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350-401 Practice Question: Examine the following IP SLA configuration: ip…
Examine the following IP SLA configuration:
ip sla 1
icmp-echo 10.1.1.1 frequency 10
ip sla schedule 1 life forever start-time now
What is the effect of this configuration?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'frequency' (interval between probes) and 'timeout' (wait time for a reply), and the fact that ICMP echo IP SLA does not require a responder, unlike UDP jitter or TCP connect operations.
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
✓
It sends ICMP echo requests to 10.1.1.1 every 10 seconds, starting immediately and running forever.
The configuration creates an IP SLA operation (ID 1) that uses ICMP echo to monitor reachability to 10.1.1.1. The 'frequency 10' command sets the interval between probes to 10 seconds, and 'ip sla schedule 1 life forever start-time now' starts the operation immediately and runs it indefinitely. This is the standard behavior for a basic ICMP echo IP SLA operation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
It sends ICMP echo requests to 10.1.1.1 every 10 seconds, starting immediately and running forever.
Why this is correct
This is the intended behavior. The 'frequency 10' command configures the interval between ICMP echo probes to 10 seconds. 'start-time now' begins the operation immediately upon activation, while 'life forever' sets no termination timestamp, so the probe runs continuously until manually stopped or the device reloads, providing long-term reachability and RTT monitoring.
- ✗
It sends ICMP echo requests to 10.1.1.1 every 10 seconds, but only for 10 minutes.
Why it's wrong here
No finite lifetime is configured. The 'life forever' parameter explicitly removes the default 3600-second lifetime, making the operation run indefinitely. A 10-minute duration would require 'life 600' in seconds, but the configuration demonstrates an infinite life, not a 10-minute window.
- ✗
It sends ICMP echo requests to 10.1.1.1 every 60 seconds by default.
Why it's wrong here
This misreads the configured frequency. The default IP SLA frequency is indeed 60 seconds, but the configuration includes 'frequency 10', which overrides the default. Therefore the probe is emitted every 10 seconds, not using the 60-second default. The command explicitly sets a shorter, deterministic polling interval.
- ✗
It sends ICMP echo requests to 10.1.1.1 every 10 seconds, but only if an IP SLA responder is configured on the target.
Why it's wrong here
ICMP echo operations in IP SLA do not require a Cisco IP SLA responder on the target. The probe sends standard ICMP echo requests that any IP host can answer with an ICMP echo reply. IP SLA responders are only necessary for operations that embed control and time-stamp information, such as TCP connect or UDP jitter probes, not for simple ICMP echo monitoring.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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