In the framework ofDesigning and Implementing Enterprise Network Assurance (300-445 ENNA), selecting the appropriate ThousandEyes agent type is critical to balancing visibility requirements with infrastructure constraints. For Branch A, the primary objective is to gain network-layer metrics (such as latency, packet loss, and jitter) and path visualization for a SaaS application while strictly avoiding any performance impact on employee endpoints.
TheEnterprise Agent(Option C) is the correct choice because it is designed for "inside-out" monitoring from within the corporate network environment. These agents are lightweight software probes that can be deployed on existing network infrastructure, such asCisco Catalyst 9300/9400 switchesorCatalyst 8000 Edge Platforms, using Docker containers or virtual machines. By hosting the agent on the branch router or a dedicated local server, the engineer can execute synthetic tests to the SaaS provider's destination. This approach provides the necessary network vantage point from Branch A without requiring any software installation or resource consumption on the individual employee workstations (endpoints).
Other agent types do not satisfy the specific constraints of this scenario:
Endpoint Agentsare installed directly on user devices (Windows/macOS) to provide "last-mile" visibility. However, they use the endpoint's CPU and memory, which contradicts the requirement to not affect endpoint performance.
Cloud Agentsare maintained by Cisco in global ISP data centers. While they provide "outside-in" visibility, they cannot capture internal branch network characteristics or the specific path from Branch A's internal local area network.
Application Agentis a non-standard term and does not exist as a standalone agent type within the ThousandEyes architecture.
Therefore, deploying anEnterprise Agentwithin the branch infrastructure ensures that the network engineer obtains high-fidelity network metrics while keeping employee devices entirely unburdened.
Introduction to ThousandEyes
This video provides an essential overview of how ThousandEyes agents function within a CCNP-level enterprise network assurance strategy.
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