350-401 Network Assurance Practice Question
A network engineer is troubleshooting a Cisco Catalyst 9300 switch that is experiencing intermittent packet drops. The engineer suspects a hardware forwarding issue and needs to verify the status of the switch's forwarding ASIC and its associated resources. Which command should the engineer use to display the current ASIC and forwarding resource utilization?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse general platform resource commands with those that specifically target forwarding ASIC resources, which are distinct on Catalyst 9000 series switches.
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
✓
show platform hardware fed switch active fwd-asic resource
The correct command is 'show platform hardware fed switch active fwd-asic resource', which provides detailed information about the forwarding ASIC resources on the active switch. This includes TCAM and packet buffer utilization, which are essential for identifying hardware forwarding issues. The other commands focus on general system resources, interface errors, or MAC address tables, none of which directly address ASIC resource utilization.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
show mac address-table
Why it's wrong here
The 'show mac address-table' command displays the MAC address table, which maps MAC addresses to ports. It is used for troubleshooting Layer 2 forwarding and MAC address learning issues, but it does not show any information about ASIC resources or hardware forwarding utilization. It is not relevant for diagnosing potential ASIC-related packet drops.
- ✗
show platform resources
Why it's wrong here
The 'show platform resources' command displays CPU and memory usage for the platform, not specifically ASIC or forwarding resource utilization. It provides a high-level view of system resources and is useful for monitoring overall health, but it does not show detailed forwarding ASIC information such as TCAM or packet buffer usage, which are critical for diagnosing hardware forwarding issues.
- ✓
show platform hardware fed switch active fwd-asic resource
Why this is correct
This command displays detailed forwarding ASIC resource utilization, including TCAM, packet buffer, and other hardware forwarding resources, on the active switch of a Catalyst 9000 series switch. It is the correct choice for verifying ASIC status and resource usage when troubleshooting hardware forwarding issues, as it provides granular per-ASIC data that can identify resource exhaustion or errors.
- ✗
show interfaces counters errors
Why it's wrong here
The 'show interfaces counters errors' command displays error counters on interfaces, such as input errors, CRC, and frame errors. While useful for identifying physical layer issues, it does not provide information about forwarding ASIC resources or hardware forwarding problems. It focuses on interface-level statistics and cannot diagnose ASIC-related packet drops or resource exhaustion.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
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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
This 350-401 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 350-401 exam.