350-601 Compute Practice Question
A UCS domain has two fabric interconnects in end-host mode. The engineer needs to implement a policy that ensures all traffic from a specific vNIC is load-balanced across both uplinks to the upstream switches. Which type of policy should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between Pin Group policies (which control per-vNIC traffic distribution) and Link Aggregation policies (which bundle ports), leading candidates to mistakenly choose the latter when the question emphasizes load balancing across individual uplinks rather than aggregated bandwidth.
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
✓
Pin group policy
In a UCS domain with fabric interconnects in end-host mode, a Pin Group policy is used to explicitly map a vNIC's traffic to specific uplink ports, ensuring load balancing across the upstream switches. This policy overrides the default MAC-based hashing and allows the engineer to control traffic distribution, which is critical for consistent performance and redundancy.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Link aggregation policy
Why it's wrong here
Aggregates uplinks into a logical port-channel, but does not control vNIC traffic distribution per policy.
- ✓
Pin group policy
Why this is correct
Allows pinning a vNIC to specific uplinks or 'no-pin' for load balancing across all.
- ✗
QoS policy
Why it's wrong here
Defines priority and bandwidth, not uplink selection.
- ✗
Network control policy
Why it's wrong here
Controls CDP, LLDP, MACsec, etc., not load balancing per vNIC.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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