350-601 Implementing Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (350-601 DCCOR) Questions and Answers

 The command aaa authentication login default group ISE local configures the Cisco Nexus Series Switch to use TACACS+ for authentication by default and specifies a fallback to local authentication if the TACACS+ server becomes unavailable. This ensures that users are authenticated against the TACACS+ server when it is available, but allows them to use local switch credentials if the server cannot be reached, meeting the requirement for failover to local account1.

References :=

• Cisco documentation on configuring TACACS+ for Cisco Nexus Series Switches provides detailed steps and explanations for setting up authentication and ensuring failover to local accounts

 The ‘iqn_pool’ attribute in Ansible is used to apply iSCSI initiator identifiers to all iSCSI vNICs for service profiles derived from a service template. This ensures that each iSCSI vNIC has a unique identifier for storage communication2

Option C meets the security requirements for the Cisco UCS C-Series Server. It disables unencrypted communication by enabling HTTPS, sets the session timeout to 900 seconds (15 minutes), redirects HTTP to HTTPS to divert unencrypted traffic, and changes the SSH port to a nondefault value (2022), which is essential for CLI-based management.

References := For further details on securing Cisco UCS C-Series Servers, refer to the Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Integrated Management Controller CLI Configuration Guide, which provides instructions on configuring service profiles, security settings, and management access.

https://community.cisco.com/t5/networking-documents/peer-g ateway-feature-on-the-nexus-7000/ta-p/3113290

FC/FCoE oversubscription ratios refer to the relationship between the bandwidth provided and the bandwidth required. Common types of oversubscription ratios include port bandwidth to uplink bandwidth (B), which measures the bandwidth available at the access layer compared to the uplink, and host bandwidth to storage bandwidth (D), which relates to the bandwidth demand from servers compared to the available storage bandwidth.

https://www.ciscolive.com/c/dam/r/ciscolive/us/docs/2017/pdf/BRKDCN-1121.pdf

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus5000/sw/operations/n5k_fcoe_ops.html

Option A is the correct command set to configure an extra keyring in Cisco UCS Manager. The commands create a keyring named “extra” with a modulus of 4096 bits, which provides a high level of encryption. The commands also generate a self-signed certificate for the keyring, which enables secure authentication when users use the web interface. References:

• Cisco UCS Manager CLI Configuration Guide, Release 4.0 - Configuring Key Management [Cisco UCS Manager], Configuring Key Management, Configuring Key Rings
• Cisco UCS Manager CLI Configuration Guide, Release 4.0 - Configuring Key Management [Cisco UCS Manager], Configuring Key Management, Configuring Certificates

The correct command set for configuring AAA to use CHAP with MD5 hashing and to share the RADIUS configuration across MDS switches involves using the aaa authentication login command with the radius keyword and enabling CHAP. The radius distribute command is used to share the RADIUS configuration automatically with other MDS switches in the environment.

References:

• Cisco MDS 9000 Series Security Configuration Guide1
• Configuring FC-SP and DHCHAP2

Please note that the actual commands may vary based on the specific requirements and the version of the Cisco NX-OS software running on your switch. It’s always best to consult the latest Cisco documentation or a certified Cisco technical expert for the most accurate information.

The system will automatically revert to the backup image version if the endpoint fails to boot from the new firmware image. This is a feature of the Fabric Interconnects that ensures high availability and reliability. The GOLD firmware image is used for diagnostics and troubleshooting, not for normal operation. The kickstart image is used for booting the Nexus switches, not the Fabric Interconnects. References:

• Cisco UCS Manager Firmware Management Guide, Release 4.0 - Firmware Auto Install [Cisco UCS Manager], Firmware Auto Install, Firmware Auto Install Process
• Cisco UCS Manager Firmware Management Guide, Release 4.0 - Firmware Auto Install [Cisco UCS Manager], Firmware Auto Install, Firmware Auto Install Failure Scenarios
• Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS System Management Configuration Guide, Release 6.x - Upgrading the Cisco NX-OS Software [Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches], Upgrading the Cisco NX-OS Software, Upgrading the Cisco NX-OS Software Using the CLI

POAP is an automatic provisioning and zero-touch deployment feature that assists device owners in the

initial deployment and configuration of Nexus switches.

The feature works by checking for a local configuration script. If the script has been deleted, the switch has

been reset to factory settings, or this is the first boot-up, the POAP daemon will connect to a preset list of

servers to download an initial configuration file.

To perform this operation, the switch must first obtain an IP address from a local DHCP server. POAP

configuration settings can also be passed through the DHCP response.

Which conditions should be verified, so they need to be TRUE. Like no startup (A) and bootup (B). C means

that it needs to miss a license file and E means it needs to miss an NX-OS image.

The vsan bind interface command is used to statically assign VSAN membership to a virtual Fibre Channel interface. This command overrides the VSAN membership that is derived from the physical interface or the default VSAN. The other commands are either invalid or do not apply to virtual Fibre Channel interfaces. References:

• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Interfaces Configuration Guide, Release 9.3(x) - Configuring Virtual Fibre Channel Interfaces [Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches], Configuring Virtual Fibre Channel Interfaces, Configuring VSAN Membership for Virtual Fibre Channel Interfaces
• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS SAN Switching Configuration Guide, Release 9.3(x) - Configuring VSANs [Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches], Configuring VSANs, Configuring Static VSAN Membership

DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security) is designed to provide security for datagram-based applications by allowing them to communicate in a way that is designed to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, or message forgery. It is suitable for securing JSON encoded telemetry data sent to an external collector1.

Cisco UCS Manager supports various types of authentication mechanisms for enhanced security. Option A (local) refers to the use of locally stored user credentials within the UCS Manager for authentication. Option B (LDAP) indicates that UCS Manager can integrate with LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) directories for user authentication, allowing centralized management of user credentials. References: Cisco Data Center Core Technologies source documents or study guide

 To meet the requirement of collecting show command data every 30 seconds and sending it to receivers, the command must specify the sample interval in milliseconds. Therefore, the correct command is Snsr-grp 200 sample-interval 30000, which sets the sample interval to 30,000 milliseconds (equivalent to 30 seconds).

References := The configuration details for streaming telemetry on a Cisco MDS 9000 series switch can be found in the Cisco MDS 9000 Series SAN Analytics and SAN Telemetry Streaming Configuration Guide1.

 To meet the requirements of using the secondary interface and then falling back to the primary interface when it becomes available again, the engineer should enable the Uplink failover option in the vNIC properties of the Cisco UCS Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC) network adapter for a standalone Cisco C-Series server. The Uplink failover option allows the vNIC to switch to the secondary interface in case of a failure in the primary interface, and then switch back to the primary interface when it recovers. The Uplink failover option also allows the engineer to configure the Fallback Timeout value, which determines how long the vNIC waits before switching back to the primary interface. In this case, the Fallback Timeout value is set to 600 seconds, which means the vNIC will wait for 10 minutes before falling back to the primary interface. References :=

• Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) v1.2, Module 5: Cisco Unified Computing System, Lesson 5.3: Cisco UCS C-Series Servers
• Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Integrated Management Controller GUI Configuration Guide, Release 4.0, Chapter: Configuring Network-Related Settings and Features, Section: Configuring vNICs

You can use firmware packages in service profiles to upgrade the server and adapter firmware, including the BIOS on the server, by defining a host firmware policy and including it in the service profile associated with a server.

The correct configuration for capturing both ingress and egress traffic between a Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switch and a storage array, specifically for VSAN 10, is found in Option D. This configuration involves setting up a SPAN session on the switch. The SPAN session is configured to monitor the source interface connected to the storage array (fc2/1) and send the captured traffic to the destination interface connected to the traffic analyzer (fc4/2). The source filter vsan 10 command ensures that only traffic from VSAN 10 is included in the capture, which aligns with the requirements specified.

References: For more detailed information on configuring SPAN sessions on Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switches, please refer to the Cisco MDS SAN-OS documentation, which provides guidelines on traffic monitoring and analysis in a Cisco data center network environment. Additionally, the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) study materials offer insights into best practices for implementing traffic analysis solutions in a data center context.

 Option A is the correct action that accomplishes the objective. Setting the pinning max-links value to 8 ensures that all host ports are distributed across all eight configured FEX uplinks, providing optimal bandwidth utilization and redundancy. If an uplink fails, this configuration minimizes disruption by automatically redistributing host ports among the remaining active uplinks. References:

• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Interfaces Configuration Guide, Release 9.3(x) - Configuring Fabric Extenders [Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches], Configuring Fabric Extenders, Configuring Fabric Extender Pinning
• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Interfaces Configuration Guide, Release 9.3(x) - Configuring Fabric Extenders [Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches], Configuring Fabric Extenders, Configuring Fabric Extender Pinning Max-Links

The Maintenance Mode Profile feature in Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches is used to ensure a controlled shutdown of ports and graceful termination of routing protocols before performing a software upgrade12. References := Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Software Upgrade and Downgrade Guide12.

Bidirectional PIM is designed for scenarios where there are many sources and receivers that need to communicate with each other, such as in videoconferencing. Unlike traditional PIM sparse mode, which creates both (,G) and (S,G) entries, Bidirectional PIM only allows the (*,G) entry for the shared tree and does not build an (S,G) entry. This approach reduces the number of mroute state entries, conserving resources. Traffic can flow up and down the shared tree in Bidirectional PIM, and there is no RPF check; instead, a Designated Forwarder (DF) is used to prevent loops. References := Multicast Bidirectional PIM - NetworkLessons.com

 The correct code snippet to ensure that the Cisco NX-OS scheduler runs every day at 3:00 a.m. is “time daily 3:00”. This command configures the scheduler to execute the specified job daily at the given time, without the need for a ‘start’ keyword, which is not required in the syntax for daily repetitive tasks.

References: This explanation is based on the Cisco NX-OS documentation, which provides guidelines on how to schedule tasks using the NX-OS scheduler feature. The documentation is part of the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies study materials.

Diagram Description automatically generated

NFS:

-Used to boot VMDK files

-Uses lease-based model for file locking

-Used to provide shared storage for hypervisors

SMB/CIFS:

-Used to boot VHDX files

-Used to provide shared storage for hypervisors

 For fabric redundancy in NPV mode on a Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switch, the engineer must connect the NPV devices to multiple upstream switches (A). This setup ensures that if one upstream switch fails, the NPV device can still reach the fabric through another upstream switch, maintaining fabric redundancy.

References := Switch Configuration - Configuring N Port Virtualization - Cisco2.

 Cisco Fabric Services (CFS) offers a logical scope distribution mode that allows configurations to be distributed within the scope of a VSAN. This mode is suitable for features like NTP, where the configuration database is applicable only within a VSAN. It ensures that changes are contained within the specific VSAN, preventing any impact on other VSANs in the network.

References:

• Cisco’s official documentation on Configuring and Managing VSANs1 provides a detailed explanation of VSANs, their advantages, and how they can be managed using CFS.
• The Cisco Fabric Services guide2 further elaborates on the features of CFS, including the logical scope distribution mode and its relevance to features like NTP.
• Community discussions on NTP configuration3 can also provide practical insights into the application of these settings in real-world scenarios.

The command that reduces the amount of time it takes to complete the ISSU on a Cisco Nexus 7000 series switch that has dual supervisor modules and two I/O modules is install all kickstart systemparallel. This command performs a parallel upgrade of the kickstart and system images on all modules, which reduces the downtime and speeds up the ISSU process. The other commands (install all epld bootflash: and install all kickstartsystem) do not perform a parallel upgrade and take longer to complete the ISSU. References: For more information on how to perform an ISSU on a Cisco Nexus 7000 series switch, please refer to the following resources:

• Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Software Upgrade and Downgrade Guide
• Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS ISSU Upgrade Guide

Option A is the correct order of reloading components during the process of upgrading the EPLDs of the fabric modules for a Cisco MDS director-class switch. The EPLD upgrade is performed on one fabric module at a time, and the fabric module is reloaded after the upgrade. The other fabric modules and the switching platform are not reloaded during the process. References:

• Cisco MDS 9000 Family NX-OS Upgrade and Downgrade Guide, Release 8.x - Upgrading the EPLDs [Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS and SAN-OS Software], Upgrading the EPLDs, Upgrading the EPLDs on a Cisco MDS 9700 Series Switch
• Cisco MDS 9000 Family NX-OS Upgrade and Downgrade Guide, Release 8.x - Upgrading the EPLDs [Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS and SAN-OS Software], Upgrading the EPLDs, Guidelines and Limitations for Upgrading the EPLDs

 The commands shown in the exhibit configure Unicast Reverse Path Forwarding (uRPF) in loose mode on the interface Ethernet 2/2. The ip verify unicast source reachable-via rx command enables uRPF to check that the source address of a received packet has a route in the routing table and that the packet has been received from a valid interface that aligns with the routing table. This helps prevent IP spoofing by ensuring that packets are received from the expected interface.

References := This explanation is based on the principles of uRPF as described in Cisco’s security configuration guides and the Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) course materials. For more detailed information, please refer to these resources.

The requirement for the data center servers to reach services in the cloud and services behind redistributed routes, along with the condition that the exit point toward the internet should only be propagated when there is a dynamically learned default route, necessitates the use of the ‘default-information originate’ OSPF feature. This feature allows the advertisement of the default route in OSPF when it is present in the routing table, which is the case when it is dynamically learned from the upstream router.

References: The ‘default-information originate’ feature is part of OSPF configuration and is used to control the advertisement of default routes in an OSPF environment. This is further explained in the Cisco OSPF Configuration Guide, which details the use of this command to propagate default routes under certain conditions

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/s/question/0D53i00000Kt544/defaultinformationoriginate-always

The statement that is true about the behavior of multiple roles applied to a user on the Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switch is that access to a command takes priority over being denied access to a command. This means that if a user has multiple roles assigned and one of the roles grants access to a command while another role denies access to the same command, the user will be able to execute the command. The access permission overrides the deny permission in case of a conflict. The other statements are not true because:

• Any commands that have conflicting settings between roles are not denied. As explained above, the access permission prevails over the deny permission in case of a conflict.
• The first role assigned does not take precedence over subsequent roles. The order of role assignment does not affect the command authorization. All roles assigned to a user are evaluated together and the most permissive setting is applied.
• The last role assigned does not take precedence over previous roles. The order of role assignment does not affect the command authorization. All roles assigned to a user are evaluated together and the most permissive setting is applied. References: For more information on how to configure and manage roles on the Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switch, please refer to the following resources:
• Cisco MDS 9000 Family NX-OS Security Configuration Guide
• Cisco MDS 9000 Family NX-OS System Management Command Reference

To SPAN only the ingress traffic on a Cisco MDS 9000 series switch, the configuration must include specifying the source interface for monitoring (fc 1/23) and setting it to capture only ingress traffic (rx). Option A and Option C contain the necessary commands to achieve this.

References: = Detailed steps and examples for configuring SPAN to monitor ingress traffic on Cisco MDS 9000 series switches can be found in the Cisco MDS 9000 Series System Management Configuration Guide

 In the context of configuring an FCoE connection between a Cisco UCS and a Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switch, changing the transport type to FCoE in the Cisco UCS Manager is essential. This action ensures that the data traffic is encapsulated using FCoE, enabling seamless communication over Ethernet networks while maintaining Fibre Channel protocol characteristics.

References := For more detailed information, you can refer to the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series NX-OS Fibre Channel over Ethernet Configuration Guide1, which provides comprehensive guidelines on configuring FCoE, including the importance of changing the transport type to support FCoE deployment.

 In Cisco ACI, integrating with a VMware vSphere environment using a VMware Distributed Virtual Switch (DVS) requires creating a Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) domain association under the Endpoint Groups (EPGs). This allows the ACI fabric to extend its policy model to the virtual environment managed by vSphere. The encapsulation VLAN of the EPG is then assigned from a VLAN pool. To ensure that the VLANs are dynamically allocated and can be managed efficiently, a VLAN pool with dynamic allocation should be used. This setup allows for automated management of VLANs and avoids conflicts or manual errors in VLAN assignment12.

References:

• Cisco ACI with VMware VDS Integration documentation1.
• Cisco ACI Virtualization Guide

To prevent unauthorized changes at the root level and to restrict access up to the organization level, the appropriate action is to assign users to a specific Cisco UCS locale. A locale is a logical grouping that defines the scope of user permissions in Cisco UCS Manager. By assigning users to a locale, their access can be limited to specific organizations or service profiles, preventing them from modifying policies at the root level.

References: Cisco Data Center Certifications guide3.

The output indicates that port channel 1 is trunking, which means it is configured to be an Inter-Switch Link (ISL). ISLs are used in Fibre Channel networks to connect switches and maintain the fabric topology. The “port mode is F” in the output also confirms that it’s an ISL, as F-ports are used for Fabric (switch) ports connecting to N-ports on another switch or node.

References:

• Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switches Configuration Guides
• Cisco Data Center Infrastructure - Design Guide

 In a vPC (Virtual Port Channel) configuration, multicast traffic is handled based on the IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) and PIM (Protocol Independent Multicast) configurations. When a host sends traffic to a multicast group, the vPC switches determine the forwarding path based on the multicast routing table and the RPF (Reverse Path Forwarding) check.

Option B is correct because when multicast traffic with source address 10.10.10.10 targeting group 239.1.1.1 is received on Po10 Switch1, the switch will perform an RPF check and forward the traffic out of the interfaces that lead to the Rendezvous Point (RP) and the receivers. This ensures that the multicast traffic is efficiently distributed to all receivers that are part of the multicast group. The traffic would be forwarded out on Po1, which is typically connected to the RP, and Po20, which connects to other receivers in the network.

References := For more detailed information on multicast traffic forwarding in a vPC environment, please refer to Cisco’s official documentation on Implementing Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR), specifically the sections discussing multicast routing and vPC configurations.

When moving traffic between switches configured with NPV and NPIV features, it’s crucial to ensure that the NPV traffic management settings are correctly configured to handle the new interface allocation. This typically involves updating the NPV traffic-map and ensuring that the upstream NPIV core switch recognizes the new paths for the traffic. Additionally, the engineer may need to verify the zoning and VSAN configurations to ensure that the new interface is part of the correct VSAN and that the zoning allows for the FLOGI to be processed correctly on the new interface123.

References:

• Cisco MDS 9000 Series Interfaces Configuration Guide, Release 8.x1.
• Cisco documentation on Configuring N Port Virtualization2.
• Cisco guide on N-Port Identifier Virtualization (NPIV) and N-Port Virtualization (NPV)

On Nexus switches, the equivalent command to save the configuration to NVRAM is ‘copy running-config startup-config’. The ‘write memory’ command is specific to Catalyst switches and is not used on Nexus switches.

 The file is queued for upload when connectivity is restored

 The exhibit shows a process of restoring the configuration of Cisco UCS using a backup file. In this context, the system configuration backup is required to restore the Cisco UCS configuration. The system configuration includes all setup information, policies, pools, templates, service profiles, VLANs/Fabric interconnect configurations etc., which are essential for the operational restoration of Cisco UCS. The other backup types are not suitable for this scenario. The all configuration backup includes the system configuration and the logical configuration, but it also includes the statistics and the faults, which are not needed for the restoration. The logical configuration backup includes the policies, pools, templates, and service profiles, but it does not include the setup information and the VLANs/Fabric interconnect configurations, which are also needed for the restoration. The full state backup includes the entire state of the system, including the firmware versions and the BIOS settings, but it is only used for disaster recovery, not for configuration restoration. References:

• Cisco UCS Manager Backup and Restore Management Guide, Release 4.0 - Backup and Restore Overview [Cisco UCS Manager], Backup and Restore Overview, Backup Types
• Cisco UCS Manager Backup and Restore Management Guide, Release 4.0 - Backup and Restore Overview [Cisco UCS Manager], Backup and Restore Overview, System Configuration Backup
• Cisco UCS Manager Backup and Restore Management Guide, Release 4.0 - Backup and Restore Overview [Cisco UCS Manager], Backup and Restore Overview, All Configuration Backup
• Cisco UCS Manager Backup and Restore Management Guide, Release 4.0 - Backup and Restore Overview [Cisco UCS Manager], Backup and Restore Overview, Logical Configuration Backup
• Cisco UCS Manager Backup and Restore Management Guide, Release 4.0 - Backup and Restore Overview [Cisco UCS Manager], Backup and Restore Overview, Full State Backup

 Configuring Link Group Preference to Port Channel © allows the use of all four interfaces and provides link failure tolerance. This is because port channels can combine multiple physical links into a single logical link that provides high availability through redundancy. If one link in the port channel fails, traffic is automatically redistributed to the remaining links without any disruption to the network12.

References: The configuration of port channels and link group preferences in a Cisco UCS environment is detailed in Cisco’s official documentation and community discussions related to fabric failover and high availability

Server# scope cimc

Server /cimc # scope network

Server /cimc/network # set vlan-enabled yes

Server /cimc/network *# set vlan-id 10

Server /cimc/network *# set vlan-priority 32

Server /cimc/network *# commit

Server /cimc/network # show detail

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/c/sw/cli/config/guide/1-4-1/b_Cisco_UCS_C-Series_CLI_Configuration_Guide_141/b_Cisco_UCS_C-Series_CLI_Configuration_Guide_141_chapter_01000.html#task_F1A505AA52BE41C2A0CE089FCAE4F9D2

Puppet, an open-source configuration management tool, requires the Open Agent Container (OAC) to run on Cisco NX-OS. The OAC provides a contained environment where third-party agents like Puppet can run without affecting the host NX-OS system.

References: The requirement for OAC when using Puppet in a Cisco NX-OS environment is outlined in the Cisco NX-OS Puppet Configuration Guide, which explains the integration of Puppet with Cisco NX-OS and the necessary components.

 To configure a Fibre Channel device alias named TEST for a device attached to port fc1/9 on a Cisco Nexus Series Switch, the correct command set is found in Option A. The commands should be entered in configuration mode, starting with accessing the device-alias database, creating the device-alias named TEST with the specified pwwn, and committing the changes to the database123.

References := The process for configuring a Fibre Channel device alias on a Cisco Nexus Series Switch is detailed in the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS SAN Switching Configuration Guide and other Cisco documentation related to SAN switching and device aliases

To use SaaS to manage Cisco computing, you need to have a Cisco Intersight account and a device/claim ID for each device that you want to manage. Cisco Intersight is a cloud-based platform that provides unified management, automation, and analytics for Cisco data center products. A device/claim ID is a unique identifier that is generated when you register a device with Cisco Intersight. You can use the device/claim ID to claim the device and add it to your Intersight account. Once you claim the device, you can monitor, configure, and troubleshoot it from the Intersight dashboard. References: For more information on how to use SaaS to manage Cisco computing, please refer to the following resources:

• Cisco Intersight Overview
• Cisco Intersight Getting Started Guide
• Cisco Intersight Device Connector

When a Cisco Nexus 9000 series switch encounters a startup configuration corruption, the recovery process involves clearing the current configuration, restarting the device, and then restoring the configuration from a previously saved file. The correct sequence is to first clear the configuration to prevent the corrupted startup configuration from loading upon restart. After restarting the device, the previously saved configuration file should be copied to the running configuration. Finally, to ensure the switch starts with the correct configuration in future restarts, the running configuration should be saved to the startup configuration.

References: The recovery process is detailed in the Cisco community documentation, where it outlines the steps for recovering the configuration in UCS by importing the configuration from a previously saved location

 Option D is the correct configuration to enable the Cisco UCS Manager to manage a Cisco UCS C-Series server by using a single cable for management and data traffic. The commands enter the server scope, then the cimc scope, then the mgmt-conn scope with the sideband option, which enables the management connection through the sideband interface. Then, the mgmt-conn-state is set to enabled and the changes are committed to the buffer. References:

• Cisco UCS Manager CLI Configuration Guide, Release 4.0 - Configuring Cisco UCS C-Series Servers [Cisco UCS Manager], Configuring Cisco UCS C-Series Servers, Configuring the Management Connection
• Cisco UCS Manager CLI Configuration Guide, Release 4.0 - Configuring Cisco UCS C-Series Servers [Cisco UCS Manager], Configuring Cisco UCS C-Series Servers, Enabling the Management Connection Through the Sideband Interface

The ip ospf passive-interface command is used to prevent OSPF adjacency and routing updates from being sent or received on a specific interface, while still advertising the interface subnet via OSPF. This command is useful for stub networks or loopback interfaces that do not need to form OSPF neighbor relationships. The other commands either enable OSPF adjacency by default, change the OSPF network type, or disable OSPF passive mode. References:

• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Unicast Routing Configuration Guide, Release 9.3(x) - Configuring OSPF [Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches], Configuring OSPF, Configuring OSPF Interfaces
• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Unicast Routing Configuration Guide, Release 9.3(x) - Configuring OSPF [Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches], Configuring OSPF, Configuring OSPF Passive Interfaces
• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Unicast Routing Configuration Guide, Release 9.3(x) - Configuring OSPF [Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches], Configuring OSPF, Configuring OSPF Network Types

The configuration set in Option C is designed to invoke a Python script when the router becomes unreachable. It uses an event scheduler to track the state of the router and, if it is not up, it triggers the Python script “routerdown.py” at specified intervals. This setup ensures that the operations team is alerted promptly when the router DC-RTR-1 becomes unreachable, allowing for quick response and troubleshooting.

 In a vPC (Virtual Port-Channel) environment, multicast traffic is expected to be replicated to the ports that have joined the multicast group and also across the peer link. This ensures that in case of a failure scenario, orphan ports, which are ports not part of the vPC and only connected to one of the vPC peer switches, still receive the multicast stream. Option C correctly describes this behavior, where the multicast traffic is replicated to the ports that joined a given multicast group and the peer link, and the multicast traffic stream flows over the peer link to ensure that orphan ports receive the multicast stream in failure scenarios12.

References: = For a more in-depth understanding of multicast traffic flow in a vPC environment, you can refer to Cisco’s official documentation on multicast forwarding in vPC based on the location of the source1, as well as community discussions and technical articles available on the Cisco Community website

 NFS, or Network File System, is a file service protocol that allows files to be accessed over a network in a manner similar to how local storage is accessed. NFS provides the capability for clients to view, store, and update files on a remote Linux-based storage repository. It is widely used as a distributed file system standard for Network Attached Storage (NAS) because it allows the files to appear locally mapped to the client, facilitating easy file sharing and management1.

References := The use of NFS in NAS environments is well-documented in Cisco Data Center Core Technologies source documents and study guides, which explain how NFS works and its role in providing distributed file system services

 A full state backup is the appropriate choice when an engineer needs to perform a backup and restore in Cisco UCS for disaster recovery purposes. This type of backup includes a snapshot of the entire system and is saved as a binary file. Importantly, full state backups are encrypted, ensuring that passwords and other sensitive information are not stored as clear text12. While TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) is not secure by itself, the encryption of the full state backup file provides the necessary security for the passwords within the backup.

References :=

• Cisco documentation on “Backing Up and Restoring the Configuration” provides detailed information on the different backup types and their contents1.
• Cisco UCS Manager Administration Management Guide 4.2, which mentions the encryption of full state backups

To add a new VRF (DC DC) that allows communication of network prefixes between PE1 and PE2 using MP-BGP and EVPN, the engineer should choose Option B and Option E. These options likely include the necessary configurations for route distinguishers and route targets that facilitate the import and export of routes between the VRF instances on different PE routers1

The ‘all configuration’ backup type in Cisco UCS Manager includes both system and logical configuration settings. This backup type is an XML file that encompasses all system and logical configurations, making it suitable for scenarios where a complete backup of all settings is required

When using VMware vMotion to migrate a Cisco WSA virtual appliance from one physical host to another, it is essential that both physical hosts have access to the same network configurations. This includes the same defined networks to which the interfaces on the virtual appliance are mapped. This requirement ensures that the virtual appliance retains its network connectivity and continues to function correctly after the migration1.

References := For more information on the requirements and process of migrating a Cisco WSA virtual appliance using VMware vMotion, you can refer to the Cisco Secure Email and Web Virtual Appliance Installation Guide1.

The correct command to add to the script is option B, which concatenates the string ‘fusion-config_’ with the variable date to form the filename. This will result in a filename that includes the desired prefix followed by the current date, matching the format specified in the question.

References := For more information on scripting and automation within Cisco environments, you can refer to the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies documentation, which includes guidelines on using Python scripts for network configuration and management tasks.

Graphical user interface, application Description automatically generated

Option B is the correct answer because it meets both requirements stated in the question. The configuration permits SSH connectivity from a jump host with an IP address of 10.10.10.10/24 and allows all switches to connect via SSH to other devices from the subnet of 10.20.20.0/24.

In this option, the access list acl-1 is configured to permit TCP traffic from host 10.10.10.10/32 (the jump host) on any port, and access list acl-2 is configured to permit TCP traffic from subnet 10.20.20.0/24 on any port.

The ‘line vty’ configuration applies these access lists for inbound (in) and outbound (out) SSH sessions respectively, ensuring that only the specified source IP addresses are allowed for remote SSH management connectivity1.

References: = For more detailed information, you can refer to the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Security Configuration Guide

Creating a static route in VRF WEB for the subnet of Server 2 on N5K-1 (D) will direct traffic from Server 1 to the specific subnet where Server 2 resides. This ensures that traffic can flow from Server 1 to Server 2, even if it is unidirectional. The static route provides a specified path for the traffic to follow, which is necessary when the traffic must be unidirectional and the gateways are on different VLANs.

References: For further details on configuring static routes in a VRF on Cisco Nexus switches, please refer to the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies documentation, which provides guidelines on implementing routing protocols and static routes within VRF instances.\

To create a virtual Fiber Channel interface and associate it with an Ethernet physical interface, the correct configuration commands would be:

• Enter the interface configuration mode for the virtual Fiber Channel interface using the command interface vfc7.
• Bind the virtual Fiber Channel to the Ethernet interface using the command bind interface ethernet 1/7.

This configuration associates the virtual Fiber Channel interface with VSAN 7 and maps VLAN 700 to the VSAN, as required by the converged network adapter (CNA).

References := The explanation is based on standard practices for configuring virtual Fiber Channel interfaces in a Cisco environment, as detailed in Cisco’s data center configuration guides and technical documentation.

The virtual-service resize command (D) is used to modify the resource allocation for a Linux container on a Cisco Nexus Series Switch1. This command allows the administrator to specify the amount of CPU and memory allocated to the container, ensuring it has the necessary resources to run successfully. In this case, the command would be used to allocate 10 percent of the CPU and 1024 MB of RAM to the container1.

References: The usage of the virtual-service resize command for managing resources in a Linux container can be found in the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Programmability Guide1.

 Option D and C are the correct policies that must be configured to meet the requirements. A Maintenance Policy specifies how the changes are applied when a service profile is associated or disassociated with a server or when an updated service profile is applied to a server. A Power Control Policy allows users to select how Cisco UCS Manager should restore power to the servers in a chassis after the chassis loses power. References:

• Cisco UCS Manager GUI Configuration Guide, Release 4.0 - Configuring Maintenance Policies [Cisco UCS Manager], Configuring Maintenance Policies, Configuring Maintenance Policies
• Cisco UCS Manager GUI Configuration Guide, Release 4.0 - Configuring Power Control Policies [Cisco UCS Manager], Configuring Power Control Policies, Configuring Power Control Policies

The command “ldap-server host 10.10.2.2 enable-ssl” is used to configure AAA authentication on an MDS 9000 switch with an LDAP server located at the IP 10.10.2.2. This command ensures that the data sent to the LDAP server is encrypted using SSL, which is a protocol for securing network communication.

References: For more information, refer to the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) study guide or source documents, specifically the sections covering AAA authentication configuration and LDAP server integration with MDS 9000 switches.

To monitor and export traffic to a Network Analyzer, particularly ingress traffic from Host-A and all traffic for VLAN 20 from Host-B, the engineer must implement a configuration that captures the specified traffic and directs it to the Network Analyzer tool. The correct configuration will depend on the capabilities of the network devices in use and the specifics of the Network Analyzer’s requirements.

 The configuration must include setting up a SPAN (Switched Port Analyzer) or RSPAN (Remote SPAN) session that mirrors the desired traffic to a port connected to the Network Analyzer. This would involve specifying the source interfaces or VLANs and the destination port for the mirrored traffic. Additionally, the configuration should ensure that the Network Analyzer is capable of receiving and processing the mirrored traffic, which may require additional settings on the Network Analyzer itself.

 The two components that support specific power limits on a Cisco UCS C-Series rack server are the processor and the graphic card. The processor and the graphic card are the two components that consume the most power on a server, and they can be configured to have specific power limits to control the power usage and performance of the server. The power limits can be set using the Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC) web interface or CLI, or using the Cisco UCS Manager if the server is integrated with a Cisco UCS domain. The power limits can be applied to individual processors or graphic cards, or to the entire server. The power limits can help to optimize the power efficiency and thermal management of the server, as well as to prevent power capping or throttling issues. References :=

• Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) v1.2, Module 5: Cisco Unified Computing System, Lesson 5.4: Cisco UCS C-Series Servers
• Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Integrated Management Controller CLI Configuration Guide, Release 4.0, Chapter: Configuring Server Power, Section: Configuring Processor Power Limits
• Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Integrated Management Controller GUI Configuration Guide, Release 4.0, Chapter: Configuring Server Power, Section: Configuring Processor Power Limits

 To implement private VLANs for Cisco UCS 8-Series servers, the primary VLAN is already present, and the secondary VLAN needs to be added to both fabrics. The correct configuration set that accomplishes this task is Option C. This option includes the necessary commands to create the VLAN and set its sharing to secondary, which is required for the configuration of private VLANs in a Cisco UCS environment12.

References: = For detailed steps and configurations, refer to the Cisco documentation on private VLANs and UCS configuration12. It provides comprehensive guidance on setting up private VLANs in the Cisco UCS environment.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure typically associated with developing and launching an app. Public cloud services are offered over the internet and are available to anyone who wants to purchase or use them. They are ideal for an engineer with a small budget and limited technical knowledge because they provide a cost-effective, scalable infrastructure that can grow with customer demand2.

References := For further details on cloud deployment models, including PaaS and public cloud, you can explore resources such as cloud deployment model comparisons and examples provided by various cloud service providers

 Changing the boot order during setup and applying new requirements multiple times can be achieved by setting the boot configuration directly through the BIOS. This allows the engineer to modify the boot order as needed, separate from the configured boot order in Cisco IMC. References: The DCCOR course discusses server boot order configuration and the use of BIOS settings for such purposes.

 The correct configuration to generate a syslog message when CPU utilization is higher than 60% is option A. This configuration uses the Event Manager Applet feature of Cisco IOS to monitor the CPU utilization via SNMP. When the CPU utilization exceeds 60%, the specified action is triggered, which in this case is to send a syslog message with a priority of notifications and the message “cpu high”. The event snmp oid command specifies the OID to be monitored, and the entry-op gt 60 part of the command sets the condition for triggering the action when the value is greater than 60. The poll-interval 5 specifies that the SNMP OID will be polled every 5 seconds.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/ip/internet-protocol-ip/200931-EEM-Subsystem-in-Order-to-

Monitor-CPU-Tr.pdf

https://blog.ipspace.net/2008/06/generate-snmp-trap-on-high-cpu-load.html

The correct configuration to capture traffic only from the server with the IP address of 198.19.1.19/24 is option C. This configuration uses an IP access list to match packets from the specific IP address with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.255, which indicates a single host. The monitor session command is then used to apply this access list to a SPAN session, ensuring that only traffic from the specified server is captured.

To meet the requirements of performing a backup and restore of the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch configuration using UDP as the only protocol, the network engineer must follow these steps:

• Perform a startup-config backup to a TFTP server. The startup-config file contains the configuration that is applied when the switch boots up. To backup this file to a TFTP server, the engineer can use the copy startup-config tftp: command, and specify the IP address or hostname of the TFTP server and the destination filename. For example:

switch# copy startup-config tftp: Enter hostname for the tftp server: 10.10.10.10 Enter destination filename: backup-config

• Copy backup-config from the backup server to the running-config file. The running-config file contains the configuration that is currently active on the switch. To restore this file from the backup-config file on the TFTP server, the engineer can use the copy tftp: running-config command, and specify the IP address or hostname of the TFTP server and the source filename. For example:

switch# copy tftp: running-config Enter hostname for the tftp server: 10.10.10.10 Enter source filename: backup-config

These steps will allow the engineer to backup and restore the switch configuration using UDP as the only protocol, as TFTP is a UDP-based protocol. The backup-config file can be used when the current working configuration of the switch gets corrupted, as required by the goal. References :=

• Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) v1.2, Module 3: Data Center LAN Network Connectivity, Lesson 3.6: Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches
• Cisco Nexus 5000 Series NX-OS Fundamentals Configuration Guide, Release 5.2(1)N1(1), Chapter: Configuring System Files, Section: Copying a Configuration File to a Remote Server Using TFTP, FTP, SFTP, or SCP

• Setting the RADIUS source interface to be mgmt0 for group RAD1 and VLAN 22 for group RAD2 © ensures that login requests from the console and SSH are sourced from the correct interfaces and reach the appropriate RADIUS server.
• Configuring the authentication login to use group RAD1 for console and group RAD2 for remote access (D) directs the switch to use the specified RADIUS server groups for the respective login methods, aligning with the user’s requirements.

These configurations ensure that management access via console and SSH is authenticated through the designated RADIUS servers as intended. It’s important to apply these settings correctly in the switch’s configuration to achieve the desired access control.

 The command set in Option C is likely to configure the Cisco MDS switches to use FC-SP for authentication and to ensure communication remains encrypted even when the AAA server is not reachable. This would typically involve configuring the switches to fall back on local authentication databases and enabling features such as DHCHAP (Diffie-Hellman Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol) to maintain encrypted communication12.

References := For a detailed configuration guide, you can refer to the Cisco MDS 9000 Series Security Configuration Guide, Release 8.x and 9.x, which provides instructions on configuring security features on external AAA servers and FC-SP and DHCHAP

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 Option D is the correct choice. Configuring the vPC role priority and enabling the peer-gateway feature are recommended practices for enhancing vPC convergence times. The peer-gateway feature allows for local forwarding of packets without the need to cross the vPC peer link, which can significantly reduce convergence times during primary peer device failures and recoveries. This approach ensures that the vPC system can quickly adapt to changes and maintain traffic flow even in the event of a device failure123.

References: For more detailed information and best practices, you can refer to Cisco’s official documentation and community discussions on vPC convergence and failure scenarios

An ISSU upgrade on the Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switch allows for software updates with minimal impact on the switch’s operation. The control plane remains up during the upgrade, ensuring continuous network operations and service availability. The process is carefully designed to prevent any significant downtime, and any brief disruption is kept well under the 120-second mark1.

References := For further details, you can refer to the Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS Software Upgrade and Downgrade Guide, Release 8.x, and the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Software Upgrade and Downgrade Guide21.

The command logging logfile Local 4 size 20000 configures the Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switch to store log messages with a severity of “warning” (which corresponds to severity level 4) and above. The size parameter is set to 20000 bytes, which ensures that the log file does not exceed the specified maximum size1.

References:

• For detailed information on configuring system message logging on Cisco MDS 9000 Family switches, you can refer to the Cisco documentation on system message logging1.

Application Description automatically generated

The release of NFSv4 brought a revolution to authentication and security to NFS exports. NFSv4 mandates

the implementation of the RPCSEC_GSS kernel module, the Kerberos version 5 GSS-API mechanism,

SPKM-3, and LIPKEY. With NFSv4, the mandatory security mechanisms are oriented towards

authenticating individual users, and not client machines as used in NFSv2 and NFSv3.

https://web.mit.edu/rhel-doc/5/RHEL-5-manual/Deployment_Guide-en-US /s1-nfs-security.html

The command ‘aaa authentication login default fallback error local’ is used to ensure that if RADIUS servers are unreachable, the system will fall back to using the local user database for SSH access to the Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switch.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/mds9000/sw/6_2/con figuration/guides/security/nx-os/sec_cli_6-x/cradtac1.html

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 In a VXLAN data center fabric, inter-VNI communication requires mapping Layer 2 (L2) VLANs to their respective L2 VNIs and associating them with the correct Layer 3 (L3) VNI that corresponds to the VRF. In this case, VLAN 100 is mapped to L2 VNI 2020, and for inter-VNI routing to occur, it must be associated with an L3 VNI that corresponds to the VRF, which is Test_Telco_VRF to L3 VNI 1010. References: For more detailed information, you can refer to the Cisco Programmable Fabric with VXLAN BGP EVPN Configuration Guide1 and the Data Center VXLAN EVPN guide

 The command that completes the EEM script configuration for saving a copy of the running configuration to bootflash on a Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switch is running-config. This command is used in the EEM applet to specify the source of the configuration file that needs to be copied. The complete command in the EEM applet would be action 1.0 cli command "copy running-config bootflash:/current-config.txt". This command will save the running configuration to a file named current-config.txt in the bootflash when the specified event occurs, which is when a user saves the configuration.

References: For more information on EEM scripts and the copy command on Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches, you can refer to the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies documentation and the Cisco NX-OS System Management Configuration Guide

 In Cisco ACI, TCAM resources can be optimized by configuring a single contract that is provided and consumed by all EPGs within a VRF. This approach ensures that all EPGs consume the same services, thus reducing the number of individual contracts and associated TCAM entries. By having a common contract, the ACI fabric can efficiently manage access control policies and service insertion without the need for multiple, redundant entries in the TCAM, which can lead to resource exhaustion. References: The information is based on the best practices for TCAM management in Cisco ACI fabrics, as detailed in the Cisco community discussions and Cisco’s official documentation on TCAM resource issues and workarounds12. Additionally, the concept of using a single contract for multiple EPGs is supported by the Cisco ACI Endpoint Security Group (ESG) Design Guide, which outlines the steps for implementing a single ESG for open communication between subnets (EPG selectors)

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The command “show install all impact epld bootflash:n9000-epld.6.1.2.13.1.img” is used to display the impact of the EPLD (Electronic Programmable Logic Device) upgrade on the operation of the Cisco Nexus 9000 series switch. This command does not perform the upgrade; instead, it provides a report that shows what the upgrade would affect if it were to be executed. This is useful for planning and ensuring that the upgrade will not disrupt critical services or operations on the switch. References :=

• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Software Upgrade and Downgrade Guide, Chapter: Managing EPLD Images

 To directly connect a Fibre Channel storage array to a Cisco UCS domain, configuring a new VSAN is essential as it creates a separate fabric to isolate the storage traffic. Additionally, creating a Storage Connection Policy is necessary to define how the UCS domain will communicate with the storage array, including zoning and VSAN membership.

When configuring traffic capture to investigate issues such as buffering problems and packet drops, it’s important to consider where to place the capture points. Typically, you would configure a SPAN (Switched Port Analyzer) or RSPAN (Remote SPAN) session to mirror the traffic from the affected areas to a monitoring device. The configuration would involve:

• Identifying the source ports or VLANs where the issues are observed.
• Specifying a destination port connected to a network analyzer like Wireshark.
• Ensuring the destination port is not used for regular network traffic.

For example, a basic SPAN session configuration might look like this:

monitor session [session_number] source interface [interface_id]

monitor session [session_number] destination interface [destination_interface_id]

References: The Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) course provides insights into the capabilities of Cisco devices for traffic capture and monitoring. For detailed steps and best practices, refer to Cisco’s official documentation on configuring packet capture

To implement traffic monitoring for a server vNIC with fabric failover enabled, ensuring that traffic is sent to an analyzer even during a fabric interconnect failure, the correct configuration is to create two traffic monitoring sessions with different names, one per fabric, and connect an analyzer on each FI as the destination for the monitoring session local to the FI. This setup allows continuous monitoring because if one fabric interconnect fails, the other can still send traffic to its connected analyzer2.

References := Cisco Community Discussion on Understanding Fabric Failure and Failover in UCS

A logical configuration backup of a Cisco UCS Manager database is a file that contains all of the configurations that are stored in the Cisco UCS Manager database, such as policies, pools, service profiles, templates, and firmware versions. The file has an extension .tgz and can be created and restored using the Cisco UCS Manager GUI or CLI. A logical configuration backup also contains the configuration organizations and locales, which are logical entities that group and isolate resources within a Cisco UCS domain. Organizations and locales can be used to delegate administrative tasks and privileges to different users or groups. The other options (AAA and RBAC configurations, VLAN and VSAN configurations) are not part of a logical configuration backup, but rather a full state backup, which is a different type of backup that includes the operational state and statistics of the Cisco UCS domain. References: For more information on how to create and restore a logical configuration backup of a Cisco UCS Manager database, please refer to the following resources:

• Cisco UCS Manager Backup and Restore Management Guide
• Cisco UCS Manager Configuration Common Practices and Quick Start Guide

 In the context of Bash scripting for system automation, the killproc command is often used to stop a process. The correct option to complete the script for a Chef Client reload would involve sending a HUP (hang-up) signal to the Chef Client process, which is typically done to cause the process to reload its configuration without stopping the service. The command killproc -p $pidfile $exec --HUP would send the HUP signal to the process identified by the pidfile, which is the expected behavior for a Chef Client reload on a system reset.

References := For a detailed explanation and official documentation, the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies source book or study guide should be consulted, as well as the official Chef documentation which provides information on system and service management commands.

The command checkpoint file before_maintenance is used to create a checkpoint of the current running configuration with the specified file name. The command rollback running-config file before_maintenance atomic ensures that the rollback of the checkpoint to the running configuration only occurs if there are no errors during the process. This is essential for maintaining the stability of the switch during maintenance operations.

 The HA NOT READY status on a Cisco Fabric Interconnect typically indicates that the system is not in a state to provide High Availability due to certain connectivity issues. In this case, the status message “No device connected to this Fabric Interconnect” suggests that there is no connectivity through the management ports. Establishing a connection through these ports is essential for the Fabric Interconnect to communicate with other devices in the network and form a High Availability cluster. Once the management ports are connected and properly configured, the HA NOT READY status should be resolved.

References := This explanation is based on standard procedures for addressing High Availability issues in Cisco Data Center environments, as outlined in Cisco’s technical documentation and the Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) course materials

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Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) is the monitoring solution that can fulfill the requirements of visualizing the SAN, supporting VXLAN overlays, and identifying storage slow drain issues for a Fibre Channel storage environment consisting of Cisco Nexus 9000 and MDS 9000 Series Switches3.

The cloud model that meets the requirement of having full control over the underlying OS, data and application is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). IaaS is a cloud service model that provides the customer with access to virtualized computing resources, such as servers, storage, and networks, over the internet. The customer can install, configure, and manage the OS, data, and application of their choice on the rented infrastructure, without having to worry about the maintenance or security of the physical hardware. IaaS offers the customer the highest level of flexibility and control over their cloud environment, compared to other cloud models such as Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Software as a Service (SaaS). References :=

• Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) v1.2, Module 8: Data Center Automation and Orchestration, Lesson 8.3: Cisco Cloud Services
• Cisco Cloud Computing - IaaS

 PowerOn Auto Provisioning (POAP) on Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches automates the process of upgrading software images and installing configuration files on devices being deployed for the first time. When a device with POAP boots without a startup configuration, it enters POAP mode, locates a DHCP server, and bootstraps itself with its interface IP address, gateway, and DNS server IP addresses. The device also obtains the IP address of a TFTP server and downloads a configuration script that enables the switch to download and install the appropriate software image and configuration file. Since only UDP is permitted between the Nexus 9000 switch and the server hosting the Cisco NX-OS system images, the TFTP transfer protocol, which uses UDP, must be defined1.

References:

• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Fundamentals Configuration Guide, which details the use of POAP and the requirements for network infrastructure including a DHCP server and a TFTP server

To achieve the most optimal on demand CPU performance while configuring the BIOS settings of a UCS C-series rack mount server, you should set the CPU Performance option to C0/C1 state. This option enables the CPU to operate in the highest performance state (C0) or the lowest power state (C1) depending on the workload demand. This allows the CPU to maximize its performance and efficiency without compromising its thermal and power limits. The other options (C6 Retention, C2 state, and C6 non-Retention) reduce the CPU performance by putting the CPU into deeper sleep states (C2 or C6) when idle, which can increase the latency and power consumption when resuming the CPU activity. References: For more details on how to configure the BIOS settings of a UCS C-series rack mount server, please refer to the following resources:

• Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Integrated Management Controller GUI Configuration Guide
• Cisco UCS C-Series Rack-Mount Server BIOS Settings

To set access to Cisco IMC (Integrated Management Controller) and allow logging onto the https://datacenter.local  web page, the correct set of commands is found in option C. These commands will configure the network settings on the Cisco UCS C240 Series Server to enable web access to the Cisco IMC interface. The configuration typically involves setting the correct IP address, gateway, and other network parameters that align with the data center’s network design.

References :=

• Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Integrated Management Controller CLI Configuration Guide
• Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) study materials

In Cisco ACI, a virtual Port Channel (vPC) allows links that are physically connected to two different ACI leaf nodes to appear as a single port channel to a third device. When configuring vPCs in ACI, you do not need to create multiple interface policy groups for each vPC. Instead, you create a single vPC interface policy group that can be applied to multiple vPCs. This is because the fabric itself serves as the multi-chassis trunk (MCT), and peer reachability is managed through the fabric, not through physical peer-links. Therefore, for the scenario described, where two vPCs are created from leaf switches A and B, only one vPC interface policy group is required.

References := The information is based on the best practices from the Cisco guide on Virtual Port Channel (vPC) in ACI1 and the Cisco ACI fabric access policies configuration guide

 NX-API is the appropriate solution to meet the requirements specified. It allows for programmatic device configuration using a Windows-based scripting environment like PowerShell and supports HTTPS transport for secure communication1.

References := Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Programmability Guide, Release 9.3(x)1.

 The configuration in Cisco UCS Manager needs to specify the source of the traffic for the SPAN session. Since the requirement is to monitor the traffic from VSAN 11, selecting VSAN 11 as the source will direct the traffic to the monitoring session. This is consistent with the SPAN session’s purpose, which is to create a copy of the traffic for analysis or monitoring.

References := For more information on configuring SPAN sessions in Cisco UCS Manager, you can refer to the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies study materials and official documentation, which provide guidelines on setting up traffic monitoring solutions within a Cisco data center environment. These resources will offer detailed instructions and best practices for implementing SPAN sessions to monitor VSAN traffic.

Option C and E are the correct commands to verify the configuration and apply the device changes when no errors are returned using Session Manager. The verify command checks the syntax and validity of the configuration commands, and the apply command applies the configuration changes to the device. The other options are either not related to Session Manager or not required for the task. References:

• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS System Management Configuration Guide, Release 9.3(x) - Configuring Session Manager [Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches], Configuring Session Manager, Using Session Manager
• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS System Management Configuration Guide, Release 9.3(x) - Configuring Session Manager [Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches], Configuring Session Manager, Session Manager Commands

 To reduce disruptions during a major software upgrade on a Cisco Nexus Series switch, technologies like VDC (Virtual Device Contexts) and vPC (Virtual Port Channels) can be implemented. VDC allows for the partitioning of a single physical device into multiple logical devices, which can be managed and operated independently. This means that one VDC can be upgraded while others remain operational, minimizing downtime. vPC enables the linking of two switches to create a single logical switch, providing redundancy and allowing for one switch to be upgraded while the other maintains the network operations1.

 Before enabling a Cisco UCS Manager domain for Cisco Intersight connectivity, you must configure the DNS servers and the NTP servers for the domain. The DNS servers are required to resolve the hostname of the Cisco Intersight service (svc.intersight.com) and the NTP servers are required to synchronize the time between the Cisco UCS Manager and the Cisco Intersight service. These settings ensure that the Cisco UCS Manager can establish a secure and reliable connection with the Cisco Intersight service and register the domain with the Cisco Intersight account.

References: For more information on how to configure a Cisco UCS Manager domain for Cisco Intersight connectivity, please refer to the following resources:

• Cisco UCS Manager Configuration Guide for Intersight Device Connector
• Cisco Intersight Getting Started Guide

Before upgrading the infrastructure and firmware of multiple UCS blades, it is important to verify if the bootflash on the fabric interconnects in the Cisco UCS has at least 10% available space © and to get Full State and All Configuration backup files before beginning the upgrade (E). Ensuring sufficient bootflash space is necessary for the upgrade process to proceed without storage issues. Backing up the current state and configuration provides a recovery point in case the upgrade encounters problems. References: Cisco’s guidelines on firmware upgrades3 and community discussions on UCS firmware updates4.

A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated with medium confidence

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network-att ached_storage

Two capabilities of the Cisco Network Assurance Engine are that it validates that devices comply with network security policies and that it predicts the impact of changes to the network. The Cisco Network Assurance Engine is a software solution that uses mathematical modeling and verification techniques to continuously analyze the state and configuration of the data center network. It can validate that the network devices are compliant with the intended security policies, such as access control lists, firewall rules, and encryption standards. It can also predict the impact of planned or unplanned changes to the network, such as software upgrades, configuration changes, or device failures, and provide proactive recommendations to avoid or resolve issues. The Cisco Network Assurance Engine helps to ensure that the network is always operating as intended and aligned with the business objectives. References :=

• Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) v1.2, Module 8: Data Center Automation and Orchestration, Lesson 8.4: Cisco Data Center Network Assurance and Insights
• Cisco Network Assurance Engine

DCNM (Data Center Network Manager) is a UI-based infrastructure management system that meets the requirements of the question. DCNM can monitor and deploy standardized VXLAN BGP EVPN deployments across multiple Cisco Nexus switches, using predefined templates and workflows. DCNM can also manage Cisco MDS 9000 series switches, providing visibility and control over the storage network. DCNM supports various features and functions for both LAN and SAN environments, such as configuration, provisioning, monitoring, troubleshooting, automation, and security. DCNM is a comprehensive and scalable solution for data center network management.

References :=

• Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) v1.2, Module 8: Data Center Automation and Orchestration, Lesson 8.1: Cisco Data Center Network Manager
• [Cisco Data Center Network Manager 11.x Data Sheet], which provides an overview of DCNM features and benefits.

 In a Cisco HyperFlex Edge deployment, the witness VM, known as the “Invisible Cloud Witness,” resides within Cisco Intersight. This cloud-based platform eliminates the need for a dedicated witness VM by providing a virtual witness as a service, which simplifies the deployment and ongoing operations of HyperFlex Edge clusters1234.

References:

• Cisco HyperFlex Edge Deployment Guide, Release 5.0(x)1.
• Cisco HyperFlex Systems Installation Guide for VMware ESXi, Release 5.02.
• Cisco Blogs on HyperFlex and Intersight3.
• Cisco’s official page on HyperFlex for Edge Environments

Table Description automatically generated with low confidence

Switch 1:

Box 1 = hsrp version 2

Box 2 = priority 100

Box 3 = mac-address 6000.6000.6000

Switch 2:

Box 1 = hsrp version 2

Box 2 = priority 255

Box 3 = mac-address 6000.6000.6000

One of the benefits of independent resource scaling in Cisco HyperFlex hybrid architecture is the flexible expansion of compute, caching, and capacity. This allows for the addition of resources in the required ratios without being constrained by the limitations of traditional converged infrastructure3.

 This configuration ensures that if AAA servers cannot be reached, the switch will fall back to using the local user database for authentication when accessing the console. The fallback error local keyword specifies that the local database should be used in case of an error in reaching the AAA servers1.

References := For more information on configuring AAA on Cisco MDS switches, you can refer to Cisco’s official documentation and community discussions which provide insights into setting up authentication methods for different access scenarios1. These resources explain how to configure the switch to handle authentication locally when remote AAA servers are not available.

When configuring a vHBA template in UCS Manager, you need to specify the WWPN (World Wide Port Name) from a WWPN pool (B) to uniquely identify the port in the fabric, and the Fabric ID (E) to define the path through which the SAN traffic will flow.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/servers-unified-computing/ucs-manager/whitepaper_c11-697337.html

The network administrator role in Cisco UCS Manager is designed to allow configuration of network-related settings, which includes vHBAs, vNICs, and server port types. This role provides the necessary privileges to manage these components

 Creating a virtual iSCSI vNIC (B) is necessary for the server to perform an iSCSI boot from the storage array. This virtual iSCSI vNIC serves as an iSCSI boot firmware table (iBFT) configuration placeholder for iSCSI boot configuration. It is not an actual vNIC but is essential for the iSCSI boot process as it holds the configuration details required for the server to communicate with the storage array during the boot process1.

References: The process of configuring iSCSI boot in Cisco UCS Manager, including the creation of a virtual iSCSI vNIC, is detailed in Cisco’s documentation

 The solution that meets the requirements for implementing an automation solution to allow the backup of the configuration of Cisco Nexus series switches to a centralized location is the Guest Shell. The Guest Shell is a Linux-based container that runs on the Cisco Nexus operating system and provides a secure environment for running Python scripts and custom applications. The Guest Shell supports the RPM packaging format, which allows the team-developed custom monitoring scripts to be easily installed and managed. The Guest Shell is isolated from the underlying Cisco Nexus operating system, which means that it has no impact on the operating system if the resource contention occurs. The Guest Shell also allows the use of Python to expand the existing automation framework, such as using the NX-API or the Cisco Nexus Python SDK to interact with the switch configuration and state. References :=

• Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) v1.2, Module 8: Data Center Automation and Orchestration, Lesson 8.2: Cisco NX-OS Programmability
• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Programmability Guide, Release 9.3(x), Chapter: Using Guest Shell

The statement that is true about upgrading the firmware on a Cisco MDS storage switch with dual supervisors is that the new firmware is load on the standby supervisor first. This is part of the non-disruptive upgrade process that allows the switch to continue operating while the firmware is updated. The standby supervisor receives the new firmware image and reloads with the new version, while the active supervisor remains in service with the old version. Then, a switchover occurs, making the standby supervisor the new active one, and the old active supervisor receives the new firmware image and reloads. Finally, the modules are upgraded one by one, starting from the lowest numbered module. The other statements are not true because:

• The standby supervisor does not need to be offline before the firmware upgrade begins. It can be online and in standby mode, ready to receive the new firmware image and reload.
• Both supervisors do not load the new firmware and then the active supervisor reboots. This would cause a disruption of service and a loss of configuration. The firmware upgrade is done in a sequential manner, with one supervisor at a time.
• Supervisors cannot be upgraded independently to test the new firmware. The firmware versions on both supervisors must match, otherwise the switchover will fail and the switch will not operate properly.

References: For more details on how to perform a firmware upgrade on a Cisco MDS storage switch, please refer to the following resources:

• How to Perform an MDS 9000 Series Switch Non-Disruptive Upgrade
• Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS Software Upgrade and Downgrade Guide, Release 6.2(x)

To accomplish the goal of adding all devices already logged in and learned to the Fibre Channel active database, the customer should enable port security and device aliases on the Cisco MDS 9000 series switch. Port security is a feature that allows the switch to restrict the number and type of devices that can log in to a Fibre Channel port. Port security can be configured to automatically add the devices that are already logged in and learned to the active database, and prevent any unauthorized devices from logging in. Device aliases are user-friendly names that can be assigned to devices based on their World Wide Names (WWNs). Device aliases can be used to simplify the management and configuration of devices, as well as to enhance the security and visibility of the Fibre Channel network. Device aliases can also be automatically added to the active database along with the port security information, and can be used for zoning and other operations. References :=

• Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) v1.2, Module 7: Data Center Storage Connectivity, Lesson 7.3: Fibre Channel Protocol
• Cisco MDS 9000 Family NX-OS Security Configuration Guide, Chapter: Configuring Port Security
• Cisco MDS 9000 Family NX-OS Interfaces Configuration Guide, Chapter: Configuring Device Aliases

The contract between EPG Client and EPG Web allows TCP communication initiated by the client toward the webserver with TCP destination port 80. This means that the host in EPG Client can establish a connection to the webserver in EPG Web on TCP port 80. However, the contract does not allow the webserver to initiate a connection back to the host on the same port, which is typically used for HTTP traffic.

References: The explanation is based on the understanding of Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) contracts, which are used to define the communication between EPGs (Endpoint Groups). For more detailed information, refer to the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies source book and the ACI documentation available on Cisco’s official website.

In the context of Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure), TEP (Tunnel Endpoint) addresses are used for encapsulating and forwarding traffic within the fabric. The next hop addresses mentioned in options A and D are indicative of TEP addresses, which are typically assigned to border leaf switches within the ACI fabric. These border leaf switches are responsible for routing traffic between the ACI fabric and external networks.

• Option A is correct because the next hop 10.0.1.14 for the route 172.16.99.0/24 is consistent with the TEP address format used in ACI, suggesting it is the TEP address of a border leaf.
• Option D is also correct as the next hop 10.1.168.95 for the route 172.16.100.0/24 follows the TEP address pattern, indicating it is the TEP address of another border leaf in ACI.

 Configuring an IP helper address on interface VLAN 10 of the management switch is the correct action to meet the requirements. This configuration allows the management switch to forward DHCP requests from the new switches in different VLANs to the DCNM server, which can then use the zero-touch POAP feature to facilitate fabric creation.

The command in question is likely to temporarily suspend the Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) join messages. This action does not delete the PIM database or flush the Multicast Routing Information Base (MRIB), nor does it suspend multicast traffic forwarding. Instead, it interrupts the PIM join messages, which are used to build and maintain the multicast distribution tree.

References := For an in-depth explanation, one should refer to the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies study materials, which cover the PIM protocol and its behaviors in detail.

 EPLD upgrades on Cisco MDS 9000 series switches can be done without powering down the module during the upgrade (Option B), which allows for continuous operation and no downtime. Additionally, EPLDs can be upgraded without replacing the hardware (Option D), making the process more cost-effective and less resource-intensive. References := Cisco Data Center Core Technologies

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/mds9000/sw/7_3/upgrade/upgrade.html

 In a VXLAN implementation with anycast gateway, PIM Source-Specific Multicast (SSM) is used for efficient host reachability. The IP address 10.10.0.1/32 should be applied to interface loopback1 to facilitate this setup. This address is used in conjunction with the ip pim anycast-rp command to configure the rendezvous point (RP) for multicast traffic in a PIM SSM environment. The loopback interface is typically used for this purpose because it is always up and reachable as long as the device is operational.

References := For more detailed guidance on configuring VXLAN with anycast gateway and PIM SSM, the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) study materials and official Cisco documentation should be consulted. These resources provide in-depth explanations of the technologies and step-by-step configuration instructions.

The Firmware Auto Sync Server policy in Cisco UCS Manager allows administrators to set when and how firmware versions on recently discovered servers should be upgraded. The policy options include ‘User Acknowledge’, which requires an administrator’s acknowledgment to initiate the firmware upgrade, and ‘No Action’, which means no firmware upgrade will be initiated on the server. These settings ensure that firmware upgrades are controlled and do not occur without the necessary administrative oversight.

References: Using Firmware Automatic Synchronization Server Policy

The method that a network engineer must use to upgrade the BIOS firmware of a Cisco UCS standalone C-Series rack-mount server is to use the Cisco host upgrade utility. The Cisco host upgrade utility is a tool that allows the network engineer to upgrade the firmware of various components of the server, such as the BIOS, the CIMC, the RAID controller, and the network adapter. The Cisco host upgrade utility can be downloaded from the Cisco website and run from a bootable USB drive or CD-ROM. The Cisco host upgrade utility provides a graphical user interface that guides the network engineer through the firmware upgrade process, and allows the network engineer to select the firmware versions and the components to be upgraded. References :=

• Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) v1.2, Module 5: Cisco Unified Computing System, Lesson 5.4: Cisco UCS C-Series Servers
• Cisco Host Upgrade Utility User Guide, Chapter: Overview of the Cisco Host Upgrade Utility

 To block traffic between a subset of endpoints in an EPG based on specific VM attributes and the rest of the VMs in that EPG, the correct set of actions would involve setting “Allow Microsegmentation” under the EPG VMM Domain Association to “True” and setting “Intra-EPG Isolation” to “Enforced” for both the EPG and the uSeg EPG. This configuration ensures that microsegmentation is allowed and that intra-EPG isolation is enforced, effectively blocking the specified traffic.

References:

• The Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) course provides insights into the implementation of data center technologies, including network, compute, storage network, automation, and security1.
• The Cisco Community articles on VMM Integration & Troubleshooting and ACI VMM integration provide practical guidance and troubleshooting tips for integrating VMM domains with Cisco ACI23.
• For detailed procedures and additional information, the configuration guides and training materials available on Cisco’s official website are valuable resources

 The update() method in Python is used to add an element to a dictionary. It takes either another dictionary object or an iterable of key-value pairs and adds them to the dictionary. If the key is already present in the dictionary, update() will update the key with the new value. Option B correctly uses the update() method to add the new ‘N9K-Spine-2’: ‘1498323434’ key-value pair to the switch_id_list dictionary.

References: For more information on modifying dictionaries in Python, the official Python documentation provides comprehensive guidelines and examples. It’s a valuable resource for understanding the behavior of dictionary methods like update().

EPLD updates on Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switches are characterized by updating hardware functionality on a device (Option B). This means that the updates can enhance device capabilities or address issues without the need for physical hardware changes. References := Cisco Data Center Core Technologies

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/mds9000/sw/6_2/release/notes/epld/epld_rn.html

To monitor traffic between leaf switches in a Cisco ACI network and support filtering traffic from a Bridge Domain or VRF, the configuration must allow for specifying the traffic of interest based on tenant, application, and EPG. Option C, filter tenant t1 application app1 epg epg1, meets these requirements by defining a filter that targets traffic from a specific EPG within an application profile in the tenant ‘t1’. This filter can be applied to the monitoring session to capture the relevant traffic.

References := For detailed procedures on implementing monitoring sessions in Cisco ACI, refer to the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies documentation, particularly sections covering ACI traffic monitoring and filtering.

 The device-alias confirm-commit command is used in Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switches to ensure that changes made to device aliases are confirmed before being committed to the database. This command prompts the user for confirmation and displays the pending changes explicitly on the console, which aligns with the requirements stated in the question.

References: For more detailed information, you would typically refer to the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies study guide or the official Cisco documentation for the MDS 9000 Series.

NETCONF is the ideal solution for this scenario for the following reasons:

• Standards-based: NETCONF is built upon industry-standard protocols (XML, SSH, TLS) ensuring compatibility and adherence to open standards.
• Secure transport: NETCONF mandates secure transport mechanisms like SSH or TLS for communication between the automation software and managed devices, aligning with security requirements.
• Data Format: NETCONF utilizes XML for data encoding and transport, providing a human-readable and machine-parsable format that is easy to work with.
• Remote Device Automation: NETCONF is designed specifically for remote configuration and management of network devices, making it perfect for the task of automating remote device deployments.

Option C correctly uses an HTTP POST request to send the necessary payload to Cisco APIC. This method is suitable for creating new resources like an EPG when the specified Tenant and application profile exist. The POST request will ensure that the configuration is applied only if the conditions are met, aligning with the requirement that the firewall policy allows only HTTP connectivity.

References := For further details, the Cisco APIC REST API Configuration Guide provides comprehensive instructions on using HTTP methods for APIC configurations.

The import function is available for all configuration, system configuration, and logical configuration files. You can perform an import while the system is up and running. An import operation modifies information on the management plane only. Some modifications caused by an import operation, such as a change to a vNIC assigned to a server, can cause a server reboot or other operations that disrupt traffic. https://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/unified_computi ng/ucs/sw/gui/config/guide/141/UCSM_GUI_Configuration_Guide_141_chapter43.html#concept_D789E16C90724AEFB99D565574E45AD5

The ‘Full State’ backup type in Cisco UCS Manager is designed to capture a snapshot of the entire system, which includes all configuration settings, system logs, and the operating system. This comprehensive backup can be used to fully restore the system in the event of a disaster recovery scenario. The ‘Full State’ backup is the only option that provides a complete system snapshot, making it the ideal choice for disaster recovery purposes.

References: The information regarding backup types and their purposes can be found in the Cisco Data Center Core Technologies source book, specifically in the section discussing system maintenance and backups within the Cisco UCS Manager platform.