Quick Answer
The answer is the Assigned vNIC placement policy. This policy minimizes latency by binding each vNIC to a specific physical port on the Cisco UCS VIC 1340 adapter, creating a deterministic traffic path that eliminates the variability of dynamic placement. For low-latency database applications, this direct mapping allows the engineer to align vNICs with the most efficient PCIe lane to the CPU or memory, reducing unpredictable queuing delays. On the Cisco DCCOR 350-601 exam, this question tests your understanding of how vNIC placement policies affect performance in UCS Manager, with the common trap being to select “Any” or “Round-Robin” thinking they balance load, but those introduce jitter. Remember the memory tip: “Assigned = Anchored” — when you need low latency, anchor each vNIC to a fixed port to avoid the latency lottery.
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.
An engineer is configuring a UCS server profile for a database application that requires low latency. The server will use a Cisco UCS VIC 1340 adapter. Which vNIC placement policy should be selected to minimize latency?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Assigned
Assigned placement pins the vNIC to a specific adapter port, reducing latency.
Any
Why wrong: 'Any' placement gives the system flexibility but may not optimize latency.
Default
Why wrong: 'Default' is not a valid placement policy in UCS.
Round-Robin
Why wrong: Round-Robin is used for load balancing, not latency.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Assigned
The Assigned vNIC placement policy binds each vNIC to a specific physical port on the Cisco UCS VIC 1340 adapter, ensuring deterministic traffic flow and predictable latency. For low-latency database applications, this eliminates the variability introduced by dynamic placement, allowing the engineer to align vNICs with the most direct PCIe path to the CPU or memory.
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.
Assigned
Why this is correct
Assigned placement pins the vNIC to a specific adapter port, reducing latency.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Any
Why it's wrong here
'Any' placement gives the system flexibility but may not optimize latency.
Default
Why it's wrong here
'Default' is not a valid placement policy in UCS.
Round-Robin
Why it's wrong here
Round-Robin is used for load balancing, not latency.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that Round-Robin provides load balancing for low latency, but the trap here is that Round-Robin optimizes for bandwidth distribution, not latency minimization, and the Assigned policy is the only one that guarantees fixed path placement for deterministic performance.
Detailed technical explanation
The Assigned policy uses explicit port-channel or individual port binding, which leverages the VIC 1340's hardware queue mapping to maintain consistent interrupt affinity and cache locality. In real-world deployments, this is critical for NVMe-oF or Oracle RAC traffic where even microsecond-level latency spikes from dynamic failover can degrade performance. The policy is configured under the vNIC template in UCS Manager, where each vNIC is pinned to a specific fabric interconnect port.
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: Assigned — The Assigned vNIC placement policy binds each vNIC to a specific physical port on the Cisco UCS VIC 1340 adapter, ensuring deterministic traffic flow and predictable latency. For low-latency database applications, this eliminates the variability introduced by dynamic placement, allowing the engineer to align vNICs with the most direct PCIe path to the CPU or memory.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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