46 free Cisco 300-615 DCIT practice questions from the CertStash pack of 291, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. The rule is the same for every exam: ten free on the product page, 46 free here, all 291 in the pack, and each step includes the one before it.
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Question 1
A vPC Type-1 inconsistency between two vPC peers in a VXLAN EVPN setup is discovered. Which two actions need to be attempted to resolve the issue? (Choose two.)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A, D. Configure the NVE interfaces to be Up on both switches; Configure the same VNI to multicast group maping.
vPC Type-1 inconsistencies in VXLAN EVPN occur when critical parameters differ between peers. Option A addresses NVE interface state, which must be operational for overlay traffic. Option D ensures that VNI-to-multicast group mappings are identical across peers, preventing BUM (broadcast, unknown unicast, multicast) traffic replication issues. These two elements are fundamental to maintaining vPC consistency in an EVPN fabric.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Distributed gateway virtual MAC addresses should be the same, not different, between vPC peers.
- C. Secondary IP addresses on NVE source-interface are not a vPC Type-1 consistency requirement.
- E. Primary IP addresses on NVE source-interface should be the same between peers, not different.
Question 2
A mission-critical server is connected to site A. Connectivity to this server is lost from site B because the MAC route is missing in the OTV VDC of the Cisco Nexus 7000 in site B due to MAC aging. Which action allows the flooding of the unknown unicast MAC on the Nexus 7000 in the OTV VDC?
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Correct answer: C. Use the otv flood mac <> command to selectively flood traffic for a given MAC.
The `otv flood mac` command allows selective MAC flooding on OTV edge devices, enabling specific MAC addresses to be flooded across the OTV overlay when normal MAC learning mechanisms fail due to aging or other reasons. This directly solves the problem of missing MAC routes by ensuring the critical server's MAC is reachable even if it has aged out of the local MAC table.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Static MAC advertisement via route maps and ISIS redistribution is not the standard method for OTV MAC flooding.
- B. Unknown unicast flooding is absolutely allowed and configurable in OTV deployments.
- D. BFD configuration does not address MAC flooding; it only monitors OTV overlay adjacency health.
Question 3
The Cisco Nexus switch is connected to a peer switch that is not running Cisco NX-OS. The switches are connected using port channel and are experiencing packet loss. Which action should be performed on the Cisco Nexus switch ports to resolve this issue?
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Correct answer: C. Turn off lacp graceful-convergence.
When a Cisco Nexus switch connects to a non-Cisco peer over port channel, packet loss can occur due to graceful convergence behavior waiting for protocol handshakes. Disabling `lacp graceful-convergence` allows the port channel to converge immediately without waiting for LACP negotiation completion, preventing packet loss during failover scenarios with non-standard LACP implementations.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Turning on `lacp suspend-individual` does not resolve packet loss with non-Cisco peers.
- B. Graceful convergence is enabled by default and is the source of the problem.
- D. The `lacp suspend-individual` setting is not the relevant parameter for this inter-vendor compatibility issue.
Question 4
An engineer troubleshoots a fabric discovery failure. Which two requirements about switch connectivity must be verified to solve the problem? (Choose two.)
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Correct answer: B, E. A Cisco APIC must be attached to leaf nodes; Leaf nodes must connect to spine nodes only.
Fabric discovery in ACI requires two critical connectivity validations: APIC controllers must be dual-attached to separate leaf nodes for high availability and fault tolerance, and leaf nodes must connect exclusively to spine nodes to form the proper fabric topology. These two requirements ensure that the APICs can discover and manage all fabric nodes correctly and that the fabric maintains its intended underlay architecture.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. APICs do not attach exclusively to spine nodes; they attach to leaf nodes.
- C. Spine-to-spine connectivity is not a requirement; spines connect to leaves in a leaf-spine architecture.
- D. APICs attach to leaf nodes, not spine nodes, and the question specifically asks for two requirements.
Question 5
A customer configures HSRP between two data centers that are interconnected with OTV. The configuration succeeds, but traffic between two ESXi virtual hosts on the same site is routed suboptimally through the OTV overlay. Which two actions optimize the traffic? (Choose two.)
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Correct answer: B, E. Filter HSRP traffic by using a Layer 3 VACL on the OTV edge devices; Filter HSRP by using a Layer 2 MAC list on the OTV edge devices.
To prevent suboptimal traffic routing when HSRP runs across OTV-connected sites, two actions optimize flows: disabling first-hop redundancy eliminates redundant HSRP advertisements that cause traffic to traverse the overlay unnecessarily, and filtering HSRP traffic with a Layer 3 VACL on the OTV edge devices prevents HSRP packets from being broadcast across the overlay while preserving local HSRP functionality at each site.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Disabling first-hop redundancy entirely is not optimal; filtering is preferred.
- C. Layer 2 MAC filtering on ESXi vSwitch is not the proper location for this filtering.
- D. ESXi vSwitches do not support Layer 3 VACLs; filtering must occur on network infrastructure.
Question 6
An engineer removes a VMM domain from an endpoint group called "EPG-1", but the distributed port group fails to be deleted. Which action resolves the issue?
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Correct answer: D. Migrate all virtual machines in the EPG-1 to different port groups.
When a VMM domain is removed from an EPG but the distributed port group fails to delete, it is because virtual machines are still connected to that port group. Migrating all virtual machines in the EPG-1 to different port groups allows the distributed port group to be cleanly removed, as the infrastructure no longer references it.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Manually removing the port group from vCenter may cause inconsistency between ACI and vCenter state.
- B. Migrating VMs to different hypervisors does not remove them from the port group.
- C. Removing other EPGs from the VMM domain does not address the orphaned port group issue.
Question 7
An engineer troubleshoots a packet flow from an access leaf to a spine. Which EVPN routes are expected on this connection?
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Correct answer: A. EVPN Type 1-5
In a standard EVPN deployment, leaf switches connect to spines and exchange EVPN routes covering Types 1 through 5. Type 1 routes advertise Ethernet Auto-Discovery, Type 2 routes carry MAC/IP bindings, Type 3 routes handle multicast tree information, Type 4 routes manage Ethernet Segment routes, and Type 5 routes advertise IP prefixes. These five route types encompass all standard EVPN signaling between access leaves and spines.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. EVPN Types 0, 9, and 15 are not standard route types used in typical EVPN deployments.
- C. EVPN Types 9-15 include non-standard and reserved route types not exchanged in normal operation.
- D. EVPN Type 0 and 16 are not valid standard route types for leaf-spine communication.
Question 8
An attempt to use a global vNIC redundancy template pair results in a service profile that fails to apply. Which action resolves the issues?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Assign the primary template first, and then set the peer name.
When configuring a global vNIC redundancy template pair in UCS, the correct sequence is to assign the primary template first, then set the peer name. This ordering ensures that the primary template is established as the reference point before the secondary template relationship is defined, preventing configuration conflicts and ensuring proper failover semantics.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Peer names do not require pre-creation; they are configured as part of the template assignment process.
- B. Assigning the secondary template first violates the dependency order required for redundancy configuration.
- C. Simultaneous assignment of both templates does not establish proper primary-secondary hierarchy.
Question 9
An engineer attempts to register Cisco UCS Manager to Cisco UCS Central, but the registration fails. The engineer can ping Cisco UCS Central from UCS Manager. Which two actions must the engineer attempt to resolve the problem? (Choose two.)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A, D. Synchronize the date and time to NTP for Cisco UCS Central and the Cisco UCS domains; Allow port 443 between Cisco UCS Manager and Cisco UCS Central.
Registration between Cisco UCS Manager and UCS Central uses certificate-based trust, so the clocks on both must be synchronized, ideally to the same NTP source. UCS Manager also reaches UCS Central over HTTPS on TCP port 443, so any firewall between them must allow it.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. A UCS Central license is not needed for a domain to register, since a grace period applies.
- C. UCS Manager and UCS Central communicate over routed networks and do not need to share a subnet.
- E. Port 9443 is not the port used for UCS Manager registration with UCS Central.
Question 10
A Cisco ACI environment consists of three Cisco APICs, two spine switches, and four leaf switches. The engineer erases and reboots all APICs first, then leaf and spine switches individually, and then completes the Initial Setup dialog on the APIC1 CIMC KVM console. When the engineer logs in to the APIC1 web GUI, the engineer notices that there are no directly connected leaf switches being discovered under Fabric > Inventory > Fabric Membership. What is the cause of the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. The engineer did not enter the TEP Pool value during the Initial Setup dialog on APIC1.
When leaf and spine switches are not discovered in Fabric Membership after wiping and rebooting, the root cause is typically a missing TEP (Tunnel Endpoint) Pool configuration during the APIC Initial Setup dialog. The TEP Pool defines the IP address range used for inter-device communication within the fabric. Without this critical configuration, the APICs cannot establish proper fabric communication with the leaf and spine switches, preventing their discovery and registration. The Initial Setup wizard must complete this step for fabric membership to function.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. While fabric parameter mismatches could cause issues, the leaf nodes were erased and should adopt fabric parameters from the APIC during discovery, so improper erasure is not the primary cause.
- B. Rebooting after wiping devices is standard procedure and does not cause discovery issues.
- D. The Fabric Name is important for consistency, but switches discover and join the fabric through proper TEP configuration during Initial Setup, not through matching pre-wipe fabric names.
Question 11
A client reports that many flaps and server cluster disconnects are occurring in its data center. While troubleshooting the issue, an engineer discovers that a network attack is hitting the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches and that the source IP addresses are spoofed. Which first-line security solution resolves this issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Unicast RPF
Unicast RPF (Reverse Path Forwarding) is the first-line defense against spoofed source IP addresses. It validates that incoming packets have source addresses that are reachable via the interface on which the packet arrived, dropping packets with non-routable or spoofed source IPs. This directly addresses the attack described and prevents the flaps and disconnects caused by spoofed traffic hitting the Nexus 7000 switches.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Dynamic ARP Inspection protects against ARP spoofing, not IP source spoofing at the network layer.
- C. IP Source Guard requires DHCP snooping and port security configuration, making it a secondary solution rather than first-line defense.
- D. Storm Control limits traffic rates but does not identify or filter based on source IP validity.
Question 12
A network engineer experiences the error “DDR3_P1_B1_ECC” when upgrading Cisco UCS firmware. Which action resolves the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Reset the DIMM
The error 'DDR3_P1_B1_ECC' indicates a memory module issue on the fabric interconnect or server. Resetting the DIMM clears any transient errors or corrupted state in the memory module, allowing the firmware upgrade to proceed. This is a standard troubleshooting step for memory-related errors during UCS operations.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Resetting BMC firmware is not specific to memory errors and would not resolve a DIMM-related issue.
- C. Controller firmware reflashing does not address memory module problems.
- D. DIMMs cannot be reflashed as they are physical memory components, not firmware storage devices.
Question 13
The external routes fail to propagate to leaf switches in Cisco ACI fabric. Which two actions resolve the issue? (Choose two.)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B, C. Assign an MP-BGP AS number to the fabric; Specify the spine nodes as route reflectors.
For external routes to propagate from the Cisco ACI spine to leaf switches, two critical configurations are required: first, the spine nodes must be designated as BGP route reflectors to facilitate route advertisement throughout the fabric, and second, an MP-BGP AS number must be assigned to the fabric to establish the BGP domain and enable route exchange. Without these two elements, external route advertisement fails.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The VTEP pool is used for VXLAN tunnel endpoints and virtual routing, not for controlling external route propagation.
- D. While contracts are necessary for traffic policy, they do not directly resolve missing route propagation; the issue is at the route reflection level.
- E. MP-BGP operates with a flat AS structure in ACI; traditional BGP areas are not configured in ACI fabrics.
Question 14
During a boot process of a Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Server, an engineer receives a “No Signal” message from the vKVM and physical video connection. Which set of steps resolves the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. 1. Power off the server and disconnect the power cord. 2. Confirm that all cards are properly seated. 3. Connect the power cord and power on the server.
The correct procedure for resolving a no-signal issue on a Cisco UCS C-Series server requires first powering off the server and disconnecting the power cord to ensure safe handling of components. Then verify that all cards are properly seated, as loose cards are a common cause of boot failures and video signal loss. Finally, reconnect the power cord and power on the server to test the resolution. This sequence ensures both safety and proper component seating.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Disconnecting power without explicitly powering off first is not the correct procedure and lacks the confirmation of proper power-down state.
- C. This option omits the final power-on step, leaving the server in a non-operational state without verifying the fix.
- D. Checking for card availability is less specific than confirming proper seating, and does not address the mechanical connection issue that typically causes no-signal conditions.
Question 15
A system administrator adds two vNICs to an existing service profile that is used to run a vSphere environment to support disjoint Layer 2 network connectivity. However, after the server is rebooted, the host is not accessible on the network. Which action resolves the issue?
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Correct answer: C. Create a vNIC placement policy to avoid adapter renumbering.
When adding vNICs to an existing service profile and the host becomes inaccessible after reboot, the issue is adapter renumbering. In vSphere, network adapter order and naming are critical. Creating a vNIC placement policy ensures that vNICs are assigned to specific physical adapters in a consistent order, preventing the hypervisor from renumbering adapters during boot and causing network misconfiguration. This policy-based approach maintains the expected network adapter identity.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Building a new service profile is unnecessary when the issue can be resolved with proper vNIC configuration on the existing profile.
- B. Removing and re-adding vNICs addresses the sequence but does not solve the root cause of adapter renumbering across reboots.
- D. Adding VLANs to existing vNICs does not resolve the adapter renumbering issue and may not provide the desired layer 2 separation.
Question 16
A network engineer is implementing the Cisco ACI Fabric and notices that the Leaf-1 switch is registered, has an assigned name, but is displayed as inactive in the APIC. After further investigation, it became clear that the leaf switch was recently moved from another Cisco ACI environment. Which action resolves the problem?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Clean reload the Leaf-1 switch
When a Leaf switch is registered with an assigned name but displays as inactive in APIC after being moved from another ACI environment, the issue is that it retains configuration and state from the previous fabric. A clean reload of the Leaf-1 switch removes all previous fabric membership information, clears the node identity, and allows it to properly join the new ACI fabric. This reset is necessary because the switch still believes it belongs to the previous environment.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Defining a new TEP address alone does not clear the previous fabric state and membership information.
- C. Clock offset adjustment between APIC and Leaf is not the root cause of inactive status for a moved switch.
- D. Modifying ISIS interface peering is a configuration change that does not address the switch's inability to properly register in the new fabric due to previous state.
Question 17
An engineer troubleshoots a custom AV pair that a client created on an external authentication server to map a read-only role for a specific security domain. Which AV pair solves the problem?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. shell:domains=Security_Domain_1/Read_Role_1|Read_Role_2
The correct syntax for mapping a read-only role to a security domain using a custom AV pair is shell:domains=Security_Domain_1/Read_Role_1|Read_Role_2, which uses a single forward slash to separate the domain from the role and pipes to separate multiple roles assigned to that domain.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Double slashes (//) are incorrect syntax for the shell:domains AV pair format.
- B. Including a Write_Role violates the requirement for a read-only role mapping.
- C. Using shell= instead of shell:domains= is incorrect syntax for domain and role mapping.
Question 18
A server fails to boot from the operating system after a RAID1 cluster migration. The RAID remains in an inactive state during and after a service profile association. Which action resolves the issue?
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Correct answer: C. Use a predefined local disk configuration policy.
When a RAID1 cluster migration results in boot failure with RAID remaining inactive, the issue stems from a missing or incompatible local disk configuration policy on the new server. A predefined local disk configuration policy ensures that the RAID is properly recognized, initialized, and activated during service profile association. Without this policy, the RAID disk configuration is not applied, leaving the RAID inactive and preventing the operating system from booting.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. SAN boot configuration is for network-based booting and is not relevant to local RAID cluster migration issues.
- B. SAN boot target configuration mode does not address local disk RAID activation problems.
- D. Removing the local disk configuration policy would worsen the problem, not resolve it.
Question 19
An engineer troubleshoots a failed DCBX exchange between a server and a Cisco Nexus switch. Which action allows DCBX to successfully negotiate?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Enable LLDP.
DCBX (Data Center Bridging eXchange) uses LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol) as its transport mechanism to negotiate QoS parameters between devices. LLDP must be enabled for DCBX to exchange negotiation frames and successfully complete the protocol handshake. Without LLDP, DCBX frames cannot be transmitted or received.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. ETS (Enhanced Transmission Selection) is a QoS feature negotiated by DCBX, not a prerequisite for DCBX exchange itself.
- B. PFC (Priority-based Flow Control) is similarly negotiated through DCBX, not required to enable DCBX exchange.
- C. Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) is a separate protocol unrelated to DCBX negotiations.
Question 20
An upgrade of protected RPMs from the Bash shell does not take effect. Which action resolves this issue?
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Correct answer: B. Reload the switch.
Protected RPMs upgraded from the Bash shell require a full system reload to apply the changes into the running kernel and system configuration. Simply restarting the Bash shell does not reload the operating system or apply kernel-level changes made by protected RPM upgrades.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Restarting the Bash shell only restarts the shell process, not the underlying system, so protected RPM changes will not take effect.
- C. Upgrading from the Guest shell does not circumvent the need to reload the switch for protected RPM changes to apply.
- D. Disabling and re-enabling the Bash feature does not reload the system or apply the protected RPM changes.
Question 21
An engineer discovers that an NPV/NPIV uplink experiences a heavy load and plans to add more uplinks. What occurs when the new uplinks are added to the uplink?
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Correct answer: D. New and existing connections automatically use the new uplinks.
When new uplinks are added to an NPV/NPIV configuration to handle increased load, both new connections and existing connections automatically use the new uplinks through dynamic load balancing. The NPV/NPIV architecture intelligently distributes traffic across all available uplinks without requiring manual connection reset or path redefinition. This automatic adaptation allows for seamless scalability and improved utilization without service interruption.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Only new connections using the uplinks would create imbalance and defeat the purpose of adding capacity.
- B. Paths are dynamically determined in NPV/NPIV and do not require manual predefinition for new uplinks to be used.
- C. Resetting all existing connections would cause unnecessary service disruption when automatic load balancing handles the distribution.
Question 22
An engineer is implementing a new BGP peering in their new data center. The engineer set up the BGP session that peers with the remote end. As soon as the BGP peers attempt to exchange routing prefixes, one of the BGP peers drops the connection. After reviewing the configuration, the engineer reviews the logging messages. The engineer discovers that the router is missing keepalives from the remote end and terminates the session. Which action resolves the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Set the higher values for the BGP keepalive and hold-down timers on both peers
When a BGP peer is missing keepalives from the remote end and terminates the session, the issue is typically that keepalives are not arriving within the hold-down timer interval. Increasing the keepalive and hold-down timer values on both peers provides a longer window for keepalives to be received, accommodating network delays or processing latency that may occur during the initial routing prefix exchange. This is a standard BGP troubleshooting step when keepalive timeouts occur.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Path MTU discovery addresses fragmentation issues, not keepalive timeouts.
- C. Mismatched AS numbers would prevent the session from establishing in the first place, not cause drops after establishment.
- D. Password mismatches prevent session establishment; the session is already established and dropping due to missing keepalives.
Question 23
After upgrading a client's fabric interconnect to the latest version, an engineer discovers that the appliance has lost its entire configuration. Which two locations should an engineer check to confirm that the appliance had backed up the configuration prior to the upgrade in order to retrieve the lost configuration? (Choose two.)
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Correct answer: A, D. Equipment FSM page, InternalBackup stage; Equipment FSM page, PollInternalBackup stage
Configuration backups on Cisco UCS fabric interconnects are tracked in the FSM (Finite State Machine) pages. The InternalBackup stage shows completed backups, while the PollInternalBackup stage in the Equipment FSM page tracks the polling and verification of backup operations. These two locations in the Equipment FSM page provide confirmation of successful pre-upgrade backup.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Service profiles page does not contain backup configuration tracking information.
- C. The Admin page contains administrative settings but not the FSM stages that track backup operations.
- E. While the Admin page exists, it does not contain the InternalBackup or backup-related FSM stages.
Question 24
A system administrator connects a Cisco Nexus 2248PQ FEX to a fabric interconnect to expand the ports that are available for connecting Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers. In Cisco UCS Manager, the administrator does not see the servers connected to this FEX. Which action should be taken to resolve the issue?
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Correct answer: D. The ports that connect the FEX to the fabric interconnects must be configured as server ports
When a Cisco Nexus 2248PQ FEX is connected to a fabric interconnect but servers connected to the FEX are not visible in Cisco UCS Manager, the issue is that the ports connecting the FEX to the fabric interconnects must be explicitly configured as server ports. By default, these ports may be configured as uplink or network ports. Configuring them as server ports enables the fabric interconnect to recognize and manage servers attached to the FEX through UCS Manager.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The Nexus 2248PQ FEX is designed to work with fabric interconnects for UCS C-Series server connectivity; exchange is not necessary.
- B. Rebooting fabric interconnects is not required; the issue is port configuration, not system state.
- C. Transceiver exchange would only be needed if there were physical layer connectivity issues, not visibility issues in UCS Manager.
Question 25
A server administrator attempts to change the Cisco IMC KVM certificate to one that is signed by a private CA, but the certificate is not accepted. What causes this process to fail?
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Correct answer: A. using a certificate with a password-protected private key
Cisco IMC KVM certificate installation fails when the private key is password-protected because the IMC cannot prompt for or process a password-protected key during the import process. The certificate and private key must be provided in an unencrypted format for successful installation.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. RSA encryption is the standard and supported method for certificate key generation in Cisco IMC.
- C. AES encryption is not used in certificate generation; this refers to symmetric encryption algorithms not applicable to certificate key pairs.
- D. While the SAN should contain the Cisco IMC IP address, the failure is specifically caused by password-protected private keys, not missing SAN entries.
Question 26
An IOM fails during a firmware upgrade and is unresponsive. Which action recovers the module?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Reset the faulty module from the peer IOM.
When an IOM becomes unreachable, for example after a failed firmware upgrade, Cisco UCS Manager can reset it through its peer IOM in the same chassis. Rebooting the module this way brings it back so the firmware operation can be completed.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Restoring the UCS Manager configuration does not reboot or recover a failed I/O module.
- B. A rollback needs the module to be reachable, which an unresponsive IOM is not.
- C. Auto Install also needs a reachable IOM, so it cannot recover a module that is unresponsive.
Question 27
A request to activate the port security database is rejected. Which action investigates the cause of the issue?
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Correct answer: C. Find conflicting entries between the active and configuration databases.
When port security database activation is rejected, the cause is typically conflicting entries between the active running database and the saved configuration database. Identifying and resolving these conflicts by comparing the two databases allows the new configuration to be activated successfully.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Enabling auto-learning addresses device discovery, not database activation conflicts.
- B. The force option is not a standard method to investigate port security database rejection causes.
- D. While device attachment status may be a consideration, conflicting database entries are the primary cause of activation rejection.
Question 28
An engineer must configure Linux hosts that are deployed on Cisco UCS B-Series Servers to boot from SAN. The SAN boot policy is configured in Cisco UCS Manager, and the boot order is verified to be set as expected. However, the Linux hosts fail to boot. Which action resolves the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Remove all of the local storage that is installed.
Linux installers and boot loaders detect locally installed disks ahead of SAN LUNs, so the OS and boot loader can end up on or looking for the local disk. Even with a correct SAN boot policy, the host then fails to boot from the SAN LUN. Removing the installed local storage ensures the SAN LUN is the only disk the Linux host sees and boots from.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The boot LUN itself is not faulty, so deleting and recreating it does not change which disk Linux uses.
- B. The target pWWN is already correct in the verified boot policy, so reconfiguring it has no effect.
- C. A mounted virtual CD only matters if it is ahead of SAN in the boot order, which was verified as correct.
Question 29
An engineer must place a Cisco UCS B-Series Server in a single server pool in Cisco UCS Manager. The engineer creates a qualification policy, but the server is still seen in multiple pools. Which two actions resolve the issue? (Choose two.)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C, E. Set the operating system qualifier inside the Server Pool Policy Qualification; Select the Server Pool Policy Qualification from the qualification drop-down menu in the Server Pool Policy.
To place a Cisco UCS B-Series Server in a single server pool rather than multiple pools, two actions are needed. First, select the Server Pool Policy Qualification from the qualification drop-down menu in the Server Pool Policy (option E) to properly link the qualification to the pool. Second, set the operating system qualifier inside the Server Pool Policy Qualification (option C) to restrict which servers match this pool based on their operating system, preventing the server from matching other pools with different OS requirements.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Selecting Server Pool Policy from the qualification drop-down is incorrect terminology and does not properly configure the qualification.
- B. The number of vNICs qualifier is not the primary differentiator for pool placement in this scenario.
- D. Storage capacity qualifier alone does not effectively segregate servers into single pools and is less relevant than OS qualification.
Question 30
A Cisco Nexus Series interface is errdisabled with the error message "DCX-No ACK in 100 PDUs". What is the cause of this error?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. The host has not responded to the Control Sub-TLV DCBX exchanges of the switch.
The error message 'DCX-No ACK in 100 PDUs' indicates that the switch has sent 100 DCBX Protocol Data Units without receiving acknowledgment from the host. This means the host is not responding to the Control Sub-TLV DCBX exchanges initiated by the switch, causing the interface to become errdisabled as a protective measure.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. The error refers to lack of acknowledgment from the peer device, not an issue with acknowledgment number incrementing in the server's responses.
- C. CDP is unrelated to DCBX operations and would not cause this specific DCBX-related error.
- D. LLDP being disabled would prevent DCBX from functioning entirely, but the error indicates DCBX frames are being sent without response.
Question 31
An engineer configures role-based access control for the Cisco UCS Manager. UserA must be allowed read-only access to the system. These events occur after the system is implemented: • UserA attempts to log in but receives an "Authentication Failed" message. • UserB successfully logs in by using an administrator role. • Both users use valid LDAP passwords. Which action resolves the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Assign a default role policy for remote users
UserA cannot log in despite using a valid LDAP password while UserB with administrator role succeeds. The issue is that UserA, as a remote LDAP user, lacks a default role assignment. By assigning a default role policy for remote users, UserA will automatically receive the read-only access role upon LDAP authentication, resolving the authentication failure.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Primary group rules are not the cause when specific users can authenticate; the issue is role assignment for remote users.
- C. Adding locales to UserB's group map does not affect UserA's authentication or role assignment.
- D. Setting LDAP as the default realm would not help if UserA still lacks a role assignment upon authentication.
Question 32
An engineer must upgrade all components in a Cisco UCS domain to the same package version, but the upgrade process fails to complete. Which set of Auto Install actions resolves the problem?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Install Infrastructure Firmware, then Install Server Firmware.
When upgrading all components in a Cisco UCS domain to the same package version, the correct Auto Install sequence is to install Infrastructure Firmware first, then Install Server Firmware. Infrastructure firmware must be updated on the fabric interconnects and other core components before server firmware is updated, ensuring the management plane is stable and capable of coordinating server firmware updates. This dependency order prevents upgrade failures and ensures compatibility across the domain.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Installing server firmware before infrastructure firmware can cause compatibility issues and management communication failures during the upgrade process.
- B. Hypervisor firmware is not part of the standard infrastructure/server firmware upgrade sequence and does not address the core upgrade dependency.
- C. Installing hypervisor firmware before infrastructure firmware is both out of order and does not include the necessary server firmware update step.
Question 33
An engineer must replace a failed memory on a Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Server. After the replacement was done, the server has a "resolve slot" warning. Which server maintenance action resolves the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Re-acknowlegement the server.
When a hardware component such as memory is replaced on a UCS B-Series Blade Server, the server generates a 'resolve slot' warning to indicate that the physical configuration has changed. This warning must be cleared by re-acknowledging the server, which tells UCS Manager to refresh its understanding of the server's current hardware configuration. Re-acknowledgment performs a lightweight inventory update that recognizes the new memory module and clears the warning state without requiring more disruptive actions.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Diagnostic interrupt is used for troubleshooting specific issues, not for clearing hardware change acknowledgments.
- C. Resetting the server would interrupt service unnecessarily when a simple re-acknowledgment resolves the issue.
- D. Decommissioning the server is far too drastic and would remove it from service entirely.
Question 34
A Cisco UCS C-Series Server powers off due to a power outage. The server should turn on when the power is restored with a fixed delay of 3 minutes. However, it remained powered off for more than 3 minutes after the engineer powered it back online. Which two actions resolve the issue? (Choose two.)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D, E. Set the delay fixed value to 3; Set the delay value to 180.
To automatically power on the server 3 minutes after power restoration, you must configure the power-restore-policy to enable automatic startup. The delay must be set to 180 seconds (3 minutes × 60 seconds), which is done by setting the delay value to 180. These two actions together ensure the server powers on at the correct time interval after power restoration.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. While power-restore-policy is relevant, configuring it alone without specifying the delay value is insufficient.
- B. The last-state policy restores the previous power state rather than implementing a fixed delay for automatic startup.
- C. Power sync policy manages synchronization between components, not post-outage power-on behavior.
Question 35
An engineer upgrades Cisco UCS firmware from release 3.1(2) to release 3.1(3) using AutoInstall. Both fabric interconnects go offline during the software upgrade installation and issue multiple FSM retries in the DeployPollActivate stage. Which set of actions resolves the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Clear the startup version of the default infrastructure and server pack. Remove the service pack from the subordinate node. Upgrade with the Force attribute through AutoInstall.
When both fabric interconnects go offline during AutoInstall with FSM retries stuck in DeployPollActivate, the issue is typically corrupted or mismatched startup versions. Clearing the startup version of the default infrastructure and server pack removes corrupted version references. Removing the service pack from the subordinate node prevents conflicts. Using the Force attribute during AutoInstall restart bypasses version compatibility checks and forces the upgrade to proceed, resolving the FSM loop.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Management interface monitoring and configuration backup do not address the root cause of FSM retry loops during the activate stage.
- C. Changing file permissions and continuing the upgrade without clearing startup versions will not resolve the underlying version mismatch issue.
- D. Manually restarting the upgrade without clearing corrupted startup versions will likely result in the same FSM retry problem.
Question 36
A customer reports that the Chassis Management Controller fails to receive chassis information from Cisco UCS Manager. Which set of steps resolves the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. 1. Verify that the IOM firmware and Cisco UCS Manager are at the same software level. 2. Verify that at least one physical cable between the IOM and fabric interconnect functions properly. 3. Check for runtime link down status. 4. Reseat the affected IOM.
The IOM firmware must run at the same software level as Cisco UCS Manager for the CMC to exchange chassis information. Only one working physical link between the IOM and fabric interconnect is required for this communication. After confirming those, check for runtime link down status and reseat the affected IOM.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The IOM and UCS Manager must run matching software levels, and two cables are not required.
- C. Only one functional cable between the IOM and fabric interconnect is needed, not two.
- D. Running different software levels on the IOM and UCS Manager causes communication problems rather than solving them.
Question 37
A Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Server is configured to boot a VMware ESXi host from an EMC VNX storage array by using a Fibre Channel SAN. The boot order is confirmed to be configured as expected, but the server fails to boot from the SAN. Which action resolves the problem?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Set the boot LUN to the lowest LUN ID in the storage array.
For Fibre Channel SAN boot to function correctly, the boot LUN must be set to the lowest LUN ID available in the storage array. Storage systems typically designate the lowest LUN ID as the primary accessible LUN for boot operations, and this is the standard configuration expected by ESXi boot processes.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Setting the boot LUN to the highest LUN ID is unconventional and typically not the bootable LUN on storage arrays.
- C. WWNN pools should be different for vHBA adapters to ensure unique node identities in the SAN fabric.
- D. WWPN pools should be different for vHBA adapters; using the same pool would create duplicate world-wide port names, preventing proper SAN connectivity.
Question 38
A user reports that they cannot reach from a UCS server to an FC Storage array. Which command is used to test communication between an FCF and a target?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. fcping
The fcping command is the Fibre Channel equivalent of the IP ping command and is specifically used to test communication between an FCF (Fibre Channel Forwarder) and a target device in a Fibre Channel network. It verifies end-to-end Fibre Channel connectivity and response times, making it the correct diagnostic tool for troubleshooting FC storage array access issues.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. fcroute is used for Fibre Channel route configuration and management, not for testing connectivity.
- B. traceroute is an IP network command that traces routing paths at the network layer, not applicable to Fibre Channel.
- D. ping is an IP ICMP tool and cannot test Fibre Channel fabric connectivity.
Question 39
Cisco UCS Manager raises a critical error message that indicates that the system has overlapping Ethernet and FCoE VLANs. All of the Ethernet traffic on the overlapping VLANs drops. Which action resolves the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Modify the VLAN assignment to vNICs.
Overlapping Ethernet and FCoE VLANs cause traffic drops because FCoE requires exclusive VLAN membership and cannot coexist with regular Ethernet traffic on the same VLAN. The resolution is to modify the VLAN assignments on the vNICs (virtual network interface cards) to ensure that Ethernet and FCoE traffic use separate, non-overlapping VLAN spaces. This segregation allows both traffic types to function without interference.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. PIN groups on vHBAs control port channel assignments for Fibre Channel connectivity, not Ethernet VLAN overlap issues.
- C. Modifying the FCoE VLAN alone does not guarantee segregation if the underlying vNIC assignments still overlap.
- D. Setting FCoE VLAN as native VLAN on server uplinks would worsen the problem by increasing overlap and traffic drops.
Question 40
A Fibre Channel interface on a Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch receives bit errors, and the switch disables the interface. A temporary workaround must be implemented before the root cause is identified. Which action prevents this issue from reoccurring?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Run the switchport ignore bit-errors command on the interface.
The switchport ignore bit-errors command instructs the interface to not disable itself when bit errors are detected. This provides a temporary workaround by allowing the interface to remain operational while the root cause (such as faulty cabling, poor connections, or unsupported SFPs) is investigated and resolved.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Verifying SFP support addresses the root cause but does not prevent the immediate errdisable condition from reoccurring.
- B. Changing SFP speed may not resolve bit errors and does not address the fundamental issue causing the errors.
- C. Reloading the interface temporarily brings it back up but does not prevent future bit errors from disabling it again.
Question 41
An engineer configures FCoE between a set of ESXi hosts and a Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch. The Converged Network Adapter of the host fails to receive the response from the Cisco Nexus device. Also, the VFC interface is in a down state and the FIP adapter fails to receive 802.1q tagged frames. The host interface is configured for VLAN trunking. Which action resolves the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Set the bound Ethernet trunk interface to non-FCoE native VLAN
The problem is that the FIP (FCoE Initialization Protocol) adapter is not receiving 802.1q tagged frames, which causes the VFC interface to remain down. The issue occurs because the bound Ethernet interface is configured for VLAN trunking but is set to the FCoE native VLAN. By setting the bound Ethernet trunk interface to a non-FCoE native VLAN, the tagged FCoE frames will be properly processed, allowing FIP discovery and VFC interface activation.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Xoff pause frames control flow control for congestion, not FIP frame reception or VFC state issues.
- B. Spanning-tree edge port configuration affects loop prevention, not FCoE frame tagging or processing.
- C. Active STP port state is already implied for a functioning interface; this does not address FCoE-specific tagging issues.
Question 42
A network administrator attempts to install an application in the Cisco NX-OS Guest shell and receives an error message that there is not enough space on the disk. Which command must the administrator run to resolve this issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. guestshell resize rootfs [size-in-MB]
NX-OS grows the Guest Shell root file system with guestshell resize rootfs followed by the new size in MB. The change takes effect after the Guest Shell is rebooted, giving more room to install applications.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. growdisk is not a valid guestshell keyword in NX-OS.
- B. pvextend is not a valid guestshell keyword in NX-OS.
- D. resize2fs is a Linux file system utility and not an NX-OS guestshell command.
Question 43
A fabric interconnect fails to start, and the console displays the loader prompt. Which two actions resolve the issue? (Choose two.)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B, E. Load an uncorrupt kickstart image; Load the correct version of the boot image.
When a fabric interconnect fails to start and displays the loader prompt, the system cannot boot properly. Loading an uncorrupt kickstart image (B) initializes the system, and loading the correct version of the boot image (E) ensures the system boots with the proper firmware version. These two actions together restore the fabric interconnect to operational status.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Loading a bootloader image is a lower-level operation not typically necessary when kickstart and boot images are available.
- C. Reconnecting Layer 1 and Layer 2 cables does not address the firmware issue preventing startup from the loader prompt.
- D. Reformatting the fabric interconnect is destructive and not the appropriate recovery method for boot failures.
Question 44
An engineer troubleshoots a VXLAN EVPN data center. The applications in the data center fail to reach the DNS server that is located at IP 10.10.10.10. The engineer examines the BGP EVPN routing table and notes that the IP prefix route that covers the DNS server is missing. Which action resolves the issue?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Set the IP prefix route to represent [5]:[0]:[0]:[32]:[10.10.10.10]/224 in the routing table.
In VXLAN EVPN, IP prefix routes are represented as type 5 routes with the format [5]:[ESI]:[ETag]:[IP_len]:[IP_prefix]/total_bits. For a host route to the DNS server at 10.10.10.10, the correct representation is [5]:[0]:[0]:[32]:[10.10.10.10]/224, where 32 indicates a /32 host prefix. This route type is specifically used to advertise IP prefixes reachable through the EVPN fabric.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Type 2 routes are MAC/IP advertisement routes used for MAC-to-IP mappings, not for advertising IP prefixes to servers.
- C. ARP entries are not stored as type 2 routes in the BGP EVPN routing table; this represents incorrect EVPN route syntax.
- D. Type 4 routes are Ethernet segment routes, not IP prefix routes; the format and purpose are incorrect for reaching a DNS server.
Question 45
An engineer is recovering a fabric interconnect from a failed upgrade. The engineer booted the fabric interconnect to the switch(boot)# prompt and copied all the required images. Which image must be linked to nuova-sim-mgmt-nsg.0.1.0.43404505131.bin to make the management image compliant with the Cisco UCS Manager?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. UCS Manager
The nuova-sim-mgmt-nsg binary is the management and simulation image for Cisco UCS Manager. To make this management image compliant and operational, it must be linked to or paired with the UCS Manager image, which contains the manager firmware and dependencies required for proper functionality.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The Kickstart image is used for initial boot sequences, not for making management images compliant.
- C. The System image handles core system operations but is not the specific component required to make a management image compliant.
- D. Cisco IMC is for Intelligent Platform Management Controller on servers, not for fabric interconnect management image compliance.
Question 46
An engineer is implementing a storage VDC, but it fails. Which two prerequisites must be in place before a storage VDC is implemented? (Choose two.)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D, E. FCoE license; F Series module
A storage VDC implementation requires two specific hardware and licensing prerequisites. First, an F Series module is required because storage VDCs are designed to run on Cisco UCS F-Series servers, which have fabric interconnect capabilities optimized for storage workloads. Second, the FCoE license must be present to enable Fibre Channel over Ethernet functionality, which is essential for storage networking in a VDC environment. Without both of these prerequisites, a storage VDC cannot be implemented.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. M Series modules are for modular blade servers and are not related to storage VDC implementation.
- B. ESSENTIALS license is a basic license that does not provide storage VDC capabilities.
- C. STORAGE-ENT license is not the correct prerequisite license; FCoE license is required instead.
That was 46 of 291.
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