mediumMultiple Choice
350-401 Practice Question: Which IP SLA operation type requires an IP SLA…
Which IP SLA operation type requires an IP SLA responder to be configured on the target device?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that ICMP echo (option A) requires a responder because it is a common monitoring tool, but in reality, ICMP echo works with any standard IP host and does not need the IP SLA responder feature.
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
✓
UDP jitter
UDP jitter (option B) is the correct answer because it is the only IP SLA operation type among the options that requires a dedicated IP SLA responder on the target device. The responder is necessary to generate accurate timestamps for one-way delay, jitter, and packet loss measurements, as the UDP jitter operation sends a configurable number of UDP packets and expects the responder to return precise timing information. Without the responder, the target device would not process the packets in a way that yields meaningful jitter statistics.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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ICMP echo
Why it's wrong here
ICMP echo uses standard ICMP Echo Request and Reply, which any IP host can answer natively at the protocol level. No IP SLA responder is required because the destination's TCP/IP stack generates the reply, and the source measures round-trip time using the echo reply's arrival. Thus, ICMP echo operations can target any reachable device without special agent software.
- ✓
UDP jitter
Why this is correct
UDP jitter is designed to assess network performance by sending multiple UDP packets and computing latency, jitter, and packet loss. It requires an IP SLA responder on the far end because the responder must embed precise transmit and receive timestamps into each packet and return them to the source. Without the responder, the destination would not process the IP SLA control messages or generate the timestamped reply packets, making accurate jitter measurements impossible.
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TCP connect
Why it's wrong here
TCP connect operations measure the time required to establish a TCP session to a known port, such as port 80 or 443. This does not need an IP SLA responder because the source simply performs a normal three-way handshake with any standard TCP service; the destination's kernel completes the SYN-ACK, and the source measures the elapsed time for connection establishment. The operation relies on standard TCP behavior, not on a specialised SLA agent.
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HTTP get
Why it's wrong here
HTTP get measures the time to retrieve a web page or object by sending an HTTP GET request over TCP port 80 or 8080. No IP SLA responder is needed because the target is an ordinary web server that processes the HTTP request using standard server software. The IP SLA source calculates transaction time based on the HTTP response, so the measurement is entirely dependent on standard web server functionality rather than on an IP SLA-specific endpoint.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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