EX200 Network Bonding Practice Question
An administrator needs to create a network bond interface 'bond0' with two slave interfaces 'eth0' and 'eth1' using active-backup mode. Which set of commands is correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates often confuse bonding with teaming (Option C) or resort to manual editing (Option B). Additionally, some may use the alternative syntax in Option A without specifying the mode, which would result in the default balance-rr mode instead of active-backup. The commands in Option D are correct because they explicitly set the mode and directly add bond slaves.
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
✓
nmcli con add type bond ifname bond0 mode active-backup; nmcli con add type bond-slave ifname eth0 master bond0; nmcli con add type bond-slave ifname eth1 master bond0
The commands create a bond interface with active-backup mode using nmcli. First, `nmcli con add type bond ifname bond0 mode active-backup` creates the bond with the required mode. Then, `nmcli con add type bond-slave ifname eth0 master bond0` and similarly for eth1 add the slave interfaces. This is the correct set of commands that fulfills the requirement. Option A uses an alternative syntax but does not set the mode. Option B involves manual editing, and option C uses teamd, which is for teaming, not bonding.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
nmcli con add type bond ifname bond0; nmcli con add type ethernet ifname eth0 master bond0 slave-type bond
Why it's wrong here
This syntax uses `type ethernet` with `master bond0 slave-type bond`, which is a valid way to add a slave, but it is less direct than the dedicated bond-slave type. More importantly, the bond is created without specifying `mode active-backup`, so the requirement is not fully met. Among the options, D is preferred.
- ✗
Edit /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-bond0 and ifcfg-eth0 manually
Why it's wrong here
Manual editing of configuration files is a possible method, but it is not a set of commands and is deprecated in favor of nmcli. The question asks for a set of commands, making this option incorrect.
- ✗
teamd -d -c '{"device":"bond0","runner":{"name":"activebackup"},"ports":{"eth0":{},"eth1":{}}}'
Why it's wrong here
The command uses teamd, which creates a Linux team interface, not a kernel bond. Even though the device is named "bond0" and the runner is "activebackup", teaming and bonding are distinct kernel subsystems: teamd runs in userspace and does not create a bonding master device, so it will not appear in /proc/net/bonding/bond0. The question explicitly requires a bond interface, and teamd does not integrate with NetworkManager's bond connection profiles, making this option incorrect for the stated requirement.
- ✓
nmcli con add type bond ifname bond0 mode active-backup; nmcli con add type bond-slave ifname eth0 master bond0; nmcli con add type bond-slave ifname eth1 master bond0
Why this is correct
Ly creates the bond interface with `nmcli con add type bond ifname bond0` and adds eth0 as a slave using `type bond-slave`, which is a native nmcli connection type for bond slaves. It directly fulfills the requirement of creating a bond with a slave interface, and the mode can be set separately.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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