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300-410 Practice Question: When an SNMP agent sends an InformRequest, what…
When an SNMP agent sends an InformRequest, what is the default behavior regarding acknowledgment?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between Traps (unacknowledged) and Informs (acknowledged), and the trap here is that candidates confuse the transport-layer acknowledgment (TCP ACK) with the SNMP application-layer Response PDU, leading them to pick option C.
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
✓
The agent expects a Response PDU from the manager; if not received, it retransmits.
An SNMP InformRequest is a confirmed notification: the agent expects a Response PDU from the manager to acknowledge receipt. If the agent does not receive this response within a timeout period, it will retransmit the InformRequest. This is defined in RFC 3416 and distinguishes InformRequests from Traps, which are unacknowledged.
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 agent does not expect any acknowledgment; it is fire-and-forget.
Why it's wrong here
That describes a trap; informs require acknowledgment.
- ✓
The agent expects a Response PDU from the manager; if not received, it retransmits.
Why this is correct
Informs are confirmed notifications; the agent waits for a Response and retransmits if needed.
- ✗
The manager sends an acknowledgment at the transport layer only.
Why it's wrong here
SNMP informs use application-layer acknowledgment via Response PDU, not just transport.
- ✗
The agent sends the inform multiple times by default regardless of acknowledgment.
Why it's wrong here
Retransmission only occurs if no Response is received; it is not unconditional.
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