Which protocol does a Cisco MPLS TE tunnel use to maintain paths within the core?

 RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol) is used in MPLS Traffic Engineering (TE) tunnels to establish and maintain paths within the core network. It helps in reserving resources across an IP network and plays a crucial role in ensuring that the network can handle the traffic load efficiently, providing optimal data transfer paths while maximizing network resource utilization and quality of service. References: Implementing and Operating Cisco Service Provider Network Core Technologies source documents or study guide