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350-401 Practice Question: An enterprise is migrating from a traditional…
An enterprise is migrating from a traditional MPLS WAN to Cisco SD-WAN. The network team has deployed vEdge routers at all branch offices and a vSmart controller in the data center. The engineer configures a centralized control policy to influence path selection based on cost and latency. After the policy is activated, the engineer notices that some branches are not receiving the updated policy and are still using the default best-path selection. The vSmart is reachable from all branches, and the vEdge routers show that they are connected to the vSmart. What is the most likely reason for this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the concept that a control policy must be attached to a site list or VPN list to be effective, and candidates mistakenly assume that simply configuring the policy on the vSmart is sufficient for it to apply to all devices.
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
✓
The control policy is not attached to the appropriate site list or VPN list.
In Cisco SD-WAN, centralized control policies must be explicitly attached to a site list or VPN list to define which devices or traffic the policy applies to. If the policy is not attached to the appropriate list, the vSmart controller will not push the policy to the targeted vEdge routers, causing them to continue using the default OMP best-path selection (based on administrative distance and cost). The fact that the vEdge routers are connected to the vSmart confirms the issue is with policy application, not reachability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The vEdge routers have not been rebooted after the policy change.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because policy changes take effect immediately without reboot.
- ✓
The control policy is not attached to the appropriate site list or VPN list.
Why this is correct
Correct because a control policy must be associated with a list to be applied; otherwise, it is not enforced.
- ✗
The OMP graceful restart timer has expired, causing the vEdge to ignore the policy.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because OMP graceful restart affects route convergence, not policy application.
- ✗
The BFD sessions between vEdge and vSmart are flapping.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because BFD is for data plane failure detection, not for policy distribution.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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