CCNP Network Assurance Practice Question
A network administrator is troubleshooting a Cisco SD-WAN deployment where a branch site is experiencing intermittent connectivity to a SaaS application. The administrator suspects that the issue is related to the application-aware routing policy not correctly identifying the application. Which component of Cisco SD-WAN is responsible for identifying applications in the data plane?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that centralized controllers like vSmart or vManage perform application identification, but this function is distributed to the data plane on vEdge routers.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
vEdge router
Application identification in Cisco SD-WAN is performed by the vEdge router, which uses deep packet inspection (DPI) or Cisco NBAR to recognize applications. This classification is critical for application-aware routing, as it enables the router to apply policies that steer traffic based on application performance. The vEdge router then forwards traffic accordingly, ensuring that SaaS applications receive appropriate treatment.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
vBond orchestrator
Why it's wrong here
The vBond orchestrator handles initial authentication and orchestration between SD-WAN components. It does not participate in application identification or data plane traffic inspection. Its role is limited to control plane and management plane functions, such as validating devices and facilitating NAT traversal.
- ✗
vSmart controller
Why it's wrong here
The vSmart controller is responsible for centralized control plane functions, such as distributing routing and policy information to vEdge routers. It does not inspect data plane traffic to identify applications. Application identification occurs at the data plane level, typically on the vEdge router using DPI or NBAR.
- ✗
vManage NMS
Why it's wrong here
The vManage NMS is the management plane component used for configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting. It does not perform application identification in the data plane. While it can display application statistics, the actual classification happens on the vEdge router. vManage is not in the data forwarding path.
- ✓
vEdge router
Why this is correct
The vEdge router is responsible for data plane forwarding and application identification. It uses deep packet inspection (DPI) or Cisco NBAR to classify traffic into applications, which is essential for application-aware routing policies. This classification allows the router to make informed path selection decisions based on application performance requirements.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 350-401 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-401 exam.