- A
Cisco ISE for policy management, LISP for control plane, VXLAN for data plane, and Cisco TrustSec for SGT-based enforcement
This combination provides identity-based policy, scalable overlay, and dynamic group-based enforcement at the edge.
- B
Cisco ISE for policy management, OSPF for control plane, GRE for data plane, and ACLs for enforcement
Why wrong: OSPF and GRE are not used in SD-Access fabric; they lack the overlay scalability and group-based policy capabilities.
- C
Cisco ISE for policy management, BGP for control plane, MPLS for data plane, and VLANs for enforcement
Why wrong: BGP and MPLS are not the standard SD-Access fabric protocols; they do not support SGT propagation and VXLAN encapsulation.
- D
Cisco ISE for policy management, LISP for data plane, VXLAN for control plane, and 802.1X for enforcement
Why wrong: LISP is the control plane protocol, not data plane; VXLAN is the data plane, not control plane. 802.1X is for authentication, not policy enforcement.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is the combination of Cisco ISE for policy management, LISP for the control plane, VXLAN for the data plane, and Cisco TrustSec for SGT-based enforcement. This set of components works together to enable dynamic endpoint grouping because ISE assigns Security Group Tags (SGTs) based on user identity and device type, LISP maintains the endpoint-to-location mappings that allow mobility, VXLAN encapsulates traffic and carries the SGT via its Group Policy Option (GPO), and TrustSec enforces those SGT-based policies at the fabric edge without requiring manual ACLs. On the ENCOR 350-401 exam, this question tests your understanding of how SD-Access separates control, data, and policy planes; a common trap is confusing VXLAN as merely a tunneling protocol without recognizing its role in SGT propagation. A useful memory tip is to think of ISE as the brain that assigns the SGT, LISP as the map that tracks where endpoints are, VXLAN as the truck that carries the SGT, and TrustSec as the guard that checks the tag at the door.
350-401 Enterprise Network Design Practice Question
This 350-401 practice question tests your understanding of enterprise network design. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An architect is designing an SD-Access fabric for a campus network that must support dynamic endpoint grouping based on user identity and device type. The design must minimize manual policy configuration and allow the fabric to enforce access policies at the edge. Which combination of components and protocols is required to meet these requirements?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Cisco ISE for policy management, LISP for control plane, VXLAN for data plane, and Cisco TrustSec for SGT-based enforcement
Option A is correct because SD-Access uses Cisco ISE as the policy engine to define user/device-based policies, LISP as the control plane for endpoint-to-location mapping and mobility, VXLAN as the data plane for overlay encapsulation, and Cisco TrustSec for SGT-based enforcement at the edge. This combination enables dynamic endpoint grouping without manual ACLs, as SGTs are propagated via VXLAN Group Policy Option (GPO) and enforced by the fabric edge switches.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Cisco ISE for policy management, LISP for control plane, VXLAN for data plane, and Cisco TrustSec for SGT-based enforcement
Why this is correct
This combination provides identity-based policy, scalable overlay, and dynamic group-based enforcement at the edge.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Cisco ISE for policy management, OSPF for control plane, GRE for data plane, and ACLs for enforcement
Why it's wrong here
OSPF and GRE are not used in SD-Access fabric; they lack the overlay scalability and group-based policy capabilities.
- ✗
Cisco ISE for policy management, BGP for control plane, MPLS for data plane, and VLANs for enforcement
Why it's wrong here
BGP and MPLS are not the standard SD-Access fabric protocols; they do not support SGT propagation and VXLAN encapsulation.
- ✗
Cisco ISE for policy management, LISP for data plane, VXLAN for control plane, and 802.1X for enforcement
Why it's wrong here
LISP is the control plane protocol, not data plane; VXLAN is the data plane, not control plane. 802.1X is for authentication, not policy enforcement.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the specific roles of LISP (control plane) and VXLAN (data plane) in SD-Access, and the trap here is confusing their functions or assuming that traditional protocols like OSPF/BGP or ACLs/VLANs can replace the overlay control and policy enforcement mechanisms.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In SD-Access, LISP separates location (RLOC) from identity (EID) to enable seamless endpoint mobility, while VXLAN with Group Policy Option (GPO) carries SGTs in the VXLAN header (using the 16-bit Group Policy ID field per RFC 7179). Cisco TrustSec uses SGTs to enforce access policies at the fabric edge, where the switch maps the SGT to a policy and applies permit/deny decisions without ACLs. A real-world scenario is a hospital where a doctor's device is dynamically assigned an SGT for 'Clinical Staff' upon authentication, and the fabric edge enforces access to patient records without manual ACL changes.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Enterprise Network Design — study guide chapter
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Enterprise Network Design practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 350-401 question test?
Enterprise Network Design — This question tests Enterprise Network Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cisco ISE for policy management, LISP for control plane, VXLAN for data plane, and Cisco TrustSec for SGT-based enforcement — Option A is correct because SD-Access uses Cisco ISE as the policy engine to define user/device-based policies, LISP as the control plane for endpoint-to-location mapping and mobility, VXLAN as the data plane for overlay encapsulation, and Cisco TrustSec for SGT-based enforcement at the edge. This combination enables dynamic endpoint grouping without manual ACLs, as SGTs are propagated via VXLAN Group Policy Option (GPO) and enforced by the fabric edge switches.
What should I do if I get this 350-401 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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