350-601 Network Practice Question
An engineer is configuring vPC on a pair of Nexus switches. Which statement correctly describes the vPC peer-keepalive link?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the vPC peer-keepalive link with the vPC peer-link, assuming the keepalive link must be a dedicated Layer 2 trunk or that it carries data or BPDUs, when in fact it is a simple Layer 3 health-check path.
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 is a Layer 3 link used to verify the health of the vPC peer
The vPC peer-keepalive link is a Layer 3 link used exclusively to monitor the health of the vPC peer. It sends periodic keepalive messages (typically using UDP port 3200) to detect if the peer switch has failed, enabling the surviving switch to take over the vPC traffic. This link does not carry data traffic, BPDUs, or control-plane information beyond the keepalive probes.
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 is used to forward data traffic between vPC peers
Why it's wrong here
Data forwarding uses the peer-link, not keepalive.
- ✗
It must be a dedicated Layer 2 link between vPC peers
Why it's wrong here
The keepalive is Layer 3 and can be routed through the management network.
- ✗
It carries BPDUs to prevent loops
Why it's wrong here
BPDUs are handled by STP, not the keepalive link.
- ✓
It is a Layer 3 link used to verify the health of the vPC peer
Why this is correct
The peer-keepalive is a Layer 3 heartbeat used to detect peer failure.
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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.