A Cisco MDS Series Switch with the POAP feature boots and does not find the startup configuration. Which location is checked first when the switch enters POAP mode?

Question

Options

• AUSB device that contains the software image files and the switch configuration file
• BDHCP server to bootstrap the interface IP address, gateway, DNS server, and TFTP IP
• CTFTP server where the necessary configuration files are downloaded
• DHTTP server where the URL is used to download the software image

• A
  92% (24)
• B
  4% (1)
• C
  4% (1)

Explanation

When a Cisco MDS switch enters POAP mode, it first checks for a USB device containing software image files and a configuration file - this is the highest-priority bootstrap source because it requires no network connectivity, making it the fastest and most self-contained option. Option B (DHCP) comes second in the POAP sequence, not first - DHCP is used to obtain network parameters only after no USB device is found. Option C (TFTP) is used after DHCP assigns an address, so the switch must already have IP connectivity before it can reach a TFTP server. Option D (HTTP) may be used in some POAP flows for image downloads, but it is dependent on a URL provided via DHCP option 67, placing it even further down the chain.

Memory tip: Think of POAP's priority order as "local before network" - USB → DHCP → TFTP, or just remember "You Don't Trust" (USB → DHCP → TFTP). USB wins because it needs nothing else to work.

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