The answer is that the AWS cloud connector is not configured. Cisco Secure Workload Tetration relies on cloud connectors to synchronize metadata like VPCs, subnets, and instance IDs from cloud providers, which is essential for mapping enforcement policies across VPC boundaries. Without this connector, Tetration cannot discover or enforce microsegmentation on resources in a separate VPC, even if agents are running and labels are correct—the policy exists but cannot be applied to the database server’s network context. On the Cisco SCOR 350-701 exam, this tests your understanding of Tetration’s dependency on infrastructure synchronization for cross-VPC traffic; a common trap is assuming agent presence alone guarantees enforcement. Remember the memory tip: “No connector, no cross-VPC protector”—the cloud connector bridges the metadata gap between Tetration and the cloud environment.
350-701 Cloud Security Practice Question
This 350-701 practice question tests your understanding of cloud security. 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 enterprise migrated its e-commerce application to AWS. They use Cisco Secure Workload (Tetration) for microsegmentation. After enabling enforcement, legitimate traffic between the web tier and database tier is being blocked. The security team verified that the policy allows the traffic based on labels. The Tetration console shows the enforcement mode as 'active blocking'. The database server is in a different VPC, and the web server is in a public subnet. The agents are running on both workloads and report correctly. Which configuration step is most likely missing?
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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The cloud connector (e.g., AWS cloud connector) is not configured
Cisco Secure Workload (Tetration) relies on cloud connectors to synchronize cloud infrastructure metadata (e.g., VPCs, subnets, instances) and enforce microsegmentation policies across VPC boundaries. Without a configured AWS cloud connector, Tetration cannot discover or enforce policies on resources in a different VPC, even if agents are running and labels are correctly assigned. The 'active blocking' enforcement mode indicates the policy is being applied, but the missing connector prevents the policy from being properly mapped to the database server in the separate VPC, causing legitimate traffic to be blocked.
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 cloud connector (e.g., AWS cloud connector) is not configured
Why this is correct
Cloud connector provides metadata that allows Tetration to understand cloud networking and apply policies correctly across VPCs.
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 enforcement scope does not include the VPC peering connection
Why it's wrong here
Enforcement scopes are per-workload; VPC peering is not a scope parameter.
✗
The application dependency mapping needs to be refreshed
Why it's wrong here
Dependency mapping is automatic and refreshes periodically; not the cause of blocking.
✗
The agents on the database server are not running
Why it's wrong here
The scenario states agents are running and reporting correctly.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that agents alone are sufficient for policy enforcement across VPCs, when in fact the cloud connector is required to bridge the cloud infrastructure metadata gap.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
The scenario states agents are running and reporting correctly.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Tetration's cloud connector uses AWS APIs (e.g., EC2 DescribeInstances, DescribeVpcs) to ingest instance metadata, VPC topology, and security group configurations. Without this connector, Tetration cannot associate an agent's reported IP address with the correct VPC or subnet, leading to policy enforcement failures when traffic crosses VPC boundaries. In a real-world scenario, this often manifests as dropped traffic between tiers in different VPCs even when labels and policies appear correct, because Tetration lacks the context to apply the policy to the remote VPC's resources.
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 network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
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.
Cloud Security — This question tests Cloud Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The cloud connector (e.g., AWS cloud connector) is not configured — Cisco Secure Workload (Tetration) relies on cloud connectors to synchronize cloud infrastructure metadata (e.g., VPCs, subnets, instances) and enforce microsegmentation policies across VPC boundaries. Without a configured AWS cloud connector, Tetration cannot discover or enforce policies on resources in a different VPC, even if agents are running and labels are correctly assigned. The 'active blocking' enforcement mode indicates the policy is being applied, but the missing connector prevents the policy from being properly mapped to the database server in the separate VPC, causing legitimate traffic to be blocked.
What should I do if I get this 350-701 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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Question Discussion
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