350-601 Network Practice Question
A data center uses VPC between two Nexus switches. Which statement is true about the VPC peer-link?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that the peer-link is only for control traffic, but the trap here is that candidates forget the peer-link also carries data traffic for orphan ports and for forwarding when a vPC member link fails.
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
✓
It carries both data and control traffic.
The VPC peer-link is a critical component in a vPC domain, carrying both data traffic (e.g., traffic from orphan ports or traffic that must traverse the peer-link for forwarding) and control traffic (e.g., vPC keepalive messages and Cisco Fabric Services (CFS) synchronization). This dual role ensures that the two Nexus switches operate as a single logical entity for the downstream devices, providing loop-free Layer 2 multipathing.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It must be a single link.
Why it's wrong here
The peer-link is typically a port-channel (multiple links) for redundancy and bandwidth.
- ✗
It carries only control traffic.
Why it's wrong here
The peer-link also carries data traffic, especially traffic that needs to cross to the other VPC peer.
- ✗
It is used only for orphan ports.
Why it's wrong here
Orphan ports are one use case, but the peer-link also carries control traffic and data for other scenarios.
- ✓
It carries both data and control traffic.
Why this is correct
The VPC peer-link is used for both control plane communication (e.g., configuration synchronization) and data plane forwarding (e.g., for orphan ports or traffic requiring cross-peer forwarding).
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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.