F5-CTS-LTM BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager Practice Question
An administrator observes that the 'Least Connections' load balancing algorithm is not distributing traffic as evenly as expected. What is the most probable reason?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often blame the load balancing algorithm for uneven traffic distribution. They forget that persistence forces clients to specific members, effectively ignoring the algorithm's calculation for those persistent sessions.
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
✓
Persistence profiles are overriding the load balancing algorithm.
Least Connections distributes traffic based on the number of active connections to each pool member. If persistence is enabled, the BIG-IP will send subsequent requests from the same client to the same server, regardless of the load balancing algorithm. Consequently, persistence overrides the load balancing decision, leading to uneven distribution if certain sessions are longer or more active than others.
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 pool members have different weight values configured.
Why it's wrong here
While weight values affect distribution, they are intended to bias traffic to specific members. If the distribution is uneven and the administrator expects 'Least Connections' equality, weights might be a factor, but persistence is a much more common cause of distribution bias in production LTM environments.
- ✓
Persistence profiles are overriding the load balancing algorithm.
Why this is correct
Persistence profiles force traffic to a specific pool member for the duration of the session. Because this decision happens before the load balancing algorithm is even consulted, the 'Least Connections' algorithm is bypassed for all persistent traffic, naturally resulting in an uneven distribution of active connections.
- ✗
The TCP profile is set to 'OneConnect' mode.
Why it's wrong here
OneConnect optimizes connection reuse but does not dictate the selection logic for the backend server. While it changes how connections are handled at the transport layer, it respects the load balancing decision made by the pool, meaning it is not the root cause for uneven distribution logic.
- ✗
The health monitor is failing intermittently.
Why it's wrong here
Intermittent health monitor failures would remove members from the pool, but they would not cause uneven distribution for active members. Once a member is removed, it receives no traffic at all; therefore, this would result in no traffic being sent to that member, not uneven distribution.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official F5 exam blueprint
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