A network engineer designing an access layer that requires all uplinks to be active, furthermore, VLANs must span across the entire switch block. Which two design fulfill this requirement? (Choose…

Layer 2 Flex Links operates in an active/standby model where only one link forwards at a time, violating the requirement that all uplinks be active simultaneously.

The loop-free inverted U design connects each access switch to both distribution switches without interconnecting the distribution switches to each other, which eliminates the L2 loop and allows all access uplinks to forward traffic simultaneously when paired with VSS or Multichassis EtherChannel (MEC) at the distribution layer.

The loop square design adds a link between the two distribution switches, forming a square; when VSS or MEC is used, STP sees a single logical device and no ports are blocked, enabling all uplinks to remain active and allowing VLANs to span the full switch block.

The loop-free U design does not interconnect the distribution switches, limiting VLAN spanning across the block and typically requiring STP to block one uplink per access switch, so not all uplinks are active.