Cisco 300-415 Implementing SD-WAN Solutions (ENSDWI) Exam Dumps and Practice Test Questions Set 3 Q31-45
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Question 31
Which SD-WAN component is responsible for enforcing policies and forwarding traffic at the branch or data center?
A) vManage NMS
B) vBond Orchestrator
C) vEdge Router
D) vSmart Controller
Answer: C) vEdge Router
Explanation:
vManage NMS is the centralized management system that allows administrators to configure devices, monitor network health, deploy software updates, and enforce business intent policies. While vManage provides the tools to define policies, it does not directly forward traffic or enforce these policies in the data plane. Its role is primarily operational oversight, configuration, and monitoring, relying on other components to apply the actual traffic handling and routing decisions within the network.
vBond Orchestrator facilitates device authentication and initial onboarding. It ensures that devices can securely join the SD-WAN overlay by establishing trust between vEdge routers and controllers. vBond does not participate in forwarding traffic or enforcing routing policies for ongoing operations. Its primary function is authentication, trust establishment, and assisting devices in discovering vSmart controllers and vManage NMS.
vEdge Router is the data plane device responsible for enforcing policies and forwarding traffic at the branch, data center, or cloud site. It establishes secure IPsec tunnels with other vEdge routers, applies routing policies distributed by vSmart controllers, and ensures that traffic is forwarded according to application-aware and business intent policies. vEdge routers can perform traffic classification, prioritize business-critical applications, and route traffic dynamically based on SLA measurements. They are responsible for executing the routing decisions, handling encrypted traffic, and maintaining service quality for users. Without vEdge routers, the SD-WAN network would lack the operational capability to enforce policies or forward traffic securely, making them essential for the performance and reliability of the network.
vSmart Controller manages the control plane, distributing routes, policies, and encryption keys to all vEdge routers. While it ensures consistent policy enforcement and secure overlay communication, it does not handle the actual forwarding of user traffic. vSmart acts as the central intelligence, but the execution of these decisions occurs at the vEdge routers. This separation of control plane and data plane enables scalability, centralized policy management, and efficient traffic forwarding.
The correct choice is vEdge Router because it enforces policies, forwards traffic, and ensures secure communication at the branch or data center. vEdge routers are the core operational elements of SD-WAN, implementing routing and policy decisions, maintaining encrypted tunnels, and providing high availability and performance for applications. By combining traffic forwarding, policy enforcement, and secure communications, vEdge routers enable SD-WAN to deliver reliable, optimized, and business-aligned connectivity across distributed enterprise networks. Their role is critical in maintaining SLA compliance, application performance, and operational efficiency, making them indispensable for the SD-WAN architecture.
Question 32
Which SD-WAN feature uses real-time metrics to reroute traffic when a WAN link does not meet performance requirements?
A) SLA-based Performance Monitoring
B) VPN Segmentation
C) Dynamic Path Selection
D) Application-Aware Routing
Answer: C) Dynamic Path Selection
Explanation:
SLA-based Performance Monitoring measures metrics such as latency, jitter, and packet loss to ensure that WAN links meet predefined thresholds. While SLA monitoring provides the necessary data to determine link performance, it does not reroute traffic on its own. SLA monitoring informs features like dynamic path selection and application-aware routing, allowing them to act on the performance data, but SLA-PM itself is a measurement and alerting mechanism, not an automated traffic steering tool.
VPN Segmentation isolates traffic into multiple logical networks for security, operational separation, and policy enforcement. Segmentation ensures that different departments or applications can operate in separate virtual networks while sharing underlying WAN resources. However, it does not dynamically reroute traffic based on WAN link performance. Segmentation is a structural feature focused on isolation and security rather than real-time performance-based path selection.
Dynamic Path Selection (DPS) continuously evaluates WAN links in real time using metrics provided by SLA-based Performance Monitoring. If a primary WAN link does not meet performance requirements, DPS automatically reroutes traffic over an alternate path that satisfies application or business intent requirements. DPS ensures business-critical applications maintain consistent performance even in the face of degraded link conditions. It integrates with application-aware routing to ensure prioritized traffic follows the optimal path, maintaining service-level objectives and user experience. DPS also supports failback, returning traffic to the primary path when its performance improves, ensuring efficient utilization of available WAN resources. By combining SLA monitoring with intelligent path selection, DPS automates traffic steering decisions, reducing operational complexity and preventing disruptions. This feature is essential for multi-link WAN deployments, ensuring reliability, resiliency, and adherence to business intent policies.
Application-Aware Routing classifies and prioritizes applications based on business intent, ensuring that critical applications receive preferential treatment across available WAN links. While AAR informs which traffic should be prioritized and can influence which paths are selected, it does not independently reroute traffic based on WAN link performance metrics. AAR relies on DPS and SLA monitoring to ensure that the paths chosen align with business intent and performance requirements. Its primary function is classification and prioritization, not automated rerouting.
The correct choice is Dynamic Path Selection because it uses real-time performance metrics to automatically reroute traffic when a WAN link underperforms. DPS ensures SLA compliance, optimizes application performance, maintains high availability, and integrates with other SD-WAN features such as application-aware routing and SLA monitoring. It provides automated failover and failback capabilities, enabling business continuity and operational efficiency while dynamically leveraging multiple WAN connections. Understanding DPS is crucial for designing resilient and performance-optimized SD-WAN networks.
Question 33
Which SD-WAN component acts as the central intelligence for overlay route propagation and policy enforcement?
A) vManage NMS
B) vBond Orchestrator
C) vSmart Controller
D) vEdge Router
Answer: C) vSmart Controller
Explanation:
vManage NMS provides centralized management, monitoring, and orchestration of SD-WAN devices. It allows administrators to configure policies, deploy software updates, and monitor network health. While vManage plays a critical operational role, it does not act as the central intelligence for overlay route propagation or policy enforcement. It pushes configuration and policies to vSmart controllers and vEdge routers but does not participate directly in control-plane operations.
vBond Orchestrator facilitates authentication and initial trust establishment for devices joining the SD-WAN overlay. It ensures secure onboarding and helps devices discover controllers. vBond does not perform overlay route propagation or enforce policies. Its role is limited to authentication and orchestrating initial connectivity between devices and controllers.
vSmart Controller serves as the central control-plane intelligence for SD-WAN. It distributes overlay network routes, VPN assignments, business policies, and encryption keys to all vEdge routers. vSmart ensures consistent route propagation, policy enforcement, and secure communication across the entire overlay network. By centralizing the control plane, vSmart separates intelligence from execution, allowing vEdge routers to enforce policies and forward traffic while relying on vSmart for updated routing and policy decisions. vSmart also integrates SLA monitoring, application-aware routing, and dynamic path selection to enforce business intent effectively. It ensures scalability, reliability, and security by centrally managing overlay routes and distributing them efficiently across multiple sites. Without vSmart, the SD-WAN overlay would lack centralized control, consistency, and the ability to enforce policies uniformly, which could lead to inconsistent performance, routing loops, or security vulnerabilities.
vEdge Router acts as the data plane device that executes routing decisions, forwards traffic, and enforces policies locally. While vEdge implements the decisions propagated by vSmart, it is not the source of overlay intelligence. It relies on vSmart to receive routing information, policies, and encryption keys to maintain proper operation within the SD-WAN overlay.
The correct choice is vSmart Controller because it acts as the central intelligence for overlay route propagation and policy enforcement. It ensures that all vEdge routers operate consistently according to business intent, maintains secure communication, and supports scalable SD-WAN operations. vSmart is critical for maintaining reliability, performance, and security across the entire overlay network, enabling automated routing, policy enforcement, and integration with other SD-WAN features such as dynamic path selection, application-aware routing, and SLA-based monitoring.
Question 34
Which SD-WAN feature provides continuous monitoring of WAN links to detect latency, jitter, and packet loss issues?
A) Dynamic Path Selection
B) SLA-based Performance Monitoring
C) Application-Aware Routing
D) VPN Segmentation
Answer: B) SLA-based Performance Monitoring
Explanation:
Dynamic Path Selection continuously evaluates multiple WAN links and reroutes traffic when a primary path experiences degradation. While DPS depends on real-time metrics such as latency, jitter, and packet loss, it does not perform the actual measurement. DPS relies on external sources like SLA-based Performance Monitoring to provide the data required for making intelligent path selection decisions. Without SLA monitoring, DPS would lack the visibility needed to detect network issues and could make suboptimal routing decisions, potentially impacting application performance. DPS is an execution mechanism, whereas SLA-based monitoring is a data-gathering mechanism.
SLA-based Performance Monitoring is specifically designed to continuously monitor WAN links for key performance metrics such as latency, jitter, and packet loss. It measures these parameters in real time to assess whether WAN links meet predefined service-level objectives (SLOs). SLA monitoring can generate alerts when thresholds are breached, providing proactive notification of network issues. This information is critical for features like Dynamic Path Selection, which uses these metrics to reroute traffic automatically and ensure high application performance. SLA monitoring allows administrators to define customized thresholds for different applications or VPNs, providing granular control over network performance management. It also supports reporting, trend analysis, and historical performance evaluation, enabling proactive planning and troubleshooting. SLA-based monitoring ensures that applications meet their intended performance objectives and helps maintain user satisfaction by detecting and addressing issues before they affect end users.
Application-Aware Routing classifies traffic based on application type and business priority. It ensures that critical applications are given precedence over less important traffic. While AAR can use performance metrics to make routing decisions, it does not directly measure latency, jitter, or packet loss. Instead, it relies on SLA-based monitoring to provide the necessary data to make informed application-aware routing decisions. AAR focuses on prioritization and policy enforcement, whereas SLA monitoring provides the underlying performance intelligence.
VPN Segmentation divides traffic into separate virtual networks for security, operational separation, and policy enforcement. While segmentation ensures isolation and security, it does not provide real-time monitoring of WAN link performance. Segmentation is structural, allowing separate policies, routing, and security measures for each logical network, but it does not detect latency, jitter, or packet loss. SLA-based monitoring may measure performance within each VPN, but segmentation itself is not responsible for continuous performance evaluation.
The correct choice is SLA-based Performance Monitoring because it provides continuous, real-time monitoring of WAN links to detect latency, jitter, and packet loss issues. It forms the foundation for proactive network management, enabling features such as Dynamic Path Selection and Application-Aware Routing to operate effectively. By detecting issues before they affect business-critical applications, SLA monitoring enhances user experience, maintains service-level compliance, and supports efficient network operations. It allows administrators to analyze trends, configure alerts, and optimize WAN utilization while providing critical visibility into network performance. SLA-based Performance Monitoring is essential for ensuring predictable application performance, operational reliability, and effective SD-WAN automation.
Question 35
Which SD-WAN component is responsible for device onboarding and discovery of controllers in a secure manner?
A) vManage NMS
B) vBond Orchestrator
C) vEdge Router
D) vSmart Controller
Answer: B) vBond Orchestrator
Explanation:
vManage NMS is the centralized management system that allows administrators to monitor, configure, and orchestrate SD-WAN devices. It provides dashboards, reporting, and policy management, but does not handle device onboarding or the secure discovery of controllers. vManage operates after devices are authenticated and connected to the network, relying on other components to establish initial trust and secure connectivity before providing management and policy oversight. Its function is operational and policy-oriented rather than security-oriented for onboarding.
vBond Orchestrator is the SD-WAN component responsible for authenticating devices and facilitating secure onboarding. It establishes trust by verifying certificates, performing authentication, and providing the necessary information for devices to discover vSmart controllers and vManage NMS. vBond ensures that only authorized devices join the SD-WAN overlay, protecting the network from unauthorized access. Additionally, it assists with NAT traversal and enables vEdge routers to securely discover controllers in geographically distributed networks. By centralizing the onboarding process, vBond simplifies deployment and ensures consistency across large-scale SD-WAN deployments. vBond also establishes initial control-plane connections that allow devices to start receiving policies, routing information, and encryption keys from vSmart controllers, forming the foundation for secure SD-WAN operations.
vEdge Router acts as the data plane device responsible for forwarding traffic, enforcing policies, and establishing encrypted tunnels. While it participates in the onboarding process by presenting credentials and connecting to controllers, it does not initiate onboarding or perform discovery of controllers. vEdge routers rely on vBond to provide the information and secure channels necessary to join the overlay network. Without vBond, vEdge routers would be unable to securely locate and communicate with controllers, compromising the integrity and scalability of the SD-WAN network.
vSmart Controller manages the control plane and distributes routing and policy information to all vEdge routers. While it enforces policies and manages overlay routes, it does not perform device onboarding or controller discovery. vSmart relies on vBond to authenticate devices and provide secure initial connectivity before exchanging routes, policies, and encryption keys with vEdge routers.
The correct choice is vBond Orchestrator because it is responsible for device onboarding and secure discovery of controllers. vBond ensures that new devices are authenticated, establishes trust, provides controller addresses, and enables secure control-plane communication. This process is critical for protecting the network from unauthorized access, maintaining secure operations, and supporting scalable SD-WAN deployment. By centralizing onboarding and discovery, vBond simplifies operations, reduces manual configuration, and provides the foundation for reliable, secure, and efficient SD-WAN deployment. Understanding vBond’s role is essential for network engineers to ensure proper device deployment, overlay security, and operational integrity across enterprise SD-WAN networks.
Question 36
Which SD-WAN feature integrates with SLA monitoring and business intent policies to optimize application performance?
A) VPN Segmentation
B) Dynamic Path Selection
C) vManage NMS
D) vBond Orchestrator
Answer: B) Dynamic Path Selection
Explanation:
VPN Segmentation divides traffic into multiple virtual networks to provide isolation, security, and operational separation. While segmentation ensures traffic from different departments or applications is logically separated, it does not optimize application performance based on SLA monitoring or business intent policies. Segmentation complements performance optimization features but is not responsible for dynamically selecting WAN paths or ensuring applications meet performance objectives.
Dynamic Path Selection (DPS) integrates SLA monitoring and business intent policies to make real-time routing decisions that optimize application performance. It continuously evaluates WAN links for latency, jitter, and packet loss, comparing these metrics against predefined service-level objectives. When a primary WAN path fails to meet performance thresholds, DPS automatically reroutes traffic to an alternative path that satisfies SLA requirements while respecting application priority defined by business intent policies. This integration ensures that critical applications maintain optimal performance even during WAN degradation or congestion. DPS also works with application-aware routing to prioritize business-critical traffic and enforce policies without manual intervention. By dynamically steering traffic according to both real-time network conditions and business intent, DPS enhances user experience, maintains SLA compliance, and improves WAN utilization.
vManage NMS provides centralized monitoring, configuration, and policy management. It enables administrators to define business intent policies, observe SLA metrics, and orchestrate network-wide configurations. However, vManage does not perform the actual dynamic path selection or real-time rerouting of traffic. It provides visibility, policy management, and operational control but relies on DPS at the data plane to implement performance-based routing decisions.
vBond Orchestrator facilitates secure onboarding and initial trust establishment for devices joining the SD-WAN overlay. It enables devices to discover controllers and establish secure communication channels, but it does not monitor SLA metrics or make routing decisions for optimizing application performance. vBond’s role is limited to initial authentication and secure connectivity rather than ongoing traffic optimization.
The correct choice is Dynamic Path Selection because it combines SLA monitoring, business intent policies, and real-time WAN metrics to optimize application performance. By evaluating link quality, rerouting traffic automatically, and integrating with application-aware routing, DPS ensures that critical applications receive priority and maintain high-quality performance across multiple WAN links. It is fundamental for SD-WAN networks that require predictable application performance, automated optimization, and alignment with business objectives, providing operational efficiency, resiliency, and user satisfaction.
Question 37
Which SD-WAN protocol carries overlay routes, VPN information, and business intent policies between vEdge routers and vSmart controllers?
A) BGP
B) OSPF
C) OMP
D) EIGRP
Answer: C) OMP
Explanation:
BGP, or Border Gateway Protocol, is widely used in traditional WANs to exchange routing information between autonomous systems. In SD-WAN, BGP may be deployed for underlay integration or to connect enterprise sites with external networks. However, it does not carry overlay-specific routes, VPN assignments, or business intent policies between SD-WAN components. BGP operates in the context of the IP routing plane and lacks the overlay intelligence required for centralized SD-WAN policy enforcement and secure route propagation. While BGP can coexist with SD-WAN for hybrid routing, it is not the primary mechanism for distributing overlay routes and policies within the SD-WAN architecture.
OSPF, or Open Shortest Path First, is a link-state routing protocol used for internal routing within an autonomous system. It can be configured on vEdge routers to maintain underlay IP connectivity between WAN links, ensuring reachability to other SD-WAN devices. However, OSPF does not handle overlay routes, VPN segmentation information, or business intent policies. Its functionality is limited to underlay path computation and convergence, and it does not provide the encryption or centralized control features required for secure policy distribution between vEdge routers and vSmart controllers.
OMP, or Overlay Management Protocol, is the dedicated control-plane protocol for Cisco SD-WAN. It carries overlay routes, VPN information, encryption keys, and business intent policies between vEdge routers and vSmart controllers. OMP ensures that all SD-WAN devices have a consistent view of the overlay network, including routing tables, policy assignments, and application-aware information. It operates securely over DTLS or TLS channels, guaranteeing confidentiality, integrity, and authentication of control-plane messages. OMP integrates with SLA monitoring and application-aware routing to optimize traffic delivery, enforce business intent, and maintain high availability across WAN links. By centralizing intelligence in vSmart controllers and propagating it through OMP, SD-WAN can scale to thousands of sites while maintaining consistent policy enforcement and security. OMP also supports efficient route updates, dynamic path selection, and key distribution for encrypted IPsec tunnels, making it the backbone of SD-WAN control-plane communication.
EIGRP, or Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol, is a distance-vector routing protocol used in some enterprise networks. While EIGRP can provide underlay connectivity for vEdge routers, it does not carry overlay-specific routing information, VPN assignments, or business intent policies. EIGRP lacks the security, centralized policy, and overlay intelligence needed to manage SD-WAN traffic effectively.
The correct choice is OMP because it carries overlay routes, VPN information, and business intent policies between vEdge routers and vSmart controllers. OMP provides secure, encrypted control-plane communication, enabling centralized policy enforcement, route propagation, and integration with application-aware routing and SLA monitoring. It is fundamental to SD-WAN architecture, ensuring consistent routing, optimized application performance, and secure operations across all sites. OMP allows SD-WAN to scale while maintaining visibility, control, and reliability, forming the core mechanism by which the control plane communicates with distributed data plane devices. By using OMP, the network achieves predictable, high-performance application delivery aligned with business intent.
Question 38
Which SD-WAN component provides centralized policy creation, device configuration, and network monitoring?
A) vBond Orchestrator
B) vSmart Controller
C) vManage NMS
D) vEdge Router
Answer: C) vManage NMS
Explanation:
vBond Orchestrator is responsible for authenticating new devices and establishing trust during onboarding. It ensures secure initial connectivity to controllers and facilitates device discovery. While it is critical for secure network entry, it does not provide centralized policy creation, device configuration, or network monitoring. Its focus is on trust establishment, secure discovery, and initial control-plane connectivity rather than operational policy management or monitoring.
vSmart Controller is the control-plane component that distributes routing information, business policies, and encryption keys to vEdge routers. While vSmart enforces policies and maintains overlay intelligence, it does not provide a graphical interface or centralized management for administrators. Policy creation and device configuration are defined externally and then propagated through vSmart. Its function is primarily to ensure consistent policy and routing enforcement, not to serve as the central operational dashboard.
vManage NMS is the centralized management and network orchestration system in SD-WAN. It provides administrators with a single interface for policy creation, device configuration, network monitoring, and reporting. vManage aggregates telemetry from all vEdge routers, displays WAN link utilization, application performance metrics, and device status, and allows administrators to define business intent policies, VPN segmentation, and SLA thresholds. It provides automation for configuration deployment, enables historical performance analysis, and supports troubleshooting and alerts. By centralizing these functions, vManage reduces operational complexity, ensures consistent policy application across multiple sites, and provides actionable insights to maintain optimal network performance and security. It also integrates with vSmart for control-plane enforcement and vBond for secure onboarding, completing the management ecosystem for SD-WAN.
vEdge Router acts as the data plane device responsible for forwarding traffic, enforcing received policies, and maintaining encrypted tunnels. While vEdge executes policies and gathers telemetry, it does not provide centralized policy creation, network monitoring dashboards, or configuration orchestration. It relies on vManage for administrative oversight and policy management, applying the decisions received from the central management platform.
The correct choice is vManage NMS because it provides centralized policy creation, device configuration, and network monitoring. By offering a single operational interface for administrators, vManage ensures consistent application of business intent, visibility into network performance, and efficient configuration management. It enables SD-WAN networks to scale while maintaining security, reliability, and operational efficiency, making it a critical component for enterprise deployment and ongoing network operations. vManage centralizes control, simplifies troubleshooting, and provides actionable insights to optimize both performance and user experience across all SD-WAN sites.
Question 39
Which SD-WAN feature identifies applications and directs traffic based on business priorities?
A) Dynamic Path Selection
B) Application-Aware Routing
C) VPN Segmentation
D) SLA-based Performance Monitoring
Answer: B) Application-Aware Routing
Explanation:
Dynamic Path Selection continuously evaluates WAN link performance metrics, such as latency, jitter, and packet loss, to determine the best path for traffic. While it ensures optimal path selection and high availability, DPS does not classify applications or make decisions based on business priorities. Its function is performance-driven path selection rather than traffic prioritization or business-intent enforcement. DPS operates in conjunction with other features like Application-Aware Routing to optimize performance, but it is not responsible for understanding which applications are critical or assigning priority.
Application-Aware Routing (AAR) identifies applications traversing the SD-WAN overlay, classifies them according to type and business priority, and enforces routing decisions based on defined policies. Administrators can specify which applications are critical, which should be prioritized during congestion, and which can tolerate delays. AAR uses deep packet inspection (DPI) and integrates with SLA monitoring to ensure that performance thresholds are met for business-critical applications. It can steer traffic over preferred WAN paths, enforce bandwidth allocation, and work alongside dynamic path selection to provide optimized application delivery. By using AAR, organizations can ensure that mission-critical services like ERP, VoIP, or video conferencing maintain high quality, while non-essential applications do not consume resources disproportionately. This alignment of network behavior with business intent is central to SD-WAN architecture.
VPN Segmentation isolates traffic into logical networks for security and operational separation. While segmentation can indirectly support business priorities by separating critical from non-critical traffic, it does not perform application identification or dynamically direct traffic based on priority. Segmentation provides isolation and policy separation but lacks the intelligence to make performance-driven routing decisions.
SLA-based Performance Monitoring measures WAN link quality and reports metrics like latency, jitter, and packet loss. While these metrics are critical for traffic optimization and integration with DPS or AAR, SLA monitoring does not identify applications or assign routing decisions based on business priorities. Its primary function is measurement and reporting, providing the data required for other features to act.
The correct choice is Application-Aware Routing because it identifies applications and directs traffic according to business priorities. By combining application classification, business intent policies, and integration with SLA monitoring and dynamic path selection, AAR ensures that critical applications receive priority, maintain performance, and align with organizational goals. It enables granular control over application traffic, ensuring predictable delivery, efficient WAN utilization, and high-quality user experience. Application-Aware Routing is central to SD-WAN’s ability to optimize business-critical traffic while supporting automation, policy enforcement, and performance-based routing.
Question 40
Which SD-WAN component distributes encryption keys to vEdge routers for secure data-plane communication?
A) vEdge Router
B) vSmart Controller
C) vManage NMS
D) vBond Orchestrator
Answer: B) vSmart Controller
Explanation:
vEdge Router acts as the data plane device responsible for forwarding traffic, enforcing policies, and establishing IPsec tunnels with other SD-WAN devices. While vEdge routers use encryption keys to secure communication, they do not generate or distribute keys to other devices. They rely on centralized control-plane components for obtaining keys and securely maintaining overlay communication. vEdge routers only consume the keys for encrypting and decrypting traffic, but are not responsible for the broader key management function.
vSmart Controller is the control-plane component responsible for distributing encryption keys to vEdge routers. It securely propagates the keys over DTLS or TLS channels, ensuring that all devices in the SD-WAN overlay can establish encrypted IPsec tunnels for data-plane traffic. vSmart regularly rotates keys, manages VPN assignments, and enforces policy-based encryption. By centralizing encryption key management, vSmart ensures secure communication between devices, mitigates the risk of key compromise, and provides consistent enforcement of security policies across all sites. vSmart also integrates key distribution with routing updates, overlay network propagation, and policy enforcement, ensuring that traffic security and business intent policies are applied consistently across the network. This centralization allows SD-WAN to scale efficiently, with thousands of vEdge devices securely communicating without manual key distribution.
vManage NMS provides centralized policy management, monitoring, and orchestration. While it interacts with vSmart for policy deployment and receives telemetry data from vEdge routers, it does not distribute encryption keys. vManage’s role is operational, providing administrators with the interface to configure policies, monitor network performance, and generate reports. Security at the data-plane level, including encryption key distribution, remains the responsibility of vSmart.
vBond Orchestrator facilitates device authentication and onboarding. It establishes trust between vEdge routers and controllers and assists with NAT traversal and secure controller discovery. While vBond is critical during the initial connection process, it does not distribute encryption keys or manage ongoing secure communication between devices. Its role is limited to authentication and enabling secure initial control-plane communication.
The correct choice is vSmart Controller because it centrally distributes encryption keys to vEdge routers, enabling secure data-plane communication. By managing encryption key propagation, rotation, and secure overlay policies, vSmart ensures that all SD-WAN devices can communicate securely while maintaining policy compliance and operational efficiency. Its role in key management is essential for preventing unauthorized access, ensuring confidentiality, and supporting scalable SD-WAN deployments. vSmart’s key distribution capability, combined with its policy enforcement and routing intelligence, forms the backbone of secure and reliable SD-WAN operations.
Question 41
Which SD-WAN feature ensures business-critical applications follow the most optimal path across multiple WAN links?
A) Application-Aware Routing
B) Dynamic Path Selection
C) VPN Segmentation
D) SLA-based Performance Monitoring
Answer: B) Dynamic Path Selection
Explanation:
Application-Aware Routing identifies and classifies application traffic based on business intent, allowing administrators to prioritize critical applications. While it determines which traffic is high priority, it does not actively select the most optimal path across multiple WAN links. Application-Aware Routing relies on data from SLA monitoring and Dynamic Path Selection to ensure that high-priority applications are delivered efficiently, but the actual path decision is made by DPS, not AAR. AAR’s function is traffic identification and policy alignment, not dynamic path optimization.
Dynamic Path Selection evaluates WAN links in real time using metrics such as latency, jitter, and packet loss. It compares these metrics against predefined service-level objectives to determine which path is most suitable for a given application or traffic type. When a primary WAN link fails to meet performance thresholds, DPS automatically reroutes traffic over an alternative link that satisfies the SLA requirements. By integrating with SLA-based Performance Monitoring and Application-Aware Routing, DPS ensures that business-critical applications maintain consistent performance, even in cases of network degradation or congestion. It supports failover and failback mechanisms, enabling traffic to return to the primary path once it meets performance criteria. DPS optimizes WAN utilization by directing traffic over the most suitable paths based on real-time conditions while adhering to business intent policies. This capability is critical for ensuring predictable application performance and maintaining user experience.
VPN Segmentation isolates traffic into separate virtual networks for operational and security purposes. While segmentation can separate critical traffic from general traffic, it does not actively route business-critical applications over optimal WAN paths. Segmentation focuses on security, policy enforcement, and operational separation, whereas path optimization relies on DPS. Segmentation may complement DPS by ensuring that critical VPNs benefit from optimal path selection, but it does not perform path evaluation or rerouting itself.
SLA-based Performance Monitoring continuously measures network metrics such as latency, jitter, and packet loss. While SLA monitoring provides the performance data that DPS uses to make routing decisions, it does not independently reroute traffic. SLA monitoring informs the network about current conditions, but is not an automated traffic steering mechanism. DPS acts on the SLA data to implement real-time path optimization decisions, ensuring applications follow the best-performing links.
The correct choice is Dynamic Path Selection because it ensures that business-critical applications follow the most optimal path across multiple WAN links. By leveraging real-time WAN metrics, SLA monitoring, and integration with business intent policies, DPS guarantees predictable application performance, high availability, and efficient WAN utilization. It automatically reroutes traffic to maintain SLA compliance, supports failover and failback, and works alongside Application-Aware Routing to prioritize critical applications effectively. DPS is central to SD-WAN’s ability to deliver reliable, high-quality application experiences across complex WAN environments.
Question 42
Which SD-WAN component is responsible for providing visibility, monitoring, and operational dashboards for network administrators?
A) vSmart Controller
B) vEdge Router
C) vBond Orchestrator
D) vManage NMS
Answer: D) vManage NMS
Explanation:
vSmart Controller manages the control plane, distributing routing information, business policies, and encryption keys to vEdge routers. While vSmart enforces policies and provides centralized intelligence, it does not provide a graphical interface, dashboards, or monitoring tools for administrators. Its role is primarily operational at the control plane level, ensuring secure overlay communication, consistent route propagation, and policy enforcement. vSmart’s focus is on control-plane functionality rather than visibility or operational monitoring.
vEdge Router forwards traffic, enforces policies, and establishes encrypted tunnels with other SD-WAN devices. While vEdge generates telemetry data for monitoring, it does not provide centralized dashboards, aggregated visibility, or network monitoring interfaces. Administrators rely on centralized systems to analyze data collected from vEdge routers, as these devices only execute policy and forward traffic locally.
vBond Orchestrator authenticates devices, establishes trust, and facilitates initial device onboarding. While critical during initial deployment and for secure controller discovery, vBond does not provide operational dashboards, monitoring, or reporting for administrators. Its function is limited to authentication, trust establishment, and assisting devices in connecting securely to the SD-WAN overlay.
vManage NMS is the centralized management and orchestration system that provides administrators with visibility, monitoring, and operational dashboards for the SD-WAN network. It aggregates telemetry from all vEdge routers, displays WAN link utilization, application performance metrics, device status, and security posture. vManage supports policy creation, deployment, and SLA monitoring, allowing administrators to manage the network from a single interface. It enables alerting, reporting, historical trend analysis, and troubleshooting, providing actionable insights for operational efficiency. vManage integrates with vSmart for control-plane enforcement and vBond for secure onboarding, completing the SD-WAN management ecosystem. By centralizing monitoring and visualization, vManage allows administrators to maintain reliable, secure, and optimized network operations while scaling to thousands of sites.
The correct choice is vManage NMS because it provides visibility, monitoring, and operational dashboards for network administrators. It consolidates telemetry, policy management, SLA monitoring, and reporting into a centralized interface, enabling administrators to monitor network health, enforce business intent policies, and optimize performance across all SD-WAN sites. vManage ensures operational efficiency, simplifies troubleshooting, and provides actionable insights, making it a critical component for managing and maintaining enterprise SD-WAN deployments effectively.
Question 43
Which SD-WAN feature allows the network to automatically reroute traffic when a primary WAN link fails?
A) VPN Segmentation
B) Dynamic Path Selection
C) SLA-based Performance Monitoring
D) Application-Aware Routing
Answer: B) Dynamic Path Selection
Explanation:
VPN Segmentation divides traffic into logical virtual networks to ensure isolation and security between different departments, applications, or users. While segmentation ensures that traffic flows are separated and policies can be applied independently, it does not actively reroute traffic when a WAN link fails. Segmentation focuses on operational and security boundaries rather than performance-based path optimization. Although critical for organizational separation and security compliance, VPN segmentation does not provide automated failover or dynamic traffic rerouting capabilities.
Dynamic Path Selection (DPS) continuously evaluates multiple WAN links in real-time using metrics such as latency, jitter, and packet loss. When a primary WAN link experiences failure or falls below the predefined performance thresholds, DPS automatically reroutes traffic to an alternate link that meets the required service-level objectives. This ensures that business-critical applications maintain performance and availability even during WAN link outages. DPS integrates with SLA monitoring to receive continuous telemetry data and with application-aware routing to prioritize critical traffic while rerouting. By automating path selection, DPS reduces manual intervention, improves network resiliency, and maintains a consistent user experience during link failures. DPS also supports failback, where traffic returns to the primary path once performance is restored, ensuring optimal WAN utilization.
SLA-based Performance Monitoring measures link quality metrics such as latency, jitter, and packet loss to assess whether WAN links meet service-level objectives. While SLA monitoring provides essential performance data for decision-making, it does not automatically reroute traffic when a primary link fails. SLA monitoring informs DPS and other features, providing the necessary intelligence to make automated path selection decisions. Its function is measurement and reporting rather than active traffic management.
Application-Aware Routing identifies, classifies, and prioritizes traffic based on business intent. It ensures that critical applications are given preference over less critical ones, optimizing their delivery across available WAN links. While AAR works with DPS to ensure critical applications follow optimal paths, it does not independently reroute traffic when a WAN link fails. Its primary focus is traffic classification and prioritization rather than automatic path failover.
The correct choice is Dynamic Path Selection because it enables automatic rerouting of traffic when a primary WAN link fails. By leveraging real-time performance metrics, SLA monitoring, and integration with application-aware routing, DPS ensures business continuity, high availability, and consistent application performance. It provides the resiliency and intelligence necessary to maintain predictable service delivery across multiple WAN links, making it a critical feature for SD-WAN deployments that require robust failover capabilities and operational efficiency.
Question 44
Which SD-WAN component acts as the initial trust anchor and facilitates secure onboarding of devices?
A) vManage NMS
B) vBond Orchestrator
C) vSmart Controller
D) vEdge Router
Answer: B) vBond Orchestrator
Explanation:
vManage NMS is the centralized management and orchestration system that provides administrators with tools for network monitoring, policy deployment, and device configuration. While vManage plays a critical operational role in managing SD-WAN devices and monitoring network health, it does not handle initial authentication or trust establishment for devices joining the overlay. Its role begins after devices have been authenticated and securely connected to the network.
vBond Orchestrator is responsible for acting as the initial trust anchor for SD-WAN devices. It authenticates devices joining the network using certificates, establishes trust relationships, and provides the necessary information for devices to discover vSmart controllers and vManage NMS. vBond ensures that only authorized devices can join the overlay, preventing unauthorized access and ensuring secure initial communication. Additionally, it facilitates NAT traversal and secure controller discovery, enabling devices deployed across distributed sites to connect securely even in complex WAN environments. By centralizing authentication and trust establishment, vBond simplifies deployment, enhances security, and supports scalable SD-WAN operations. It also plays a role in facilitating secure control-plane communication before the device receives policies and routing information from vSmart controllers.
vSmart Controller is the control-plane component responsible for distributing routing information, encryption keys, and business policies to vEdge routers. While vSmart ensures secure policy propagation and overlay routing, it does not perform initial device authentication or establish trust. It relies on vBond to validate devices before engaging in control-plane communication.
vEdge Router acts as the data plane device responsible for forwarding traffic and enforcing policies. While vEdge participates in the onboarding process by providing its credentials and establishing secure tunnels, it does not serve as a trust anchor or facilitate onboarding for other devices. It relies entirely on vBond to establish initial trust and discover controllers.
The correct choice is vBond Orchestrator because it acts as the initial trust anchor and facilitates secure onboarding of devices. By authenticating devices, establishing trust relationships, and enabling secure controller discovery, vBond ensures the integrity, security, and scalability of the SD-WAN overlay. It is essential for secure deployment, preventing unauthorized access, and enabling devices to integrate reliably into the SD-WAN environment.
Question 45
Which SD-WAN feature provides isolation and separate routing policies for different departments or applications?
A) Dynamic Path Selection
B) SLA-based Performance Monitoring
C) VPN Segmentation
D) Application-Aware Routing
Answer: C) VPN Segmentation
Explanation:
Dynamic Path Selection continuously monitors WAN link performance metrics, such as latency, jitter, and packet loss, and reroutes traffic accordingly. While DPS ensures that applications follow optimal paths, it does not provide isolation or separate routing policies for different departments or applications. Its function is performance optimization and failover management rather than network segmentation or policy isolation.
SLA-based Performance Monitoring measures WAN link quality and provides telemetry for performance management. While it supplies data for traffic optimization and routing decisions, it does not create isolated networks or define independent routing policies for different departments or applications. Its role is informational, providing insight into network conditions rather than implementing logical separation.
VPN Segmentation enables the creation of multiple virtual networks within the SD-WAN overlay. Each VPN can have independent routing tables, security policies, and access controls, allowing organizations to isolate traffic between departments, applications, or user groups. For example, finance traffic can be placed in one VPN, marketing in another, and guest traffic in a third, ensuring both security and operational separation. VPN Segmentation allows administrators to enforce policies at a granular level, control access between networks, and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements. It also supports optimized use of shared WAN links while maintaining logical isolation. By segmenting traffic, SD-WAN networks can provide separate service-level objectives, monitor performance per VPN, and enforce business intent policies without cross-contamination between different network segments.
Application-Aware Routing identifies and prioritizes applications based on business intent, ensuring that critical applications receive optimal delivery. While AAR directs traffic according to priority, it does not provide isolation or separate routing policies. AAR works in conjunction with VPN Segmentation to ensure that critical applications in isolated networks are routed optimally, but by itself, it does not provide network segmentation.
The correct choice is VPN Segmentation because it provides isolation and allows separate routing policies for different departments or applications. Segmentation ensures operational separation, security, policy enforcement, and regulatory compliance while still enabling efficient utilization of shared WAN resources. It is a foundational SD-WAN feature for enterprises that need to isolate sensitive traffic, enforce independent routing policies, and maintain security across multiple sites and applications.