mediumMultiple Choice
CCNP Practice Question: An enterprise is migrating from a traditional…
An enterprise is migrating from a traditional MPLS WAN to Cisco SD-WAN. The network team has deployed vEdge routers at all branch offices and a vSmart controller in the data center. The engineer configures a centralized control policy to influence path selection based on cost and latency. After the policy is activated, the engineer notices that some branches are not receiving the updated policy and are still using the default best-path selection. The vSmart is reachable from all branches, and the vEdge routers show that they are connected to the vSmart. What is the most likely reason for this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the concept that a control policy must be attached to a site list or VPN list to be effective, and candidates mistakenly assume that simply configuring the policy on the vSmart is sufficient for it to apply to all devices.
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
✓
The control policy is not attached to the appropriate site list or VPN list.
In Cisco SD-WAN, centralized control policies must be explicitly attached to a site list or VPN list to define which devices or traffic the policy applies to. If the policy is not attached to the appropriate list, the vSmart controller will not push the policy to the targeted vEdge routers, causing them to continue using the default OMP best-path selection (based on administrative distance and cost). The fact that the vEdge routers are connected to the vSmart confirms the issue is with policy application, not reachability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The vEdge routers have not been rebooted after the policy change.
Why it's wrong here
vEdge routers apply vSmart control policies immediately through OMP updates; rebooting is never required and would not change policy receipt. It is tempting because reboots resolve stale configuration in some platforms, but here the vSmart is reachable and OMP sessions are up, so the fault lies in policy application scope or site-list matching.
- ✓
The control policy is not attached to the appropriate site list or VPN list.
Why this is correct
Centralised control policy only takes effect on vEdge routers matched by its site list and VPN list. If those references are missing or mismatched, the vSmart distributes nothing to those branches, so they fall back to default best-path selection despite being connected.
- ✗
The OMP graceful restart timer has expired, causing the vEdge to ignore the policy.
Why it's wrong here
OMP graceful restart preserves routing state during a control-plane restart; an expired timer does not cause a vEdge to discard an activated policy. It is tempting because restart timers affect OMP session behaviour, but the stem shows stable vSmart connectivity, so the issue is that the policy's site lists or sequences do not match the affected branches.
- ✗
The BFD sessions between vEdge and vSmart are flapping.
Why it's wrong here
BFD detects data-plane path liveness between vEdge routers, not control-plane policy distribution from vSmart. It is tempting because flapping sessions disrupt traffic forwarding, and that would be the answer if tunnels were unstable, but the stem confirms vEdge-to-vSmart connectivity and default best-path selection, indicating a policy-matching problem.
About these practice questions
One of 1,923 original 350-401 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. 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.