350-601 Compute Practice Question
A data center engineer notices that a UCS B-Series blade server is failing to boot from a SAN LUN that is correctly mapped to the server's WWPN. The SAN switch shows that the LUN is accessible and the zone is configured correctly. The UCS Manager shows the server's vNIC is associated with a vHBA that has the correct WWPN, but the server's BIOS does not list the Fibre Channel boot target. Which configuration is most likely missing?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between SAN connectivity (zoning, WWPN) and the boot policy configuration, trapping candidates who assume that correct zoning and vHBA setup alone are sufficient for SAN boot.
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 boot policy is not defined or not attached to the service profile.
The boot policy defines the boot order and parameters (such as the SAN LUN target WWPN and LUN ID) for the server. If the boot policy is not defined or not attached to the service profile, the UCS Manager will not program the BIOS with the Fibre Channel boot target information, even though the SAN zoning and vHBA WWPN are correct. Without this policy, the server's BIOS has no instruction to attempt a SAN boot, resulting in the failure described.
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 SAN connectivity policy is missing the Fibre Channel uplink pinning.
Why it's wrong here
SAN connectivity policies define uplink ports but not boot targets.
- ✗
The vNIC/vHBA placement policy is incorrectly set to 'Express' mode.
Why it's wrong here
Placement policies affect adapter placement, not boot.
- ✗
A QoS policy is not applied to the vHBA.
Why it's wrong here
QoS policies affect traffic prioritization, not boot.
- ✓
The boot policy is not defined or not attached to the service profile.
Why this is correct
UCS B-Series requires a boot policy to specify the boot order and target LUN.
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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.