mediumMultiple Choice
350-401 Practice Question: Issues the following command on Router R9: R9#…
A network engineer issues the following command on Router R9:
R9# show ip sla configuration 7 IP SLAs Infrastructure Engine-II
Entry number: 7 Owner: Tag: Type of operation to perform: icmp-echo Target address: 192.168.9.10 Source address: 192.168.9.1 Type Of Service parameter: 0x0 Request size (ARR data portion): 28 Operation timeout (milliseconds): 5000 Frequency (seconds): 30 Next Scheduled Start Time: Start Time already passed Group Scheduled : FALSE Life (seconds): 3600 Entry Ageout (seconds): never Recurring (Starting Everyday, Starting Time: 00:00:01) Status of entry (SNMP RowStatus): Active Threshold (milliseconds): 5000 Distribution Statistics: Number of statistic hours kept: 2 Number of statistic distribution buckets kept: 1 Statistic distribution interval (milliseconds): 20 Enhanced History:
Based on this output, how long will this IP SLA operation run?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'Life', 'Frequency', and 'Timeout' in IP SLA configurations, and the trap here is that candidates confuse the 'Frequency' (30 seconds) or 'Timeout' (5000 ms) with the total operation duration, overlooking the explicit 'Life' field.
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
✓
3600 seconds
The 'Life (seconds): 3600' field explicitly defines the duration for which the IP SLA operation remains active. This value overrides any other timing parameters, meaning the operation will run for 3600 seconds (1 hour) from its start time, regardless of the frequency or threshold settings.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Forever
Why it's wrong here
The 'life' parameter in an IP SLA operation controls the total time the probe remains active. Although IP SLA supports a 'life forever' option that runs the probe indefinitely until manually disabled, this configuration explicitly sets the life to 3600 seconds. Choosing 'Forever' would contradict the finite 3600-second lifetime that is actually present in the config.
- ✗
30 seconds
Why it's wrong here
30 seconds is the 'frequency' parameter, not the lifetime. In IP SLA, 'frequency' defines the time interval between successive probe transmissions, while 'life' defines the overall duration the operation is active. Confusing these two values is common, but the 30-second interval merely dictates how often the probe sends packets; it does not limit the total run time.
- ✓
3600 seconds
Why this is correct
The IP SLA operation's 'life' parameter is explicitly configured to 3600 seconds, which equals one hour. This value determines how long the probe will run from its start time before it automatically stops. The life is independent of the frequency (30 seconds) and timeout (5000 milliseconds), and it represents the total active duration, not the interval or per-probe timeout.
- ✗
5000 milliseconds
Why it's wrong here
5000 milliseconds is the 'timeout' value, which specifies how long the IP SLA operation waits for a response to a single probe before considering that probe failed. Timeout is measured in milliseconds, whereas 'life' is measured in seconds and covers the entire operation's duration. This option misidentifies the per-probe timeout as the overall lifetime, and the actual life setting is much larger at 3600 seconds.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.