Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Practice Test

Which connection mechanism does the eSTREAMER service use to communicate?

1. IPsec tunnels with 3DES encryption only.

2. SSH.

3. TCP over SSL only.

4. TCP with optional SSL encryption.

The correct answer is: TCP over SSL only.

The eSTREAMER service utilizes a connection mechanism that operates on TCP with optional SSL encryption. This is significant for a few reasons. Firstly, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is a reliable communication protocol that ensures that packets of data are delivered in the same order in which they were sent, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the data. In the context of eSTREAMER, this reliability is particularly important for the real-time delivery of security alerts and logs from the source device to the collector. The optional use of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) adds a layer of security to the connection. SSL encrypts the data being transmitted, protecting it from eavesdropping or tampering during transit. Since eSTREAMER is designed for the secure transmission of potentially sensitive information related to security events, this encryption option is beneficial, allowing administrators to choose to secure their data as necessary. The other options do not align with the communication method used by eSTREAMER. For instance, IPsec tunnels are generally used for creating secure network connections over IP networks, which does not specifically describe the eSTREAMER mechanism. SSH (Secure Shell) is commonly used for secure command-line access, not for the type of data streaming done by eSTREAMER. Lastly