CCNP Architecture Practice Question
A network engineer is deploying a Cisco SD-WAN solution with two data center sites and 40 branch sites. The design must ensure that traffic from a branch to a critical application in Data Center A always prefers the MPLS transport while using the internet transport only when MPLS latency exceeds a defined threshold. Which Cisco SD-WAN component and feature combination accomplishes this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse the vBond orchestrator's control-plane role with the vSmart controller's policy and path-selection role.
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
✓
vSmart controller with application-aware routing policy using SLA classes and preferred transport
Cisco SD-WAN implements application-aware routing policy on the vSmart controller. The policy defines SLA classes with latency, jitter, and loss thresholds and maps applications to preferred transports. When a preferred transport such as MPLS meets the SLA, traffic stays there; when the SLA is violated, the policy permits failover to the internet transport. The vBond orchestrator, CLI templates, and OSPF cost tuning do not provide this conditional, application-specific behavior.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
vSmart controller with application-aware routing policy using SLA classes and preferred transport
Why this is correct
Application-aware routing policy is created on the vSmart controller and distributed to vEdge or cEdge devices. It defines SLA classes with latency, jitter, and loss thresholds, and can specify a preferred transport such as MPLS. When the SLA is violated, the policy allows failover to the internet transport, exactly matching the requirement to prefer MPLS and fall back on high latency.
- ✗
vManage with CLI templates that set static routes for the application subnet
Why it's wrong here
Static routes do not react to latency, jitter, or loss, so they cannot dynamically move traffic from MPLS to internet when the MPLS SLA degrades. Templates on vManage are useful for consistent configuration, but the requirement is conditional, performance-based path selection, which static routing cannot deliver in a Cisco SD-WAN environment.
- ✗
vSmart controller with OSPF cost manipulation on the MPLS transport
Why it's wrong here
OSPF cost manipulation is a traditional routing technique and does not provide per-application, SLA-driven decisions in SD-WAN. It also cannot detect latency thresholds and switch a specific application flow to a different transport. The requirement needs application-aware routing policy, not IGP metric tuning, even if the vSmart controller is mentioned.
- ✗
vBond orchestrator with BFD echo and OMP route redistribution
Why it's wrong here
The vBond orchestrator handles initial authentication and NAT traversal so devices can join the overlay; it does not make per-application path selection decisions. BFD and OMP are involved in tunnel and route propagation, but neither provides the SLA-driven preferred-transport logic needed to keep critical application traffic on MPLS until a latency threshold is crossed.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Routing Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Metric | Max Hops | Algorithm | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIP v2 | Hop count | 15 | Bellman-Ford | Distance vector |
| OSPF | Cost (bandwidth) | Unlimited | Dijkstra (SPF) | Link state |
| EIGRP | Composite metric | Unlimited | DUAL | Hybrid |
| IS-IS | Cost | Unlimited | Dijkstra | Link state |
| BGP | Policy / attributes | Unlimited | Path vector | Path vector |
RIP's 15-hop limit makes it unsuitable for large networks. OSPF and EIGRP dominate modern enterprise deployments.
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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.