mediumMultiple Choice
CCNP Practice Question: Consider the following configuration: flow…
Consider the following configuration:
flow exporter EXPORTER-1 destination 10.0.0.1 source Loopback0 transport udp 9996 template data timeout 60 !
Which statement about this configuration is true?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that the `template data timeout` command controls how often flow data is exported, rather than the template refresh interval, or that templates are sent only on demand rather than periodically.
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
✓
Template data records are sent every 60 seconds to the collector.
The `template data timeout 60` command under the flow exporter configuration specifies the interval in seconds at which the exporter sends NetFlow version 9 or IPFIX template data records to the collector. This ensures the collector has the current field definitions to decode incoming flow records. Option A correctly states that template data records are sent every 60 seconds to the collector.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Template data records are sent every 60 seconds to the collector.
Why this is correct
In NetFlow v9/IPFIX, template records define the data record format and must be present on the collector before any data can be decoded. The 'template data timeout' command sets the refresh interval, so a template FlowSet is re-sent to the collector every 60 seconds regardless of whether new data flows have been observed. This periodic refresh keeps the collector's template cache synchronized and avoids relying on the timing of new flows.
- ✗
The exporter uses UDP port 9996 to send flow data and templates.
Why it's wrong here
The 'transport udp 9996' command actually configures the destination UDP port on the collector, not a local port that the exporter itself uses. When exporting NetFlow, the device sends UDP datagrams from an ephemeral source port to that destination port. Templates and data records are carried together inside the same UDP packets, so while they share the destination port, the exporter does not use port 9996 as its own source port.
- ✗
The source interface Loopback0 is used only for flow data, not for templates.
Why it's wrong here
The source interface Loopback0 defines the source IP address used in the header of every packet the exporter sends, including those that carry template records. Because template FlowSets are encapsulated in the same IP/UDP datagrams as data FlowSets, the source interface applies equally to both. There is no separate source interface for templates; if there were, the collector would not be able to associate templates with the correct exporter.
- ✗
The exporter will send template data only when a new flow is detected.
Why it's wrong here
Template data records are not sent only when a new flow is detected; they are transmitted at a fixed, configurable timeout interval (in this case 60 seconds). A NetFlow exporter periodically refreshes the template definitions in the collector's cache, even when no new flows have been observed. This periodic resend is crucial because a collector that restarts or loses its template cache must receive templates on the next scheduled transmission, not wait for a new flow to trigger one.
About these practice questions
This 350-401 question is part of Courseiva's 1,923-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.