350-601 Network Practice Question
A data center engineer is configuring vPC on a pair of Cisco Nexus switches. The vPC peer-link is established but the vPC member ports remain suspended. After checking the configuration, the engineer notices that the vPC peer-keepalive link is not functioning. What is the most likely cause of the suspended member ports?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between peer-link failure (which causes both switches to suspend member ports) and peer-keepalive failure (which causes only the secondary switch to suspend member ports), and the trap here is that candidates confuse the two or assume any link failure leads to the same outcome.
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
✓
Peer-keepalive link failure causing dual-active detection issues
When the vPC peer-keepalive link fails, each vPC peer switch cannot detect whether the other peer is operational. This triggers the dual-active detection mechanism, causing the secondary switch to suspend its vPC member ports to prevent a split-brain scenario where both switches forward traffic for the same vPC VLAN. The suspended state is a protective measure until the peer-keepalive link is restored or the vPC role is resolved.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
MTU mismatch on the peer-link
Why it's wrong here
MTU mismatch may cause packet drops but not typically member port suspension.
- ✓
Peer-keepalive link failure causing dual-active detection issues
Why this is correct
Peer-keepalive failure can trigger a dual-active situation, leading to member port suspension.
- ✗
Mismatched vPC domain ID
Why it's wrong here
Mismatched domain ID prevents vPC formation entirely.
- ✗
Incorrect VLAN configuration on member ports
Why it's wrong here
VLAN mismatch can cause issues but not directly related to peer-keepalive failure.
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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.