350-601 Security Practice Question
A data center architect is designing access control for a Cisco ACI fabric. The requirement is to allow HTTP traffic from the web tier (EPG web) to the app tier (EPG app), but deny SSH from the management EPG to the web EPG. Which construct should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that VRFs or bridge domains alone can provide security isolation, but in ACI, traffic filtering is always enforced via contracts, regardless of VRF or BD boundaries.
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
✓
Create a contract between EPGs with appropriate filters.
In Cisco ACI, contracts are the primary mechanism for enforcing policy-based communication between EPGs. By creating a contract between the web and app EPGs with a filter that permits HTTP (TCP/80), and another contract between management and web EPGs with a filter that denies SSH (TCP/22), the architect can precisely meet both requirements. Contracts allow granular control over which protocols and ports are allowed or denied, making them the correct construct for this access control scenario.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Create a contract between EPGs with appropriate filters.
Why this is correct
Contracts in ACI define allowed communication with filters for specific protocols/ports.
- ✗
Use a tenant to separate the EPGs logically.
Why it's wrong here
Tenants are administrative boundaries, not policy enforcement points.
- ✗
Configure a VRF to isolate traffic between EPGs.
Why it's wrong here
VRF provides routing separation, not granular filtering.
- ✗
Define a bridge domain with L2 policies.
Why it's wrong here
Bridge domain is for Layer 2 forwarding, not access control.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-601 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 350-601 exam.