What is policy-based routing?

Policy-based routing is a routing technique that allows network administrators to make routing decisions based on a defined set of policies rather than solely relying on the destination IP addresses. This means that routing decisions can consider various criteria such as the source IP address, application type, or even the time of day, enabling more granular control over network traffic and its paths.

Using policy-based routing, organizations can implement specific rules tailored to their needs, allowing them to direct traffic based on organizational goals or performance requirements. For instance, traffic originating from a certain subnet may be routed through a specific interface for performance reasons, or VoIP traffic might be prioritized over other types of traffic to ensure quality of service.

The other options may refer to aspects of routing or network management, but they do not accurately define policy-based routing. For example, routing decisions based on destination IP addresses describes traditional routing methods, while the idea of bypassing firewall settings is more related to security concerns and not specifically tied to routing policies. Similarly, the concept of routing only during peak hours is more aligned with traffic management or scheduling rather than the principles of policy-based routing.