What happens if a subnetwork has "dirty areas"?

When a subnetwork has "dirty areas," it indicates that there are inconsistencies or errors in the underlying geographic data or the configuration of the network. These dirty areas can arise from issues such as topology violations, missing connectivity, or improperly configured network elements.

In this context, when dirty areas are present, the system prevents traces from executing. This safeguarding mechanism ensures that users do not obtain unreliable results due to these data integrity issues. Running a trace in a network with dirty areas could lead to ambiguous or incorrect results, which would undermine the accuracy of analyses and decision-making processes that depend on trace operations.

Consequently, before performing any tracing operations, it's essential to clean up any dirty areas to ensure the network's integrity. Only after addressing these concerns can users confidently execute reliable traces without the risk of compromised outcomes.