策略路由是一种路由规划，它可以使数据包按照用户指定的策略进行转发。对于某些管理目的，如QoS需求或VPN拓扑结构，要求某些路由必须经过特定的路径，就可以使用策略路由。例如，一个策略可以指定从某个网络发出的数据包只能转发到某个特定的接口。
策略路由使用rout maps 实现的，它和访问控制列表很相似。下面是一个Cisco 3640来实现的策略路由的例子：
3640#show runCurrent configuration:!version 12.0service timestamps debug uptimeservice timestamps log uptimeno service password-encryption!hostname 3640!!ip subnet-zeroR>!!!!!interface Ethernet0/0ip address 172.16.0.1 255.255.255.0no ip redirectsno ip directed-broadcaststandby 1 priority 120 preempt /*双机热备配置*/standby 1 ip 172.16.0.100standby 1 track Serial0/0 50 /*双机热备配置*/interface Serial0/0ip address 10.10.10.1 255.255.255.0no ip directed-broadcastencapsulation pppno ip mroute-cacheno fair-queue!interface Serial0/1ip address 10.10.10.10 255.255.255.0no ip directed-broadcastencapsulation pppno ip mroute-cacheno fair-queue!interface Serial1/0no ip addressno ip directed-broadcastshutdown!interface Serial1/1no ip addressno ip directed-broadcastshutdown!interface Serial1/2no ip addressno ip directed-broadcastshutdownpriority-group 5 /*CQ 5 配置应用*/ CQ：定制队列!interface Serial1/3no ip addressno ip directed-broadcastshutdownpriority-group 2 /*PQ 2 配置应用*/ PQ:优先级队列!interface Serial3/0no ip addressno ip directed-broadcastip policy route-map mail /*策略路由mail应用*/shutdown!interface Serial3/1no ip addressno ip directed-broadcastip route-cache policy /*启动策略路由mytest的快速转发*/ip policy route-map mytest /*策略路由mytest应用*/shutdownno fair-queue!interface Serial3/2no ip addressno ip directed-broadcastshutdown!