn and
understand the topics. This book is designed to help you pass the
Implementing and Operating Cisco Service Provider Network Core
Technologies (SPCOR 350-501) exam by using the following methods:

Helping you discover which exam topics you have not mastered
Providing explanations and information to fill in your knowledge gaps
Supplying exercises that enhance your ability to recall and deduce the
answers to test questions
Providing practice exercises on the topics and the testing process via
test questions on the companion website

How to Use This Book

To help you customize your study time using this book, the core chapters
have several features that help you make the best use of your time:

Foundation Topics: These are the core sections of each chapter. They
explain the concepts for the topics in that chapter.

Brainstorming: These encourage you to actively apply their knowl-

edge. You are invited to take a step beyond mere fact retrieval and en-
gage deeply with the material you’ve covered. This is your opportunity
to think critically about what you’ve learned and attempt to apply it
 on your own. Most of the time, we guide you through the process, but
these exercises are designed to help you assess an exam question and
provide an educated, well-reasoned answer. By participating in these
sessions, you’ll develop the skills to approach challenges with confi-
dence and creativity, ensuring you’re prepared to succeed
independently.
Exam Preparation Tasks: After the “Foundation Topics” section of
each chapter, the “Exam Preparation Tasks” section lists a series of
study activities that you should do at the end of the chapter:
Review All Key Topics: The Key Topic icon appears next to the
most important items in the “Foundation Topics” section of the
chapter. The Review All Key Topics activity lists the key topics from
the chapter, along with their page numbers. Although the contents
of the entire chapter could be on the exam, you should definitely
know the information listed in each key topic, so you should review
these.
Define Key Terms: Although the Implementing and Operating
Cisco Service Provider Network Core Technologies (SPCOR 350-501)
exam may be unlikely to ask a question such as “Define this term,”
the exam does require that you learn and know a lot of cybersecu-
rity terminology. This section lists the most important terms from
the chapter, asking you to write a short definition and compare
your answer to the glossary at the end of the book.
Review Questions: Confirm that you understand the content you
just covered by answering these questions and reading the answer
explanations in Appendix A.
Web-based practice exam: The companion website includes the
Pearson Cert Practice Test engine, which allows you to take practice
exam questions. Use it to prepare with a sample exam and to pinpoint
topics where you need more study.

How This Book Is Organized

This book contains 22 core chapters—Chapters 1 through 22. Chapter 23

includes preparation tips and suggestions for how to approach the exam.
Each core chapter covers a subset of the topics on the Implementing and
Operating Cisco Service Provider Network Core Technologies (SPCOR 350-
501) exam. The core chapters map to the SPCOR topic areas and cover the
concepts and technologies you will encounter on the exam.
The Companion Website for Online Content Review

All the electronic review elements, as well as other electronic components

of the book, exist on this book’s companion website.

To access the companion website, which gives you access to the electronic
content that accompanies this book, start by establishing a login at
[Link] and registering your book by December 31, 2027.
To do so, simply go to [Link]/register and enter the ISBN
of the print book: 9780135324806. After you have registered your book, go
to your account page and click the Registered Products tab. From there,
click the Access Bonus Content link to get access to the book’s compan-
ion website.

Note that if you buy the Premium Edition eBook and Practice Test version
of this book from Cisco Press, your book will automatically be registered
on your account page. Simply go to your account page, click the
Registered Products tab, and select Access Bonus Content to access the
book’s companion website.

Please note that many of our companion content files can be very large,
especially image and video files.

If you are unable to locate the files for this title by following these steps,
please visit [Link]/contact and select the Site
Problems/Comments option. Our customer service representatives will
assist you.

How to Access the Pearson Test Prep (PTP) App

You have two options for installing and using the Pearson Test Prep appli-
cation: a web app and a desktop app. To use the Pearson Test Prep appli-
cation, start by accessing the registration code that comes with the book.
You can access the code in these ways:

You can get your access code by registering the print ISBN
9780135324806 on [Link] Make sure
to use the print book ISBN, regardless of whether you purchased an
eBook or the print book. After you register the book, your access code
 will be populated on your account page under the Registered Products
tab. Instructions for how to redeem the code are available on the
book’s companion website by clicking the Access Bonus Content link.
If you purchase the Premium Edition eBook and Practice Test directly
from the Pearson IT Certification website, the code will be populated
on your account page after purchase. Just log in at
[Link] click Account to see details of your ac-
count, and click the Digital Purchases tab.

Note

After you register your book, your code can always be found
in your account under the Registered Products tab.

Once you have the access code, to find instructions about both the PTP
web app and the desktop app, follow these steps:

Step 1. Open this book’s companion website, as was shown earlier in this
Introduction under the heading “The Companion Website for Online
Content Review.”

Step 2. Click the Practice Exams button.

Step 3. Follow the instructions listed there both for installing the desktop app
and for using the web app.

Note that if you want to use the web app only at this point, just navigate
to [Link], establish a free login if you do not al-
ready have one, and register this book’s practice tests using the registra-
tion code you just found. The process should take only a couple of
minutes.

Customizing Your Exams

Once you are in the exam settings screen, you can choose to take exams
in one of three modes:

Study mode: Allows you to fully customize your exams and review an-
swers as you are taking the exam. This is typically the mode you
 would use first to assess your knowledge and identify information
gaps.
Practice Exam mode: Locks certain customization options, as it is pre-
senting a realistic exam experience. Use this mode when you are pre-
paring to test your exam readiness.
Flash Card mode: Strips out the answers and presents you with only
the question stem. This mode is great for late-stage preparation when
you really want to challenge yourself to provide answers without the
benefit of seeing multiple-choice options. This mode does not provide
the detailed score reports that the other two modes do, so you should
not use it if you are trying to identify knowledge gaps.

In addition to these three modes, you will be able to select the source of
your questions. You can choose to take exams that cover all of the chap-
ters or you can narrow your selection to just a single chapter or the chap-
ters that make up specific parts in the book. All chapters are selected by
default. If you want to narrow your focus to individual chapters, simply
deselect all the chapters and then select only those on which you wish to
focus in the Objectives area.

You can also select the exam banks on which to focus. Each exam bank
comes complete with a full exam of questions that cover topics in every
chapter. The two exams printed in the book are available to you as well
as two additional exams of unique questions. You can have the test en-
gine serve up exams from all four banks or just from one individual bank
by selecting the desired banks in the exam bank area.

There are several other customizations you can make to your exam from
the exam settings screen, such as the time of the exam, the number of
questions served up, whether to randomize questions and answers,
whether to show the number of correct answers for multiple-answer
questions, and whether to serve up only specific types of questions. You
can also create custom test banks by selecting only questions that you
have marked or questions on which you have added notes.

Updating Your Exams

If you are using the online version of the Pearson Test Prep software, you
should always have access to the latest version of the software as well as
the exam data. If you are using the Windows desktop version, every time
you launch the software while connected to the Internet, it checks if there
are any updates to your exam data and automatically downloads any
changes that were made since the last time you used the software.

Sometimes, due to many factors, the exam data may not fully download
when you activate your exam. If you find that figures or exhibits are
missing, you may need to manually update your exams. To update a par-
ticular exam you have already activated and downloaded, simply click
the Tools tab and click the Update Products button. Again, this is only an
issue with the desktop Windows application.

If you wish to check for updates to the Pearson Test Prep exam engine
software, Windows desktop version, simply click the Tools tab and click
the Update Application button. This ensures that you are running the
latest version of the software engine.