350-401 Network Assurance Practice Question
A network engineer is deploying Cisco DNA Center Assurance to monitor a campus network. The engineer wants to leverage machine learning to baseline normal behavior and detect anomalies without manually defining thresholds. Which capability should be enabled?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse historical or diagnostic tools like Time Travel or Path Trace with the machine-learning baselining engine that actually performs anomaly detection.
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
✓
AI Network Analytics
AI Network Analytics is the Cisco DNA Center Assurance feature that applies machine learning to create baselines and detect anomalies without manual thresholds. It continuously analyzes telemetry to identify deviations, which aligns with the engineer's goal of automated, threshold-free monitoring.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Network Time Travel
Why it's wrong here
Network Time Travel allows you to view historical client and device health data at specific past times, which is useful for retrospective troubleshooting. However, it does not itself apply machine learning to baseline behavior or automatically detect anomalies, so it does not fulfill the requirement.
- ✗
Path Trace
Why it's wrong here
Path Trace visualizes the forwarding path of a flow through the network, helping to pinpoint where packets are dropped or filtered. It is a diagnostic tool, not an ML-based baselining or anomaly detection feature, so it does not satisfy the requirement to learn normal behavior automatically.
- ✓
AI Network Analytics
Why this is correct
AI Network Analytics in Cisco DNA Center uses machine learning to establish a dynamic baseline of normal network behavior and detect anomalies without manual thresholds. It continuously learns from telemetry and surfaces deviations, directly matching the engineer's goal of automated anomaly detection.
- ✗
Sensor-driven tests
Why it's wrong here
Sensor-driven tests use dedicated sensors or software agents to run synthetic tests such as throughput or voice quality. They are active probes, not a machine-learning baseline engine, so they do not automatically learn normal behavior and detect anomalies in the way described.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
SDN Controllers and Cisco ACI
Key term
Cisco DNA Center Assurance
Cisco DNA Center Assurance is a network monitoring and analytics tool within Cisco's DNA Center platform that provides real-time visibility, proactive alerts, and historical insights into network health, performance, and user experience.
Key term
Cisco DNA Center
A centralized network management and automation platform from Cisco that provides intent-based networking for easier configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting of Cisco devices.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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