- A
Enable hyper-threading and overcommit CPU resources
Why wrong: Overcommitting CPU resources increases contention and latency, which is unsuitable for latency-sensitive workloads.
- B
Use a Type 2 hypervisor (e.g., VMware Workstation) for better isolation
Why wrong: Type 2 hypervisors run on top of an OS, adding overhead; Type 1 is preferred for performance in data centers.
- C
Configure NUMA pinning and CPU pinning for each VM to dedicated cores and memory nodes
NUMA pinning and CPU pinning reduce latency by ensuring VMs use local memory and dedicated cores, avoiding hypervisor scheduling delays.
- D
Enable memory ballooning to reclaim unused memory from VMs
Why wrong: Memory ballooning can cause performance variability and is not suitable for latency-sensitive workloads.
Quick Answer
The correct configuration is to use CPU pinning and NUMA pinning for each VM to dedicated cores and memory nodes. This is because CPU pinning locks a virtual machine to specific physical cores, eliminating hypervisor scheduling overhead, while NUMA pinning ensures the VM’s memory is allocated from the same local NUMA node as its pinned cores, avoiding costly cross-NUMA memory access penalties. On the ENCOR 350-401 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to achieve near-bare-metal performance for latency-sensitive workloads in a virtualized data center; a common trap is confusing CPU affinity (a soft preference) with hard pinning, or assuming memory locality is automatic. Remember the key trade-off: pinning boosts performance but reduces flexibility for resource overcommitment. A helpful mnemonic is “Pin the CPU, lock the NUMA node” to keep both components of the configuration in mind.
CCNP Enterprise Network Design Practice Question
This 350-401 practice question tests your understanding of enterprise network design. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A data center architect is designing a virtualized environment to host critical applications. The design must maximize performance by allowing virtual machines (VMs) to directly access physical CPU cores and memory without hypervisor overhead for latency-sensitive workloads. Which hypervisor configuration should be used?
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
Configure NUMA pinning and CPU pinning for each VM to dedicated cores and memory nodes
Option C is correct because CPU pinning and NUMA pinning allow virtual machines to directly access dedicated physical CPU cores and memory nodes, eliminating hypervisor scheduling overhead and ensuring low-latency access to local memory. This configuration is essential for latency-sensitive workloads in a virtualized data center, as it provides near-bare-metal performance by avoiding resource contention and cross-NUMA memory access penalties.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable hyper-threading and overcommit CPU resources
Why it's wrong here
Overcommitting CPU resources increases contention and latency, which is unsuitable for latency-sensitive workloads.
- ✗
Use a Type 2 hypervisor (e.g., VMware Workstation) for better isolation
Why it's wrong here
Type 2 hypervisors run on top of an OS, adding overhead; Type 1 is preferred for performance in data centers.
- ✓
Configure NUMA pinning and CPU pinning for each VM to dedicated cores and memory nodes
Why this is correct
NUMA pinning and CPU pinning reduce latency by ensuring VMs use local memory and dedicated cores, avoiding hypervisor scheduling delays.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable memory ballooning to reclaim unused memory from VMs
Why it's wrong here
Memory ballooning can cause performance variability and is not suitable for latency-sensitive workloads.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that hyper-threading or memory ballooning can improve performance for latency-sensitive workloads, when in fact these features are designed for resource efficiency and can introduce unpredictability or overhead.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CPU pinning assigns specific physical cores to a VM, preventing the hypervisor from scheduling other VMs on those cores, which eliminates context-switching overhead. NUMA pinning ensures that a VM's memory is allocated from the same NUMA node as its pinned CPUs, avoiding remote memory access latency that can be 1.5–2x slower. In real-world scenarios, applications like high-frequency trading or real-time analytics rely on this configuration to achieve deterministic performance and sub-millisecond latency.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Enterprise Network Design — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 350-401 question test?
Enterprise Network Design — This question tests Enterprise Network Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure NUMA pinning and CPU pinning for each VM to dedicated cores and memory nodes — Option C is correct because CPU pinning and NUMA pinning allow virtual machines to directly access dedicated physical CPU cores and memory nodes, eliminating hypervisor scheduling overhead and ensuring low-latency access to local memory. This configuration is essential for latency-sensitive workloads in a virtualized data center, as it provides near-bare-metal performance by avoiding resource contention and cross-NUMA memory access penalties.
What should I do if I get this 350-401 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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