350-601 Storage Network Practice Question
An engineer is configuring FCoE on a Cisco Nexus 5000 switch. The switch connects to a Fibre Channel storage array. The FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP) snooping must be enabled. What is the effect of enabling FIP snooping?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between FIP snooping (a security feature that builds a database of MAC-to-FC-MAP bindings) and FCoE forwarding (which requires an FCF), leading candidates to mistakenly think snooping enables forwarding or termination.
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 constructs a database of ENode MAC addresses and FC-MAPs.
FIP snooping on a Cisco Nexus 5000 switch constructs a database of ENode MAC addresses and FC-MAPs by inspecting FIP discovery, advertisement, and login frames. This database is used to enforce FCoE traffic only between authorized ENodes and FCFs, preventing rogue devices from injecting FCoE traffic. It does not terminate FCoE VLANs, act as an FCoE forwarder, or enforce zone-based policies directly.
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 enables the switch to terminate FCoE VLANs.
Why it's wrong here
FIP snooping does not terminate VLANs.
- ✗
It provides FC-BB_6 compliant FCoE traffic forwarding.
Why it's wrong here
FC-BB_6 compliance is inherent, not granted by FIP snooping.
- ✗
It enables the switch to act as an FCoE forwarder.
Why it's wrong here
FIP snooping is used in NPV mode; an FCoE forwarder (FCF) requires different configuration.
- ✓
It constructs a database of ENode MAC addresses and FC-MAPs.
Why this is correct
FIP snooping monitors FIP frames to build a database of authorized devices.
- ✗
It allows the switch to enforce zone-based policy for FCoE traffic.
Why it's wrong here
FIP snooping provides the database for zones, but does not enforce policies itself.
Visual reference
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
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This 350-601 question is part of Courseiva's 984-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.