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CCNP Practice Question: Which two statements about Cisco SD-WAN control…
Which two statements about Cisco SD-WAN control plane components are true? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
350-401 often tests plane confusion: candidates mix up vManage (management), vSmart (control), vBond (orchestration/authentication), and vEdge (data), and pick options that assign routing or policy distribution to the wrong component.
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 controllers are responsible for distributing OMP routes and policies to vEdge routers.
Option A is correct because vSmart controllers run the OMP (Overlay Management Protocol) control plane and are the devices that advertise OMP routes, TLOCs, and centralized policies to the vEdge/WAN Edge routers, forming the overlay routing and policy brain of the fabric. Option B is correct because vBond orchestrators handle authentication, authorization, and initial onboarding of vEdge routers, acting as the first point of contact that validates devices and helps them discover vSmart and vManage controllers. Option C is incorrect because vEdge routers are data plane/edge devices that receive OMP routes from vSmart; they do not maintain the routing table for the entire SD-WAN domain. Option D is incorrect because vManage is the management plane (GUI/API for configuration, monitoring, and provisioning), not a control plane component distributing BGP routes. Option E is incorrect because TLOCs (Transport Locators) are attributes carried in OMP updates that identify a WAN Edge's transport endpoints; they are not used by vSmart to redistribute routes between OMP instances.
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 controllers are responsible for distributing OMP routes and policies to vEdge routers.
Why this is correct
vSmart controllers run the OMP overlay, receiving routes from vEdge routers and redistributing them alongside centralised policies. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a true control plane statement: vSmart handles route and policy distribution, while vManage provides management and vBond handles orchestration and authentication.
- ✓
vBond orchestrators authenticate and onboard vEdge routers into the SD-WAN fabric.
Why this is correct
vBond orchestrators handle authentication and initial onboarding of vEdge routers, validating their identity before they join the SD-WAN fabric. This satisfies the control plane requirement for secure device admission, since vBond acts as the orchestrator that brokers connections between vEdge devices and vSmart controllers during bring-up.
- ✗
vEdge routers function as the control plane devices that maintain the routing table for the entire SD-WAN domain.
Why it's wrong here
vEdge routers are data plane devices that forward traffic and advertise OMP routes; the routing table for the SD-WAN domain is maintained by vSmart controllers. It is tempting because vEdge routers do hold OMP routes and participate in forwarding decisions locally.
- ✗
vManage is the control plane component that distributes BGP routes to all WAN Edge routers.
Why it's wrong here
vManage is the management plane, providing configuration, monitoring and policy templates; OMP route distribution to WAN Edge routers is performed by vSmart controllers. It is tempting because vManage's centralised dashboard and policy push make it appear to control routing directly.
- ✗
TLOCs are used by vSmart controllers to redistribute routes between different OMP instances.
Why it's wrong here
TLOCs are transport locators advertised by WAN Edge routers to identify their tunnels; vSmart redistributes OMP routes between VPNs, not between OMP instances. It is tempting because TLOCs do appear in OMP route advertisements, making their role in route redistribution easy to overstate.
About these practice questions
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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.