NSE7 Advanced Networking and SD-WAN Practice Question
An administrator is configuring an SD-WAN rule to distribute traffic across two WAN links based on the number of active sessions. They want to ensure that new sessions are assigned to the link with the fewest current sessions. Which load balancing algorithm should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is mixing up 'session count' with 'volume' or 'round robin'; only 'session count' explicitly uses the number of active sessions to choose a link.
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
✓
Session count
The 'session count' load balancing algorithm selects the WAN member with the fewest active sessions for each new session. This directly achieves the administrator's goal of distributing traffic based on the number of active sessions, ensuring balanced utilization of the links. Other algorithms like source IP, volume, or round robin do not specifically target session count.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Source IP
Why it's wrong here
The 'source IP' algorithm hashes the source IP address to select a member, ensuring that all sessions from the same source IP use the same link. It does not consider the number of active sessions, so it cannot balance based on session count. This would not achieve the goal of distributing sessions evenly.
- ✗
Round robin
Why it's wrong here
Round robin distributes sessions sequentially across the members, cycling through them one by one. It does not consider the current session count on each link, so it may not balance based on active sessions. This could lead to uneven distribution if session durations vary.
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Volume
Why it's wrong here
The 'volume' algorithm distributes traffic based on the volume of data (bytes) sent over each link. It aims to balance the total bandwidth usage, not the number of sessions. While it can help balance load, it does not specifically target session count, so it is not the best fit for this requirement.
- ✓
Session count
Why this is correct
The 'session count' algorithm distributes new sessions to the member with the fewest active sessions. This directly balances the load based on session count, ensuring that no single link is overwhelmed. It is the correct choice when the administrator wants to distribute traffic based on the number of active sessions.
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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 Fortinet exam blueprint
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