This attribute is used to set the metric value to be included in the routing table for any routes sent because this particular import instance was it's 'best match' policy. However this attribute is not a selection key. It should not use or ignore a particular metric value. If the value for this attribute is not specified, then the metric value received in an Egp update will be used.

Note:

When setting this value, caution should be taken to set the metric value in all relevant Import components to make sure that all matching policies for a given route have the same metric set. This will insure that there are no situations where a specific metric was desired, but doesn't get used in the update because the 'best match' policy for that situation did not set the metric parameter.

If the attribute usageFlag for this import policy is set to ignore, then the importMetric value will be ignored by the application. The importMetric value is not used to select which routes to use or ignore but is used to set the metric value for the routes being imported. A value of zero indicates that the metric received in the update will be used.