Juniper JN0-364 Real Exam Dumps [August 2026 Update]

The single question that separates JNCIS-ENT candidates from JNCIS-SP candidates has nothing to do with OSPF or BGP – both tracks cover those protocols. What distinguishes the SP track is MPLS and its signaling protocols, and within MPLS, the question about label stacks and egress router behavior is where SP candidates without hands-on service provider experience consistently lose points. A confirmed JN0-364 scenario: you are using RSVP to signal MPLS LSPs and must ensure the egress MPLS router receives the full label stack containing both the hop-by-hop label and the VPN label. Which configuration satisfies this requirement? The answer involves set protocols rsvp interface no-aggregate applied to the egress interface – this disables PHP (Penultimate Hop Popping), which by default causes the penultimate router to strip the outer MPLS label before forwarding to the egress. Without understanding that PHP is the default behavior and that disabling it preserves the full label stack at the egress, a candidate who knows MPLS conceptually will guess incorrectly from four plausible-sounding options.

The Juniper JN0-364 (Service Provider Routing and Switching, Specialist, JNCIS-SP) is the specialist-level certification in Juniper’s Service Provider track. It validates intermediate knowledge of SP-focused routing and switching using Junos OS, with the primary differentiator from the enterprise track being MPLS, LDP, and RSVP-TE signaling. The exam is 65 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, delivered through Pearson VUE, with a 3-year certification validity.

Cert Empire’s JN0-364 exam questions are built at the SP operational depth the real exam requires: MPLS label operations, LDP versus RSVP protocol distinctions, RSVP PHP behavior, BGP as an SP-scale routing protocol, and the high-availability mechanisms relevant to service provider environments.

Exam Snapshot

How JN0-364 Differs from JN0-352

Both exams cover OSPF, IS-IS, BGP, Layer 2, and high availability. The JN0-364 adds three major topic areas absent from JNCIS-ENT: MPLS fundamentals, LDP (Label Distribution Protocol), and RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol) for traffic engineering. These additions represent the core technology difference between enterprise and service provider networking.

What the JN0-364 Tests: SP-Specific Topics in Depth

Protocol-Independent Routing

Routing instances: Service provider networks commonly use multiple routing instances (VRFs) to separate customer traffic. The exam tests routing instance types: default-instance (the main routing table), vrf (for L3VPN), virtual-router (for routing separation without VPN labels), and forwarding (for forwarding policies). Understanding which routing instance type is used for which SP application is a JN0-364 exam topic.

Load balancing and filter-based forwarding: SP networks use ECMP (Equal-Cost Multipath) for load balancing across multiple equal-cost paths. The exam tests how load balancing is configured in Junos and what the default behavior is. Filter-based forwarding (FBF) uses firewall filters to override the routing table and force specific traffic out a specific interface, used in policy-routing scenarios.

MPLS Fundamentals

MPLS label stack: MPLS adds one or more labels to packets between the Layer 2 and Layer 3 headers. Each label contains: label value (20 bits), EXP/TC bits (3 bits, used for QoS), S bit (1 bit, stack indicator – set on the bottom label), TTL (8 bits). The exam tests what each field does and how the S bit indicates the bottom of the label stack.

Label operations: Three fundamental MPLS label operations: Push (add a label to the stack), Swap (replace the top label with a new label), Pop (remove the top label). The exam tests which operation occurs at each hop in a label-switched path.

Penultimate Hop Popping (PHP) – the most tested MPLS concept: By default, the penultimate router (the router immediately before the egress LSR) removes the outer MPLS label before forwarding the packet to the egress router. The egress router receives a packet without a top MPLS label, which reduces its processing load. However, when the egress router needs to see the full label stack (for example, to distinguish between multiple VPN customers using inner VPN labels), PHP must be disabled. The mechanism: the egress router signals to the penultimate hop that it should keep the outer label by advertising label value 3 (implicit null, PHP) or explicitly requesting label value 0 (explicit null, no PHP) in its LDP or RSVP signaling. The JN0-364 exam tests PHP in the context of both LDP and RSVP.

LDP (Label Distribution Protocol)

LDP operation: LDP is a signaling protocol that automatically distributes labels for each IP prefix in the routing table, creating LSPs without traffic engineering constraints. LDP neighbors are discovered via Hello packets on directly connected interfaces, and TCP sessions carry label advertisements.

LDP session establishment: LDP requires IP connectivity between neighbors (not just direct link connectivity). The exam tests that LDP sessions fail to establish when: the lo0 interface is not included in the LDP interface configuration, the LDP transport address is not reachable, or the LSR IDs are not unique.

LDP label distribution mode: LDP uses one of two label distribution modes: Downstream Unsolicited (routers advertise labels for all prefixes without being asked – this is the default in Junos) and Downstream on Demand (labels are only distributed when explicitly requested).

LDP and PHP: By default, LDP-signaled LSPs use PHP. The penultimate router receives label value 3 (implicit null) from the egress router, signals it to pop the top label before forwarding. If the egress router should receive the full stack (e.g., for L3VPN), it should advertise label value 0 (explicit null) instead.

RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol) for Traffic Engineering

RSVP-TE versus LDP: LDP creates LSPs hop-by-hop following the IGP best path without traffic engineering capability. RSVP-TE creates explicitly routed LSPs with specific constraints (bandwidth, link colors, administrative groups), enabling traffic engineering to route LSPs away from the IGP best path to optimize network utilization.

RSVP PATH and RESV messages: RSVP uses PATH messages (sent from ingress toward egress along the explicit or IGP path) and RESV messages (sent back from egress toward ingress, allocating resources and distributing labels). The exam tests the direction and purpose of each message type.

RSVP-TE Label objects: The RESV message carries the label that the downstream node (egress) assigns to the LSP. The exam tests the confirmed scenario: using RSVP to signal MPLS LSPs, how do you ensure the egress router receives the full label stack containing both the hop-by-hop and VPN labels? Answer: apply set protocols rsvp interface no-aggregate to the egress interface. This prevents the penultimate hop from popping the outer label (disables PHP for RSVP).

RSVP soft state: RSVP uses soft state – PATH and RESV messages must be periodically refreshed to maintain the LSP reservation. If refreshes stop, the reservation is torn down after the refresh timer expires. This soft-state design allows RSVP to automatically clean up stale reservations but requires bandwidth for periodic refresh messages.

BGP in Service Provider Contexts

iBGP full mesh and route reflectors: In a service provider network with many routers, a full mesh of iBGP sessions (N×(N-1)/2 sessions for N routers) becomes unscalable. Route reflectors allow a subset of routers to advertise iBGP routes to other iBGP peers. The route reflector client sends routes to the RR; the RR reflects those routes to other clients and non-client peers.

BGP communities for SP route control: Communities are BGP path attributes that carry policy information. The exam tests how communities are used in SP environments to signal routing policy across AS boundaries, including well-known communities: NO_EXPORT (do not advertise to eBGP peers), NO_ADVERTISE (do not advertise to any BGP peer), NOPEER (do not advertise to non-customer eBGP peers).

BGP as a PE-CE routing protocol in L3VPN: At the JNCIS-SP level, the exam introduces L3VPN concepts. Provider Edge (PE) routers maintain per-customer VRFs and use BGP with VPN-IPv4 address families (route distinguishers + IP prefix) to carry customer routes across the provider backbone. The exam tests the conceptual operation: customer routes from one CE enter the PE VRF, are tagged with a VPN label and a route distinguisher, advertised via MP-BGP to the remote PE, and installed in the remote PE’s corresponding VRF.

Ethernet OAM

Connectivity Fault Management (CFM): IEEE 802.1ag CFM provides end-to-end connectivity monitoring for Ethernet networks. Key OAM tools: CCM (Continuity Check Messages, periodic heartbeats between MEPs to detect link failures), LBM/LBR (Loopback Messages for path testing), LTM/LTR (Linktrace Messages for path tracing, similar to traceroute at Layer 2).

MEP and MIP: Maintenance Endpoints (MEPs) are the endpoints of an OAM domain that generate and respond to OAM frames. Maintenance Intermediate Points (MIPs) pass OAM frames through without generating them, but respond to loopback and linktrace requests. The exam tests the distinction between MEP and MIP and what each can and cannot do.

IPv6 in SP Environments

IPv6 addressing and protocols: The exam tests IPv6 prefix types (global unicast, link-local, unique local, anycast, multicast), OSPFv3 for IPv6 (separate process from OSPFv2 for IPv4), IS-IS multi-topology for IPv6 (enabling IS-IS to route both IPv4 and IPv6 using separate topology tables), and BGP with IPv6 address family.

6in4 and IPv6 tunneling: Tunneling IPv6 traffic over IPv4 infrastructure for networks transitioning to IPv6.

High Availability

The same HA mechanisms as JNCIS-ENT (VRRP, GRES, NSR, graceful restart) apply in the SP context, with SP-specific consideration for BFD (Bidirectional Forwarding Detection) as a fast failure detection mechanism that can be applied to routing protocols to speed convergence times below what routing protocol timers alone can achieve.

5 Study Tips for Juniper JN0-364

• Tip 1: Make MPLS your priority study area. PHP behavior, label stack operations (push/swap/pop), and the specific no-aggregate configuration for preserving the full label stack at the egress are all high-frequency exam topics that do not appear in JNCIS-ENT preparation.
• Tip 2: Understand LDP versus RSVP-TE as two different LSP signaling approaches with different use cases. LDP follows the IGP path automatically; RSVP-TE enables explicit path specification with constraints. Know when each is appropriate.
• Tip 3: Study RSVP PATH and RESV message direction and purpose. PATH messages flow ingress-to-egress; RESV messages flow egress-to-ingress carrying label assignments. This bidirectional exchange is tested in scenario questions.
• Tip 4: Study BGP route reflector architecture for SP networks. Know why full mesh iBGP is not scalable and how route reflectors solve the iBGP scalability problem.
• Tip 5: Practice with Cert Empire’s JN0-364 exam questions with specific emphasis on MPLS label stack scenarios, PHP configurations, and LDP session establishment prerequisites that represent the highest-difficulty question clusters on the real exam.

Best Study Resources

• Cert Empire JN0-364 exam questions PDF and practice simulator (2026 JNCIS-SP edition).
• Juniper official JN0-364 JNCIS-SP exam topics (HPE Juniper Networking certification page).
• Juniper TechLibrary: MPLS, LDP, and RSVP configuration guides.
• CBT Nuggets: JNCIS-SP training course.
• Day One books: MPLS for Junos OS, Understanding MPLS Traffic Engineering.

Career Opportunities After JN0-364

• Service Provider Network Engineer
• ISP Routing Engineer
• Carrier Network Architect
• Telecom Infrastructure Engineer
• MPLS Network Specialist
• Core Network Engineer (Telco)

JNCIS-SP certified professionals are in demand at ISPs, telecommunications carriers, managed service providers, and large enterprises running SP-grade MPLS networks. Certified engineers earn between USD 85,000 and USD 130,000 annually.

Why Candidates Choose Cert Empire for JN0-364 Preparation

✔ PHP and no-aggregate RSVP configuration questions. Our JN0-364 questions test the confirmed exam scenario: RSVP-signaled MPLS LSPs requiring full label stack preservation at the egress, and the specific no-aggregate configuration that achieves it.

✔ LDP versus RSVP-TE selection scenario questions. We test which signaling protocol is appropriate for a given SP network requirement: automatic path following (LDP) versus constrained explicit path (RSVP-TE).

✔ MPLS label stack operation questions. Our questions test push, swap, and pop operations at each hop in a label-switched path and what the S bit indicates in the label stack.

✔ Practice under real exam conditions with the Cert Empire Exam Simulator. Our JN0-364 simulator runs 65 questions in 90 minutes with topic-level tracking across all JNCIS-SP domains.

✔ Instant access, 90-day free updates, and 24/7 support. As Juniper updates JN0-364 content, your materials update automatically. Our support team is available around the clock.

✔ Backed by a full money-back guarantee. If our exam questions do not help you pass, we refund your purchase with no conditions.

FAQ’s

What is the Juniper JN0-364 JNCIS-SP exam?

The JN0-364 is the Service Provider Routing and Switching, Specialist (JNCIS-SP) exam. It validates intermediate knowledge of SP networking using Junos OS, with primary emphasis on MPLS, LDP, and RSVP-TE alongside the routing and switching foundation shared with the enterprise track.

What is Penultimate Hop Popping (PHP) in MPLS?

PHP is the default behavior where the router immediately before the egress LSR (penultimate hop) removes the outer MPLS label before forwarding the packet to the egress. This reduces egress processing load. When the egress must see the full label stack (e.g., for VPN label distinction), PHP must be disabled by configuring the egress interface with set protocols rsvp interface no-aggregate.

What is the difference between LDP and RSVP-TE for MPLS signaling?

LDP automatically distributes labels for all prefixes in the routing table, creating LSPs that follow the IGP best path. RSVP-TE creates explicitly signaled LSPs with specific bandwidth and path constraints, enabling traffic engineering to override IGP routing. LDP is simpler; RSVP-TE provides traffic engineering capability.

How many iBGP sessions does a 20-router full mesh require?

N×(N-1)/2 = 20×19/2 = 190 sessions. This is unscalable for large SP networks and is the reason route reflectors or BGP confederation are used.

How does JN0-364 differ from JN0-352?

Both cover OSPF, IS-IS, BGP, Layer 2, and high availability. JN0-364 adds MPLS, LDP, RSVP-TE, Ethernet OAM, and extended IPv6 content that are specific to service provider environments and absent from the enterprise track.

Related Certifications Worth Exploring

JNCIS-SP professionals advancing to the professional level in the SP track will find our Juniper JNCIP-SP (JN0-664) exam questions page covers advanced L3VPN inter-AS, VPLS, MVPN, Segment Routing, and advanced traffic engineering that build directly on JNCIS-SP content. For those who need both enterprise and SP track knowledge, our Juniper JNCIS-ENT (JN0-351) exam questions page covers the parallel enterprise specialist credential.