350-601 Network Practice Question
A large enterprise data center is deploying a new application using Cisco ACI with a multi-pod design. The application requires low-latency communication between servers in different pods. The network team has configured the ACI fabric with two pods, each connected via inter-pod network (IPN) switches. After deployment, the application experiences intermittent latency spikes and packet loss. The APIC health scores remain high but the latency issue persists. The team has verified the underlay IP connectivity and MTU settings. What is the most likely cause of the latency issues?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that underlay connectivity and MTU settings are sufficient for multi-pod performance, when in fact the IPN switches require explicit QoS configuration to preserve ACI's priority handling across pods.
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 CoS settings for the application traffic are not properly mapped to the appropriate queue on the IPN switches.
In a Cisco ACI multi-pod design, the IPN switches must properly trust and map the CoS values from the ACI fabric to the appropriate egress queues. If the CoS markings are not correctly configured on the IPN switches, application traffic can experience buffer drops and latency spikes even when the underlay has sufficient bandwidth and the APIC health scores are high. This is a common misconfiguration because the IPN switches are Layer 3 devices that require explicit QoS policies to preserve the ACI fabric's priority handling.
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 application servers are using different VLANs that are not stretched between pods.
Why it's wrong here
VLAN mismatch would prevent communication.
- ✓
The CoS settings for the application traffic are not properly mapped to the appropriate queue on the IPN switches.
Why this is correct
Improper CoS mapping leads to sporadic drops.
- ✗
The IPN switches are using a shared link aggregation group that is causing traffic congestion.
Why it's wrong here
LAG congestion would be more consistent.
- ✗
The inter-pod network is not configured with enough bandwidth due to oversubscription.
Why it's wrong here
Oversubscription would cause sustained packet loss.
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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.