This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 control plane protection mechanism should be configured to limit the rate of BGP updates destined to the CPU of a Nexus 9000 switch to prevent CPU overload?
VLAN Access Control Lists (VACLs)
Why wrong: VACLs filter data plane traffic, not control plane.
Control Plane Policing (CoPP)
CoPP rate-limits control plane packets.
EtherChannel load balancing
Why wrong: EtherChannel aggregates bandwidth, does not protect CPU from control plane floods.
Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN)
Why wrong: SPAN mirrors traffic for monitoring, not rate-limiting.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Control Plane Policing (CoPP)
Control Plane Policing (CoPP) is the correct mechanism because it directly filters and rate-limits control plane traffic, such as BGP updates, before it reaches the CPU of a Nexus 9000 switch. By applying a CoPP policy, you can protect the CPU from being overwhelmed by excessive BGP updates, ensuring stability and preventing denial-of-service conditions.
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.
VLAN Access Control Lists (VACLs)
Why it's wrong here
VACLs filter data plane traffic, not control plane.
Control Plane Policing (CoPP)
Why this is correct
CoPP rate-limits control plane packets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
EtherChannel load balancing
Why it's wrong here
EtherChannel aggregates bandwidth, does not protect CPU from control plane floods.
Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN)
Why it's wrong here
SPAN mirrors traffic for monitoring, not rate-limiting.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between data plane and control plane mechanisms, and the trap here is that candidates may confuse VACLs (data plane filtering) with CoPP (control plane policing), assuming any ACL can protect the CPU.
Detailed technical explanation
CoPP uses a modular QoS CLI (MQC) to classify control plane traffic into classes (e.g., critical, normal, undesirable) and applies policers to enforce rate limits. On Nexus 9000 switches, CoPP policies are applied to the control plane interface (e.g., 'service-policy input COPP-POLICY') and can use hardware-based policing to offload CPU protection. A real-world scenario is a BGP session flap causing a flood of updates; CoPP can limit the rate to 1000 pps, preventing CPU exhaustion while still allowing legitimate routing updates.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
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FAQ
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Control Plane Policing (CoPP) — Control Plane Policing (CoPP) is the correct mechanism because it directly filters and rate-limits control plane traffic, such as BGP updates, before it reaches the CPU of a Nexus 9000 switch. By applying a CoPP policy, you can protect the CPU from being overwhelmed by excessive BGP updates, ensuring stability and preventing denial-of-service conditions.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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