Quick Answer
The correct answer is to change the Backup Link policy to Active/Active. This setting resolves the issue because in an Active/Active configuration, both fabric interconnects are treated as equal forwarding paths; when FI-A reboots and recovers, the policy does not designate a permanent primary or standby role, so server traffic automatically fails back without manual intervention. On the Cisco DCCOR 350-601 exam, this concept tests your understanding of UCS uplink failover behavior, often appearing as a scenario where a candidate mistakenly assumes a default Active/Standby policy will fail back automatically—a common trap. Remember, Active/Active means symmetric traffic and automatic failback; Active/Standby requires manual rebalancing or a separate pinning group. Memory tip: “Active/Active = Always Automatic; Active/Standby = Stays Stuck.”
This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of compute. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An engineer notices that after a reboot of one UCS fabric interconnect (FI-A), the server traffic fails over to FI-B but never fails back to FI-A even after FI-A is fully operational. Which configuration change would ensure automatic failback?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "never"
Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
Change the 'Backup Link' policy to 'Active/Active'
Active/Active mode allows automatic failback
Change the 'Backup Link' policy to 'Primary/Secondary'
Why wrong: Not a valid mode in UCS Manager
Change the 'Backup Link' policy to 'Active/Standby'
Why wrong: Active/Standby mode prevents automatic failback
Change the 'Backup Link' policy to 'Failover Only'
Why wrong: Failover Only mode disables failback
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Change the 'Backup Link' policy to 'Active/Active'
The 'Backup Link' policy in UCS determines how uplink ports behave during failover and failback. Setting it to 'Active/Active' allows both FIs to actively forward traffic, and when the failed FI recovers, the server traffic automatically fails back because the policy does not designate a permanent primary or standby role. This ensures symmetric traffic flow without manual intervention.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Change the 'Backup Link' policy to 'Active/Active'
Why this is correct
Active/Active mode allows automatic failback
Clue confirmation
The clue word "never" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Change the 'Backup Link' policy to 'Primary/Secondary'
Why it's wrong here
Not a valid mode in UCS Manager
Change the 'Backup Link' policy to 'Active/Standby'
Why it's wrong here
Active/Standby mode prevents automatic failback
Change the 'Backup Link' policy to 'Failover Only'
Why it's wrong here
Failover Only mode disables failback
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that 'Active/Standby' is a valid Backup Link policy, when in fact the only two options are 'Active/Active' and 'Primary/Secondary', and candidates confuse the failover behavior of the server vNIC policy with the uplink Backup Link policy.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the UCS Fabric Interconnect uses a combination of STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) and the Backup Link policy to manage uplink port roles. In 'Active/Active' mode, both FIs forward traffic using all uplinks, and the system relies on the fabric failover mechanism (based on the server's vNIC failover policy) to rebalance traffic when the failed FI comes back online. A real-world scenario is a dual-homed server with vNICs pinned to each FI; without 'Active/Active', the server's vNIC failover policy might keep traffic on the secondary FI even after the primary recovers, causing suboptimal bandwidth usage.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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Compute — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Compute — This question tests Compute — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Change the 'Backup Link' policy to 'Active/Active' — The 'Backup Link' policy in UCS determines how uplink ports behave during failover and failback. Setting it to 'Active/Active' allows both FIs to actively forward traffic, and when the failed FI recovers, the server traffic automatically fails back because the policy does not designate a permanent primary or standby role. This ensures symmetric traffic flow without manual intervention.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "never". Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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