- A
The blade's firmware version is incompatible with the service profile.
Why wrong: Firmware incompatibility would typically produce a different error, such as 'Firmware download failed,' not 'No suitable compute resource available.'
- B
The blade is in the wrong chassis slot.
Why wrong: The blade's location is correctly identified in the stem, and the error is not related to slot positioning.
- C
The server pool policy is not assigned to the service profile template.
Without a server pool, UCS Manager cannot determine which blade to use for the association, leading to the 'No suitable compute resource available' error.
- D
The vNIC/vHBA policies in the service profile have invalid MAC/WWN assignments.
Why wrong: Invalid MAC/WWN assignments would cause a different error during association, such as 'Policy validation failed.'
Quick Answer
The answer is that the server pool policy is not assigned to the service profile template. This is the most likely cause of the “no suitable compute resource” error because the UCS Fabric Interconnect relies on a server pool policy to determine which physical blades are eligible for association; without it, the system cannot match the service profile to any available hardware, even if the blade in chassis 2, slot 1 is otherwise ready. On the Cisco DCCOR and CCNP Data Center Core 350-601 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of service profile association logic and the critical role of server pools in automating blade selection—a common trap is to focus on firmware or hardware readiness while overlooking the missing policy assignment. Remember the memory tip: “No pool, no rule”—if the profile template lacks a server pool policy, the fabric interconnect has no resource list to consult, triggering the error regardless of blade availability.
350-601 Compute Practice Question
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 organization has deployed a Cisco UCS B-Series blade server with a Fabric Interconnect pair. The administrator is tasked with deploying a new server for a critical application. The administrator creates a service profile from an existing template that includes vNIC, vHBA, and storage policies. The blade is located in chassis 2, slot 1. The administrator attempts to associate the profile with this blade but fails with the error: 'No suitable compute resource available.' The administrator verifies that the blade's firmware is updated, that the blade is not already associated with another profile, and that it has sufficient memory and CPU. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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 server pool policy is not assigned to the service profile template.
The error 'No suitable compute resource available' typically occurs when the service profile is configured to use a server pool, but no server pool policy is assigned to the service profile template. Without a server pool, the Fabric Interconnect cannot identify which blades are eligible for association, even if the blade itself is available and meets hardware requirements. Assigning a server pool policy to the template ensures that blades in the specified pool (e.g., chassis 2, slot 1) are considered as valid compute resources.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 blade's firmware version is incompatible with the service profile.
Why it's wrong here
Firmware incompatibility would typically produce a different error, such as 'Firmware download failed,' not 'No suitable compute resource available.'
- ✗
The blade is in the wrong chassis slot.
Why it's wrong here
The blade's location is correctly identified in the stem, and the error is not related to slot positioning.
- ✓
The server pool policy is not assigned to the service profile template.
Why this is correct
Without a server pool, UCS Manager cannot determine which blade to use for the association, leading to the 'No suitable compute resource available' error.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The vNIC/vHBA policies in the service profile have invalid MAC/WWN assignments.
Why it's wrong here
Invalid MAC/WWN assignments would cause a different error during association, such as 'Policy validation failed.'
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the concept that 'No suitable compute resource available' is not about hardware faults or firmware mismatches but about the absence of a server pool policy in the service profile template, which candidates may overlook because they focus on verifying blade hardware readiness.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Cisco UCS Manager, server pool policies define a set of blades (by chassis and slot IDs) that a service profile can use. When a service profile is created from a template without a server pool policy, the system has no list of eligible blades, so it cannot match the profile to any blade, even if the blade is physically present and unassociated. This is distinct from server pool qualification policies, which filter based on hardware capabilities like memory or CPU. The error is logged in the UCS Manager fault monitor as fault code F0360, indicating no suitable compute resource in the server pool.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Compute — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 350-601 question test?
Compute — This question tests Compute — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The server pool policy is not assigned to the service profile template. — The error 'No suitable compute resource available' typically occurs when the service profile is configured to use a server pool, but no server pool policy is assigned to the service profile template. Without a server pool, the Fabric Interconnect cannot identify which blades are eligible for association, even if the blade itself is available and meets hardware requirements. Assigning a server pool policy to the template ensures that blades in the specified pool (e.g., chassis 2, slot 1) are considered as valid compute resources.
What should I do if I get this 350-601 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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