300-420 Question 235
Select 2A large enterprise is deploying Cisco SD-WAN to connect multiple branch offices to its data centers. The design must ensure high availability and redundancy for the control plane and data plane while also supporting QoS for critical applications. Which two design considerations should the network architect prioritize to meet these requirements?
- A
Deploy redundant controllers such as vSmart and vBond in geographically diverse locations.
- B
Utilize multiple TLOCs per WAN edge router to support failover and load balancing.
- C
Implement direct Internet access (DIA) at all branch locations to optimize latency for all traffic.
- D
Configure application-aware routing policies to prioritize critical applications based on SLA requirements.
- E
Enable multicast routing on the SD-WAN fabric for video and voice traffic.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, B
Explanation
To ensure high availability and redundancy in a Cisco SD-WAN deployment, it is essential to design both the control plane and data plane with failover mechanisms. Deploying geographically redundant controllers ensures the control plane remains operational during outages, while multiple TLOCs provide data plane redundancy and load balancing. These considerations align with the requirements for reliability and network uptime. Other options like DIA, application-aware routing, and multicast address different aspects of SD-WAN design but do not specifically focus on redundancy and high availability.
- A. Correct.
Deploying redundant controllers such as vSmart and vBond in diverse locations ensures high availability and redundancy for the SD-WAN control plane. This design consideration is crucial for maintaining network stability in case of controller failures or regional outages.
- B. Correct.
Using multiple TLOCs (Transport Locator) per WAN edge router provides both failover and load balancing for the data plane, ensuring redundancy and high availability for traffic paths.
- C. Incorrect.
While direct Internet access (DIA) can reduce latency for Internet-bound traffic, it does not directly address redundancy or QoS requirements. It is more suitable for optimizing specific traffic flows rather than overall network reliability.
- D. Incorrect.
Application-aware routing policies ensure critical applications meet SLA requirements, but they do not address redundancy or high availability for the control or data plane. This is more of a QoS-related consideration.
- E. Incorrect.
Enabling multicast routing is relevant for specific use cases such as video and voice but does not directly contribute to high availability or redundancy for the control or data plane.