The answer is redundancy and high availability requirements, along with the number of vNICs per service profile and their bandwidth limits, and the aggregate traffic load from all service profiles. These three factors are critical because the total bandwidth cap assigned to each vNIC—configured through QoS policies or vNIC templates—directly sums to the minimum upstream capacity needed to prevent oversubscription on the Fabric Interconnect. On the Cisco DCCOR 350-601 exam, this question tests your understanding of how UCS design translates to physical uplink planning, often appearing in a “choose three” format where common traps include selecting “number of chassis” or “port channel hashing” instead of focusing on per-service-profile bandwidth. A solid memory tip is to think “vNIC caps + redundancy + aggregate load” as the three pillars of uplink sizing, ensuring you avoid the oversubscription pitfall that many candidates miss.
350-601 Compute Practice Question
This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of compute. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Which THREE factors should be considered when determining the number of upstream Ethernet uplinks from a UCS Fabric Interconnect to the core network? (Choose THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The number of vNICs per service profile and their bandwidth limits.
Option C is correct because the number of vNICs per service profile and their bandwidth limits directly determine the aggregate traffic that must be carried by the upstream Ethernet uplinks. Each vNIC is assigned a specific bandwidth cap (e.g., via QoS policy or vNIC template), and the sum of these caps across all service profiles on a Fabric Interconnect dictates the minimum uplink capacity required to avoid oversubscription.
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.
✗
Number of VLANs defined on the Fabric Interconnect.
The number of vNICs per service profile and their bandwidth limits.
Why this is correct
More vNICs may require more uplinks for queuing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Total expected traffic from server blades.
Why this is correct
Bandwidth requirements drive uplink count.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Redundancy and high availability requirements.
Why this is correct
Need at least 2 for redundancy.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between Layer 2 constructs (VLANs) and actual bandwidth consumption, leading candidates to incorrectly select the number of VLANs as a factor for uplink sizing.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, UCS Fabric Interconnects use a non-blocking architecture where uplink port channels (e.g., LACP-based) aggregate traffic from all vNICs. The sum of all vNIC bandwidth limits (configured via vNIC templates with QoS policies) must be compared to the total uplink bandwidth, factoring in oversubscription ratios (commonly 3:1 to 5:1 for east-west traffic). In real-world scenarios, failing to account for vNIC bandwidth limits can lead to unexpected congestion during peak usage, even if total server blade traffic appears low.
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 help-desk technician troubleshoots why a newly connected PC cannot reach shared printers on the same floor. The cable is good, the switch port is active, but the PC is in VLAN 20 and the printers are in VLAN 10. The uplink trunk only allows VLAN 10. A trunk being up does not mean every VLAN crosses it.
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.
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 number of vNICs per service profile and their bandwidth limits. — Option C is correct because the number of vNICs per service profile and their bandwidth limits directly determine the aggregate traffic that must be carried by the upstream Ethernet uplinks. Each vNIC is assigned a specific bandwidth cap (e.g., via QoS policy or vNIC template), and the sum of these caps across all service profiles on a Fabric Interconnect dictates the minimum uplink capacity required to avoid oversubscription.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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