CCNP Virtualization Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are components of a Cisco ACI fabric? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between native fabric components (spine, leaf, APIC) and external devices (firewall, router) that can be integrated but are not part of the fabric itself, leading candidates to mistakenly include them as fabric components.
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
✓
Spine switch
The spine switch is a core component of a Cisco ACI fabric, forming the spine-leaf topology. Spine switches provide high-speed, non-blocking connectivity between leaf switches and handle all east-west traffic, relying on IS-IS as the routing protocol for fabric discovery and forwarding.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Firewall
Why it's wrong here
Firewalls are external services, not part of ACI fabric.
- ✓
Spine switch
Why this is correct
Spine switches form the fabric backbone.
- ✗
Router
Why it's wrong here
Routing is integrated into leaf/spine, not a separate component.
- ✓
APIC controller
Why this is correct
APIC manages the ACI fabric.
- ✓
Leaf switch
Why this is correct
Leaf switches connect to endpoints.
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.
About these practice questions
One of 1,175 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.