In the EIGRP metric formula, what is the unit of measurement for the cumulative_path_delay variable?

In the EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol) metric formula, the variable cumulative_path_delay is measured in tens of microseconds. This measurement is integral to how EIGRP calculates its metric for determining the best path for routing.

The path delay is an essential component of the EIGRP metric, which also includes bandwidth, reliability, load, and minimum transmission unit (MTU). Specifically, the formula for EIGRP's composite metric is:

Metric = (K1 * bandwidth + K2 * bandwidth / (256 - load) + K3 * delay) * K5 / (K4 + reliability)

In this formula, the delay component (cumulative_path_delay) is summed up from all routers along the path to the destination. Each individual router contributes its own delay, measured in tens of microseconds, to the total.

Understanding this unit of measurement is crucial because it impacts how quickly a packet can be transmitted through the network. If cumulative_path_delay were measured in an inappropriate unit, the metric calculations could lead to incorrect routing decisions, impacting overall network performance.

The other units, such as seconds, microseconds, and milliseconds, would not align with the way EIGRP is designed to compute its metric, leading