- A
Use a load balancer in front of the collectors and configure all routers to send to the load balancer VIP.
A load balancer provides dynamic distribution and requires no changes to router configuration beyond the VIP.
- B
Use a multicast address for telemetry subscription so all collectors receive all data.
Why wrong: Multicast would send all data to all collectors, increasing CPU load on each, not reducing it.
- C
Configure each router with a round-robin DNS name that resolves to multiple collector IPs.
Why wrong: Round-robin DNS does not account for collector load and can lead to uneven distribution; it also requires DNS changes on each router.
- D
Divide the routers into groups and assign each group to a different collector IP via the router configuration.
Why wrong: This requires manual assignment and does not adapt to changes in collector load.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to use a load balancer in front of the collectors and configure all routers to send to the load balancer VIP. This works because the load balancer distributes incoming gRPC telemetry streams from all 200 routers across multiple collectors using an algorithm like round-robin or least connections, ensuring even load distribution without any per-router configuration. On the Cisco SPCOR 350-501 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of model-driven telemetry scaling in a dial-out architecture, where the routers push data to a single virtual IP rather than requiring manual collector lists. A common trap is assuming you can simply split the router list manually, but that violates the requirement for zero manual configuration. Remember the memory tip: "VIP for even split" — a single virtual IP lets the load balancer handle the distribution, keeping your collectors balanced and your telemetry data intact.
350-501 Automation and Assurance Practice Question
This 350-501 practice question tests your understanding of automation and assurance. 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.
A service provider has implemented model-driven telemetry to monitor the health of its core network. The telemetry collector is a single server running a custom application that receives and processes gRPC streams from 200 routers. The collector is experiencing high CPU usage and is falling behind in processing data, causing some telemetry data to be dropped. The engineer decides to offload processing to multiple collectors. The routers support dial-out mode and can be configured with a list of collector IPs. The engineer wants to distribute the load evenly across collectors without manual configuration per router. Which should the engineer implement?
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
Use a load balancer in front of the collectors and configure all routers to send to the load balancer VIP.
Option A is correct because a load balancer distributes incoming gRPC streams from all 200 routers across multiple collectors based on a configured algorithm (e.g., round-robin or least connections), achieving even load distribution without per-router configuration. The routers simply send telemetry to a single virtual IP (VIP), and the load balancer forwards each stream to an available collector, preventing any single collector from being overwhelmed. This matches the requirement to offload processing and avoid manual configuration per router.
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.
- ✓
Use a load balancer in front of the collectors and configure all routers to send to the load balancer VIP.
Why this is correct
A load balancer provides dynamic distribution and requires no changes to router configuration beyond the VIP.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a multicast address for telemetry subscription so all collectors receive all data.
Why it's wrong here
Multicast would send all data to all collectors, increasing CPU load on each, not reducing it.
- ✗
Configure each router with a round-robin DNS name that resolves to multiple collector IPs.
Why it's wrong here
Round-robin DNS does not account for collector load and can lead to uneven distribution; it also requires DNS changes on each router.
- ✗
Divide the routers into groups and assign each group to a different collector IP via the router configuration.
Why it's wrong here
This requires manual assignment and does not adapt to changes in collector load.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that DNS round-robin or multicast can solve load distribution in telemetry, but the trap here is that dial-out gRPC requires TCP unicast connections and DNS round-robin lacks real-time load awareness, making a load balancer the only viable option for even distribution without manual configuration.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In model-driven telemetry with gRPC dial-out, each router establishes a persistent TCP connection to the collector, and the collector must process the stream in real time. A load balancer at Layer 4 (TCP) can terminate the gRPC connections and forward them to backend collectors, but care must be taken to ensure session persistence (sticky sessions) if the telemetry data requires stateful processing. In real-world deployments, a load balancer can also perform health checks on collectors, automatically removing failed ones from the pool, which is critical for high availability.
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 practitioner preparing for the 350-501 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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.
- →
Automation and Assurance — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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Automation and Assurance practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
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All 350-501 questions
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Cisco SPCOR / CCNP Service Provider Core 350-501 study guide
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350-501 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 350-501 question test?
Automation and Assurance — This question tests Automation and Assurance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a load balancer in front of the collectors and configure all routers to send to the load balancer VIP. — Option A is correct because a load balancer distributes incoming gRPC streams from all 200 routers across multiple collectors based on a configured algorithm (e.g., round-robin or least connections), achieving even load distribution without per-router configuration. The routers simply send telemetry to a single virtual IP (VIP), and the load balancer forwards each stream to an available collector, preventing any single collector from being overwhelmed. This matches the requirement to offload processing and avoid manual configuration per router.
What should I do if I get this 350-501 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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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This 350-501 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 350-501 exam.
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