Which two bootstrap technologies are supported by Cisco NX-OS platforms? (Choose two.)

Question

Options

• AiPXE
• BPNP
• CPOAP
• DBOOTP

• A
  3% (1)
• C
  94% (31)
• D
  3% (1)

Explanation

POAP (Power-On Auto Provisioning) and iPXE (options C and A) are the two bootstrap technologies native to Cisco NX-OS - POAP is Cisco's proprietary zero-touch provisioning mechanism built specifically into NX-OS, allowing Nexus switches to automatically download OS images and configurations upon first boot via DHCP/TFTP. iPXE is also supported on NX-OS platforms as a network boot protocol, enabling devices to boot over the network before a local OS is present.

PNP (Network Plug and Play) - option B - is the zero-touch provisioning solution for Cisco IOS-XE platforms (Catalyst switches, ISR routers) managed through Cisco DNA Center/Catalyst Center, not NX-OS. BOOTP - option D - is a legacy Layer 3 protocol that predates DHCP; while it influenced modern provisioning protocols, it is not a dedicated NX-OS bootstrap technology.

Memory tip: Think "NX = No PNP" - PNP lives on the IOS-XE/enterprise campus side, while NX-OS (datacenter Nexus) uses POAP as its signature feature. The "P" in POAP stands for "Power-On," which directly implies bootstrapping from scratch - a strong cue for exam recall.

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