Segment-Routing

SoftBank just deployed AI-driven autonomous routing on its commercial mobile network — and the results prove that intent-based networking isn’t just a blueprint concept anymore. Their “Autonomous Thinking Distributed Core Routing” technology, announced at MWC Barcelona 2026 on March 11, uses AI agents paired with the CAMARA Quality on Demand (QoD) API to dynamically select optimal network paths based on real-time traffic analysis. In field trials, it cut average latency from 41.9ms to 27.4ms with 99.7% traffic control accuracy. ...

CCIE Service Provider is not a dead track — it’s an undervalued one. Fewer candidates sitting the exam means less competition for high-paying SP roles, while 5G backhaul deployment, Segment Routing adoption, and the stubborn persistence of MPLS in every major network keep demand strong. According to Stratistics MRC, the global 5G network infrastructure market is projected to reach $122.37 billion by 2034 at a 26.9% CAGR — and every one of those networks needs transport engineers who understand the protocols that CCIE SP tests. ...

IS-IS (Intermediate System to Intermediate System) is the dominant interior gateway protocol in service provider networks worldwide, and it’s the primary IGP tested on the CCIE Service Provider v5.0 blueprint. If you’re studying for CCIE SP or working in an SP environment, IS-IS isn’t optional — it’s the foundation everything else (MPLS, Segment Routing, traffic engineering) runs on top of. Key Takeaway: Service providers chose IS-IS over OSPF decades ago for its TLV extensibility, protocol independence, and simpler flooding mechanics — and that decision has been validated repeatedly, most recently by IS-IS’s seamless integration with Segment Routing without requiring a protocol version change. ...

CCIE Service Provider holders earn a median salary of $157,000 in 2026, with top earners in major metros clearing $200,000 or more. According to ZipRecruiter (March 2026), the national salary range for CCIE-certified professionals spans $135,000 to $250,000, and SP track holders with segment routing expertise command a clear premium as 5G backhaul demand surges. Key Takeaway: Despite the “SP is dying” narrative, the job market tells a different story — 483 CCIE SP jobs on LinkedIn, 60+ segment routing roles on ZipRecruiter, and median pay that’s competitive with every other CCIE track. ...

Segment Routing Traffic Engineering (SR-TE) replaces RSVP-TE’s hop-by-hop signaling with a source-routed model where the headend router encodes the entire path as a SID list — eliminating per-LSP state from every transit router in your SP backbone. For CCIE SP candidates, understanding both technologies and their tradeoffs is now essential: the v6 lab tests SR-TE policies, TI-LFA, and Flex-Algo alongside legacy RSVP-TE tunnels. Key Takeaway: SR-TE is rapidly replacing RSVP-TE in production SP networks because it eliminates control-plane state from the core, scales better, and integrates natively with SDN controllers — but RSVP-TE’s built-in bandwidth reservation still matters for specific use cases, and both appear on the CCIE SP lab. ...

Learn how to migrate from MPLS to SRv6 uSID using the Ship in the Night method with real IOS XR configuration examples and verification steps.