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CCNP Data Center practice questions

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First 50 of 199 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

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Question 1Network

Which link carries vPC control-plane traffic, including MAC address synchronization, between two vPC peers?

  1. vPC peer-keepalive link
  2. vPC member port
  3. vPC peer-link Correct answer.
  4. Management0 interface

Explanation

The vPC peer-link is a trunk that carries control-plane protocols and synchronized forwarding entries between vPC peers. MAC and ARP synchronization occurs over this link. The peer-keepalive link is only a heartbeat path.

Question 2Network

Which spanning-tree mode is enabled by default on Cisco Nexus switches?

  1. MST
  2. 802.1D STP
  3. Rapid PVST+ Correct answer.
  4. MSTP region mode

Explanation

Cisco Nexus switches run Rapid PVST+ by default, which creates a separate rapid spanning-tree instance for each VLAN. MST requires explicit region configuration before it is used. Legacy 802.1D STP is not the default mode.

Question 3Network

Which first-hop redundancy protocol uses the IPv4 multicast address 224.0.0.2 by default?

  1. VRRPv2
  2. HSRPv2
  3. HSRPv1 Correct answer.
  4. GLBP

Explanation

HSRP version 1 sends hello messages to the multicast address 224.0.0.2. HSRP version 2 uses 224.0.0.102. VRRP uses 224.0.0.18, and GLBP uses 224.0.0.102.

Question 4Network

On a Cisco Nexus switch, which command creates VLAN 10 and enters VLAN configuration mode from global configuration?

  1. create vlan 10
  2. vlan 10 Correct answer.
  3. switchport vlan 10
  4. vlan database 10

Explanation

The global configuration command vlan 10 creates the VLAN if it does not exist and enters config-vlan mode. The other forms are not valid Nexus VLAN creation commands.

Question 5Network

Which routing protocol uses the Diffusing Update Algorithm (DUAL) to compute loop-free paths?

  1. BGP
  2. OSPF
  3. IS-IS
  4. EIGRP Correct answer.

Explanation

EIGRP uses DUAL to calculate feasible successors and maintain loop-free paths. OSPF and IS-IS use shortest-path-first algorithms. BGP uses path-vector selection rather than DUAL.

Question 6Network

What does the VXLAN Network Identifier (VNI) in a VXLAN header identify?

  1. The BGP autonomous system
  2. The underlay VLAN tag
  3. The physical VTEP loopback address
  4. A Layer 2 overlay segment Correct answer.

Explanation

The 24-bit VNI identifies a VXLAN overlay Layer 2 segment, allowing many isolated segments to share the same underlay. It is not the VTEP address or an underlay VLAN identifier.

Question 7Network

Which field in an 802.1Q tag carries the Layer 2 class-of-service marking?

  1. DEI
  2. EtherType
  3. VID
  4. PCP Correct answer.

Explanation

The Priority Code Point (PCP) is a 3-bit field in the 802.1Q tag used for Layer 2 CoS marking. DEI indicates drop eligibility, and the VID carries the VLAN identifier.

Question 8Network

Which IPv6 address type is automatically configured on an interface and is used to reach neighbors on the same link?

  1. Link-local Correct answer.
  2. Anycast
  3. Unique local
  4. Global unicast

Explanation

A link-local address is automatically configured on an IPv6 interface and is scoped to the local link. Routers use it for neighbor discovery and next-hop reachability. Global unicast and unique local addresses are not limited to the local link.

Question 9Network

A vPC domain loses its peer-link while the peer-keepalive link remains up. What is the resulting state of vPC member ports on the secondary peer?

  1. They are suspended Correct answer.
  2. They are placed in err-disabled
  3. They remain forwarding
  4. They become orphan ports

Explanation

When the peer-link fails but the keepalive link is still up, the secondary vPC peer suspends its vPC member ports to prevent a split-brain forwarding condition. The primary peer keeps its vPC member ports forwarding.

Question 10Network

Which protocol does OTV use to advertise MAC address reachability between edge devices?

  1. IS-IS Correct answer.
  2. OSPF
  3. BGP
  4. EIGRP

Explanation

OTV uses IS-IS as its control-plane protocol to advertise MAC address reachability between OTV edge devices. The overlay carries Layer 2 frames while IS-IS maintains the MAC routing information.

Question 11Network

In BGP EVPN, which route type carries MAC and IP address bindings for a host?

  1. Type 5
  2. Type 1
  3. Type 3
  4. Type 2 Correct answer.

Explanation

EVPN Type 2 routes are MAC/IP advertisement routes that distribute host MAC and IP binding information. Type 1 is Ethernet auto-discovery, Type 3 is inclusive multicast, and Type 5 is IP prefix advertisement.

Question 12Network

Which BGP attribute is prepended with each AS hop and is used to detect inter-AS routing loops?

  1. MED
  2. AS_PATH Correct answer.
  3. Local preference
  4. Origin

Explanation

The AS_PATH attribute lists the autonomous systems a route has traversed and is prepended when a route is advertised to an eBGP peer. A router rejects a route whose AS_PATH already contains its own AS number, preventing loops.

Question 13Network

Which PIM mode builds a shared tree rooted at a rendezvous point before switching to a shortest-path tree?

  1. PIM-SSM
  2. PIM-DM
  3. IGMPv3
  4. PIM-SM Correct answer.

Explanation

PIM Sparse Mode uses a rendezvous point to build a shared distribution tree and can later switch to a source-specific shortest-path tree. PIM Dense Mode floods and prunes, while PIM SSM builds source-specific trees directly.

Question 14Network

In VRRP, which router owns the virtual IP address and forwards traffic sent to the virtual MAC address by default?

  1. Listening router
  2. Standby router
  3. Master router Correct answer.
  4. Backup router

Explanation

The VRRP master router answers ARP requests for the virtual IP address and forwards traffic sent to the virtual MAC address. Backup routers monitor the master and take over if it fails.

Question 15Network

What is the purpose of the vPC peer-keepalive link?

  1. To synchronize MAC and ARP tables
  2. To detect peer liveness Correct answer.
  3. To carry data traffic between vPC peers
  4. To elect the vPC primary role

Explanation

The peer-keepalive link provides a heartbeat between vPC peers so each can detect whether the other is alive independently of the peer-link. It does not carry user data or synchronize forwarding tables.

Question 16Network

Within an MST instance, which parameter determines which switch becomes the root bridge?

  1. MST revision number
  2. Path cost
  3. Bridge priority Correct answer.
  4. Port priority

Explanation

The root bridge for each MST instance is elected based on the lowest bridge ID, which combines the configurable bridge priority and the switch MAC address. Port priority and path cost influence path selection, not root election.

Question 17Network

Which OSPF network type elects a DR and BDR and sends hellos to 224.0.0.5?

  1. Broadcast Correct answer.
  2. Point-to-point
  3. Non-broadcast
  4. Point-to-multipoint

Explanation

The OSPF broadcast network type elects a designated router and backup designated router and sends hellos to the AllSPFRouters multicast address 224.0.0.5. Point-to-point networks do not elect a DR.

Question 18Network

What is the primary purpose of a VRF on a Cisco Nexus switch?

  1. To provide hardware-based encryption for transit traffic
  2. To isolate Layer 3 routing tables Correct answer.
  3. To aggregate multiple physical links into one logical link
  4. To map VLANs to VXLAN VNIs

Explanation

A VRF creates a separate Layer 3 routing and forwarding table on the same physical switch, allowing overlapping address space and traffic isolation. It does not encrypt traffic or bundle links.

Question 19Network

What does Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) provide to routing protocols?

  1. Rapid failure detection Correct answer.
  2. Path MTU discovery
  3. Multicast group management
  4. Automatic summarization of prefixes

Explanation

BFD provides lightweight, rapid failure detection between forwarding engines so routing protocols can converge faster. Routing protocols register with BFD and are notified when a neighbor is considered down.

Question 20Network

In a VXLAN EVPN fabric, which function encapsulates the original Ethernet frame into a VXLAN UDP packet?

  1. Anycast gateway
  2. VTEP Correct answer.
  3. Underlay OSPF process
  4. BGP route reflector

Explanation

A VXLAN Tunnel Endpoint (VTEP) encapsulates the original Layer 2 frame in a VXLAN header and outer IP/UDP headers, then decapsulates it at the remote VTEP. The anycast gateway provides default gateway services but does not perform encapsulation.

Question 21Network

Both the vPC peer-link and the vPC peer-keepalive link fail on a vPC domain. What happens to vPC member ports?

  1. Only the secondary peer suspends its ports
  2. The ports fall back to a VLAN access mode
  3. Both peers suspend their vPC member ports Correct answer.
  4. The primary peer keeps all ports forwarding

Explanation

If both the peer-link and peer-keepalive link fail, neither peer can verify the other's health, so both peers suspend their vPC member ports to prevent a split-brain forwarding condition. This is more restrictive than a peer-link-only failure.

Question 22Network

Which BGP EVPN route type is used for VTEP discovery and inclusive multicast replication of BUM traffic?

  1. Type 2
  2. Type 5
  3. Type 1
  4. Type 3 Correct answer.

Explanation

EVPN Type 3 routes are inclusive multicast Ethernet tag routes that advertise VTEP membership for a VNI and support BUM traffic replication. Type 2 routes advertise host MAC/IP bindings, and Type 5 routes advertise IP prefixes.

Question 23Network

In an OTV multihomed site, which device is elected to forward traffic for the site and prevent duplicate frames?

  1. Authoritative Edge Device Correct answer.
  2. Designated intermediate system
  3. Rendezvous point router
  4. Anycast gateway

Explanation

OTV elects an Authoritative Edge Device among the edge devices at a multihomed site. Only the AED forwards traffic for a given VLAN, preventing duplicate frames across the overlay.

Question 24Network

Which multicast group range is reserved for PIM Source-Specific Multicast (SSM) by default?

  1. 233.0.0.0/8
  2. 224.0.0.0/24
  3. 239.0.0.0/8
  4. 232.0.0.0/8 Correct answer.

Explanation

The default PIM SSM range is 232.0.0.0/8. Sources and receivers use this range to build source-specific distribution trees without a rendezvous point. The 239.0.0.0/8 range is administratively scoped.

Question 25Network

Which OSPF LSA type is generated by an ASBR inside a Not-So-Stubby Area (NSSA) to advertise external routes?

  1. Type 5
  2. Type 3
  3. Type 7 Correct answer.
  4. Type 4

Explanation

An ASBR in an NSSA generates Type 7 LSAs for external routes because Type 5 LSAs are not allowed in an NSSA. An ABR later translates the Type 7 LSAs into Type 5 LSAs for the rest of the OSPF domain.

Question 26Network

What does creating a virtual device context (VDC) on a Cisco Nexus switch provide?

  1. A standby supervisor engine that takes over after a failure
  2. A Layer 3 overlay that tunnels traffic between data centers
  3. A dedicated physical switching ASIC assigned to a single tenant
  4. An isolated control-plane instance with its own configuration Correct answer.

Explanation

A VDC partitions a single physical Nexus switch into independent virtual devices, each with its own supervisor control plane, configuration file, and management interfaces. Hardware resources such as ports are assigned to a VDC, but the physical ASICs are shared rather than dedicated.

Question 27Network

Which control-plane protocol does Cisco FabricPath use to build its Layer 2 topology?

  1. Spanning Tree Protocol
  2. OSPF
  3. BGP
  4. IS-IS Correct answer.

Explanation

FabricPath uses IS-IS as its control plane to advertise switch IDs and build a deterministic Layer 2 topology, replacing STP. IS-IS was chosen because it is extensible and supports fast convergence with TLV-based advertisements.

Question 28Network

On a Cisco Nexus switch, what does storm control configured on an interface do?

  1. It marks flooded frames with a higher class-of-service value
  2. It redirects unknown unicast frames to a capture port
  3. It rate-limits broadcast, multicast, and unknown unicast Correct answer.
  4. It blocks multicast traffic until a querier is detected

Explanation

Storm control measures the rate of broadcast, multicast, and unknown unicast frames on an interface and takes action when a configured threshold is exceeded, either by dropping or err-disabling the port. It does not mark, redirect, or block traffic based on IGMP state.

Question 29Network

Which spanning tree mode is enabled by default on a Cisco Nexus switch running NX-OS?

  1. IEEE 802.1D legacy Common Spanning Tree
  2. Rapid Per-VLAN Spanning Tree Plus Correct answer.
  3. Per-VLAN Spanning Tree Plus (PVST+)
  4. Multiple Spanning Tree (MST)

Explanation

NX-OS enables Rapid PVST+ by default, running a separate rapid spanning tree instance per VLAN. MST and legacy STP must be explicitly configured.

Question 30Network

Which vPC parameter is a Type 1 consistency check, meaning a mismatch suspends the vPC?

  1. Spanning Tree priority
  2. QoS policy name
  3. MTU Correct answer.
  4. HSRP priority

Explanation

vPC consistency checks are divided into Type 1 (mandatory) and Type 2 (advisory) parameters. A Type 1 mismatch, such as different MTU, STP mode, or port-channel mode, causes the vPC to be suspended; Type 2 mismatches only raise a warning.

Question 31Network

What is the main benefit of a distributed anycast gateway in a VXLAN EVPN fabric?

  1. It removes the need for a routing protocol between leaf switches
  2. It replaces VXLAN encapsulation with traditional VLAN tagging
  3. Each leaf can act as the default gateway for its local hosts Correct answer.
  4. It forces all inter-subnet traffic through a central spine

Explanation

A distributed anycast gateway gives every leaf the same virtual IP and MAC for a subnet, so a host's default gateway moves with it when the host migrates. This avoids a centralized gateway and keeps inter-subnet traffic local to the leaf.

Question 32Network

A port-channel uses LACP active mode with suspend-individual. One member stops receiving LACPDUs from its partner. What is the result for that member link?

  1. The member is suspended and removed from the port-channel Correct answer.
  2. The member forwards traffic using the last known LACP state
  3. The member falls back to static port-channel mode
  4. The entire port-channel is torn down and rebuilt

Explanation

With LACP suspend-individual, a member link that stops receiving LACPDUs is suspended and removed from the port-channel rather than being treated as an individual link. The rest of the port-channel continues to forward traffic.

Question 33Network

Router A (priority 120) and Router B (priority 100) run HSRP. B is active because it booted first, and preemption is not configured. What happens when A boots?

  1. A becomes active because its priority is higher
  2. A becomes active only after B fails or is reloaded
  3. A and B load-balance the virtual IP address
  4. A remains standby and B stays active Correct answer.

Explanation

HSRP preemption is disabled by default, so the active router keeps the role as long as it is healthy regardless of other routers' priorities. Router A will remain in standby until B fails or preemption is enabled.

Question 34Network

Why would you configure an IGMP snooping querier on a VLAN on a Nexus switch?

  1. To elect a PIM designated router for the VLAN segment
  2. To translate IGMP versions on behalf of legacy hosts
  3. To send IGMP queries when no multicast router exists Correct answer.
  4. To rate-limit multicast traffic entering the VLAN

Explanation

An IGMP snooping querier generates periodic IGMP general queries on a VLAN so that snooping can learn group membership when no multicast router (PIM DR) exists on that segment. Without queries, snooping entries can time out and multicast traffic floods.

Question 35Network

How does OTV carry Layer 2 frames across the IP transport network?

  1. It encapsulates them in VXLAN UDP packets on port 4789
  2. It encapsulates them in GRE tunnels that use IP protocol 47
  3. It encapsulates them in IP packets using IP protocol 115 Correct answer.
  4. It encapsulates them in MPLS labels using LDP

Explanation

OTV encapsulates the original Layer 2 frame in an IP header and transports it using IP protocol number 115 across the Layer 3 transport. The edge devices perform MAC learning and advertise reachability with the OTV control plane.

Question 36Network

When a BGP route reflector receives a route from one of its clients, to which peers does it advertise that route?

  1. To all clients and non-clients except the originating client Correct answer.
  2. To the originating client so that it can confirm the route was accepted
  3. Only to routers that are outside its own route-reflector cluster
  4. Only to the other route reflectors configured in the same AS

Explanation

A route reflector reflects routes received from a client to all other clients and to non-client peers, but never back to the client that originated the route. This avoids split-horizon issues while reducing the full-mesh requirement.

Question 37Network

In a private VLAN, which port type can communicate with both isolated and community ports?

  1. A promiscuous port Correct answer.
  2. A trunk port carrying the primary VLAN only
  3. An isolated port
  4. A community port

Explanation

Promiscuous ports can communicate with all ports in the private VLAN, including isolated and community ports. Isolated ports can talk only to promiscuous ports, and community ports can talk to each other and to promiscuous ports.

Question 38Network

In a Cisco EVPN multi-site deployment, what is the function of the border gateway?

  1. It connects sites and re-originates EVPN routes Correct answer.
  2. It assigns IP addresses to hosts that connect in each site
  3. It performs MAC address learning only within a single site
  4. It replaces the spine switches that operate inside each site

Explanation

The border gateway sits between EVPN sites and re-originates EVPN routes so that each site sees reachability without a full mesh of VTEPs. It also handles VXLAN tunnel termination between sites.

Question 39Network

What capability does Priority Flow Control (PFC) add beyond standard Ethernet pause frames?

  1. It pauses traffic per class so selected traffic is lossless Correct answer.
  2. It increases the interface MTU so that it can carry jumbo frames
  3. It replaces the need for QoS queuing on the interface entirely
  4. It pauses all traffic on the link regardless of the class of service

Explanation

PFC uses 802.1Qbb to pause only the traffic classes that are marked as lossless, allowing other priorities to continue forwarding. Standard 802.3x pause affects the entire link.

Question 40Network

In EVPN multihoming, what does the designated forwarder (DF) election ensure?

  1. All PEs in the segment forward BUM traffic simultaneously
  2. One PE per segment forwards BUM traffic toward the segment Correct answer.
  3. The PE with the highest IP address forwards all unicast traffic
  4. Only one PE advertises the Ethernet segment route

Explanation

In EVPN multihoming, the DF election chooses one PE per Ethernet segment to forward broadcast, unknown unicast, and multicast traffic toward the segment. This prevents duplicate BUM frames from reaching the multihomed device.

Question 41Compute

Which Cisco UCS Manager object ties a pooled server identity to a specific piece of physical hardware?

  1. An adapter policy
  2. A service profile Correct answer.
  3. A LAN connectivity policy
  4. A server pool policy

Explanation

A service profile is the logical container that holds the server identity (UUID and, through its connectivity policies, MAC and WWN addresses) plus the boot, BIOS and firmware settings. Associating that profile to a blade or rack server applies the identity to the hardware. The other objects supply criteria, connectivity definitions or adapter tuning, but do not themselves bind identity to hardware.

Question 42Compute

Which pool must exist before a vNIC can be created with an automatically assigned MAC address?

  1. IQN pool
  2. MAC pool Correct answer.
  3. WWPN pool
  4. UUID pool

Explanation

A MAC pool supplies the Layer 2 addresses that are handed to vNICs when the pool option is chosen instead of a static or initial-template address. UUID, WWPN and IQN pools serve other identifiers and are not used by vNICs.

Question 43Compute

Which UCS component aggregates chassis and rack server traffic and provides the management endpoint for the domain?

  1. Virtual interface card
  2. Fabric interconnect Correct answer.
  3. I/O module
  4. Chassis management controller

Explanation

The fabric interconnect pair provides the northbound uplinks, the southbound server connectivity and the UCS Manager management endpoint for the domain. I/O modules and VICs sit between the blades and the fabric interconnects, and the chassis management controller handles chassis environmental functions only.

Question 44Compute

Where is the order in which a server searches for a bootable device defined?

  1. In the host firmware package
  2. In the boot policy Correct answer.
  3. In the BIOS policy
  4. In the maintenance policy

Explanation

A boot policy lists the boot devices and their order, such as local disk, virtual CD, LAN (PXE/iSCSI) or SAN targets. It is referenced by the service profile and can be included in a service profile template. BIOS and maintenance policies affect POST settings and reboot behaviour, not boot device ordering.

Question 45Compute

Which component provides local, standalone management for a Cisco C-series rack server?

  1. Cisco IMC Correct answer.
  2. Fabric interconnect
  3. I/O module
  4. UCS Manager

Explanation

Cisco Integrated Management Controller runs on the server motherboard and provides the local web, CLI and Redfish/XML API interface for a standalone rack server. UCS Manager can manage rack servers only when they are integrated into a UCS domain through the fabric interconnects.

Question 46Compute

Which product is designed to provide centralized, policy-based management of multiple Cisco UCS Manager domains?

  1. Cisco UCS Central Correct answer.
  2. Cisco Nexus Dashboard
  3. Cisco Identity Services Engine
  4. Cisco Prime Infrastructure

Explanation

Cisco UCS Central registers multiple UCS Manager domains and lets you push shared policies, pools, service profile templates and firmware rules from one place. The other products address network fabric operations, policy/identity or legacy infrastructure management.

Question 47Compute

Which reusable UCS object holds the properties from which individual vNICs in a service profile are created?

  1. A port profile
  2. A vNIC template Correct answer.
  3. A LAN pin group
  4. A QoS system class

Explanation

A vNIC template defines fabric placement, VLANs, MTU, adapter policy, QoS policy and whether the address comes from a pool, and vNICs instantiated from it inherit those settings. Templates keep many service profiles consistent and make bulk changes possible.

Question 48Compute

Which policy determines when an associated server may be rebooted so a firmware upgrade can take effect?

  1. Scrub policy
  2. Host firmware package
  3. Maintenance policy Correct answer.
  4. Boot policy

Explanation

The maintenance policy attached to the service profile specifies the reboot behaviour, such as immediate, user-acknowledged or timer-based with an optional graceful shutdown. The firmware package defines which images are applied, while the maintenance policy defines when activation may disrupt the server.

Question 49Compute

How does a fabric interconnect running in end-host mode treat MAC addresses of server vNICs?

  1. Server MACs are discarded and forwarding is based only on IP addresses.
  2. Server MACs are flooded to every server port in the domain on first use.
  3. Server MACs are pinned to the uplinks instead of being learned. Correct answer.
  4. Server MACs are learned normally and used to forward traffic between servers in the domain.

Explanation

End-host mode makes the fabric interconnect look like a host to the upstream LAN: it does not build a normal switching table from server port MAC learning but pins each vNIC MAC to an uplink or port channel. This avoids server MACs appearing on the wrong uplink when a vNIC moves, which keeps the upstream Layer 2 topology stable.

Question 50Compute

What is the effect of enabling disjoint Layer 2 networks on a UCS domain?

  1. Both fabric interconnects must carry an identical set of VLANs on all of their uplinks.
  2. Server vNICs no longer need to be pinned to a particular fabric interconnect.
  3. Each fabric represents a separate Layer 2 domain with its own VLAN set. Correct answer.
  4. All VLANs configured in the domain are automatically allowed on every uplink port.

Explanation

With disjoint Layer 2 networks the A and B fabrics are configured independently, so the same VLAN ID can exist on one fabric and not the other and the two fabrics do not form one flat Layer 2 domain. This is used when uplinks go to upstream switches that must stay in separate Layer 2 topologies.