350-401 Virtualization Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. ! Output from 'show vrf' on a router VRF-Name Interfaces Mgmt-intf Gi0/0/0 CUSTOMER-A Gi0/1/0, Gi0/1/1.10 CUSTOMER-B Gi0/2/0, Gi0/2/1.20 ! Output from 'show ip interface brief' for Gi0/1/0 Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol Gi0/1/0 10.1.1.1 YES manual up up ! Output from 'show ip interface brief' for Gi0/1/1.10 Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol Gi0/1/1.10 10.1.1.2 YES manual up up
Refer to the exhibit. A network engineer has configured VRFs on a router. A packet arrives on Gi0/1/0 with destination IP 10.1.1.2. Which VRF is used for routing this packet?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the concept that the VRF used for routing is determined by the ingress interface's VRF assignment, not by the destination IP address or any other packet attribute, leading candidates to mistakenly assume the global table is used when no VRF is explicitly mentioned in the routing lookup.
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
✓
CUSTOMER-A
The packet arrives on interface Gi0/1/0, which is configured under VRF CUSTOMER-A (as shown in the exhibit with 'ip vrf forwarding CUSTOMER-A'). When a VRF is applied to an ingress interface, the router uses that VRF's routing table (not the global table) to perform the destination IP lookup. Therefore, the packet with destination 10.1.1.2 is routed using the CUSTOMER-A VRF.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Global routing table
Why it's wrong here
The global routing table is only consulted for interfaces that are not assigned to any VRF. Since Gi0/1/0 is statically bound to VRF CUSTOMER-A, every packet entering that interface is forwarded using the CUSTOMER-A VRF's own RIB and CEF table. The global table would be bypassed entirely, even if it contained a matching prefix. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
- ✗
Mgmt-intf
Why it's wrong here
Mgmt-intf is a dedicated VRF used for management plane traffic, typically associated with the out-of-band management port such as Gi0/0/0. The packet in question arrives on Gi0/1/0, which is a service-facing interface belonging to VRF CUSTOMER-A, not to Mgmt-intf. Management VRFs are never used for forwarding data-plane traffic on user interfaces. Hence, Mgmt-intf cannot be the correct VRF.
- ✗
CUSTOMER-B
Why it's wrong here
CUSTOMER-B is a separate VRF that contains a different set of interfaces and a distinct routing table, as shown in the exhibit. Gi0/1/0 is not a member of CUSTOMER-B, so the packet would never be looked up in the CUSTOMER-B VRF. VRF membership is determined by the ingress interface's configuration, not by the intended customer or destination address. Thus, CUSTOMER-B is not the correct VRF.
- ✓
CUSTOMER-A
Why this is correct
The packet enters via Gi0/1/0, and the exhibit shows this interface is configured in VRF CUSTOMER-A. When a packet arrives on an interface, the router immediately associates it with that interface's VRF and performs the destination IP lookup in the corresponding VRF-specific routing table. Because Gi0/1/0 belongs to CUSTOMER-A, the forwarding decision uses the routes, next hops, and constructs (e.g., VRF-specific ARP or CEF) belonging to CUSTOMER-A. This is why CUSTOMER-A is the correct answer.
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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.