hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
200-201 Practice Question: Refer to the exhibit
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. policy-map QOS_POLICY class VOIP priority percent 30 class CRITICAL_DATA bandwidth remaining percent 50 class class-default fair-queue
Refer to the exhibit. A security policy requires that network traffic be classified and prioritized to ensure critical applications get bandwidth. A network engineer implements this QoS policy. However, after deployment, a security scanner reports that SSH traffic is starved. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that traffic not explicitly classified will still get fair treatment, when in reality class-default can be starved if higher-priority classes consume all bandwidth, especially when priority is used without proper policing or shaping.
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
✓
SSH traffic is not classified and falls into class-default, which may not get enough bandwidth.
SSH traffic is not explicitly matched by any class map in the policy, so it falls into the class-default. The class-default in this policy uses fair-queue, which does not guarantee a minimum bandwidth; if higher-priority classes (like VOIP and critical data) consume most of the link, class-default can be starved. This results in SSH sessions timing out or experiencing severe packet loss.
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 priority percent for VOIP is too high.
Why it's wrong here
A 30% priority is reasonable and directly starves only if excessive; but SSH starves because it's not classified.
- ✗
The fair-queue algorithm does not work with this policy.
Why it's wrong here
Fair-queue works in class-default; it is not the cause.
- ✗
The critical data class includes SSH traffic.
Why it's wrong here
If SSH were in CRITICAL_DATA, it would get bandwidth; but it's not.
- ✓
SSH traffic is not classified and falls into class-default, which may not get enough bandwidth.
Why this is correct
Since SSH is not in a priority class, it competes with other default traffic.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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