Free Practice Questions for Cisco 300-445 Exam

According to theDesigning and Implementing Enterprise Network Assurance (300-445 ENNA)curriculum,ThousandEyes WAN Insightsis a predictive analytics solution designed to transform network management from a reactive to a proactive model.10In the scenario provided, the voice quality issues are recurring and peak-hour dependent, indicating a need for optimization rather than just standard real-time alerting.11

The most relevant capability for this scenario isanalyzing historical SD-WAN performance datato generatepath recommendations(Option B). WAN Insights integrates withCisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager(vManage) andvAnalyticsto ingest massive volumes of telemetry.12It uses advanced statistical models to analyze the performance of all active circuits (MPLS, Internet, etc.) over time. If the system identifies that a different available path consistently delivers a higher Quality of Experience (QoE) or better adherence to the voice SLA during those peak windows, it generates a recommendation to adjust theApplication-Aware Routing (AAR)policy.1314

This predictive approach allows the administrator to fine-tune network policies in advance, ensuring that sensitive traffic like voice is automatically rerouted to the most stable path before the congestion impacts the users. Option A describes standard ThousandEyes synthetic testing, while Option C is incorrect because WAN Insights specifically uses existing SD-WAN telemetry rather tha15n generating its own synthetic voice16probes. Option D and E describe general NMS or security features not specific to WAN Insights' predictive mission. Thus, the proactive recommendation of alternative paths based on historical SLA adherence is the core function of WAN Insights for improving voice quality.171819

TheDesigning and Implementing Enterprise Network Assurance (300-445 ENNA)curriculum identifiesReal User Tests (RUM)as the primary method for capturing actual browser-based interactions. While synthetic tests provide proactive baselines,Real user tests(Option C) provide visibility into the "lived experience" of an employee as they navigate corporate websites and SaaS platforms.

Real user tests utilize a lightweightbrowser extension(available for Chrome, Edge, and Safari) that is part of the Endpoint Agent deployment. When a user visits a domain defined in a "Monitored Domain Set," the extension automatically begins recording performance metrics. This includes the time spent on each page, DNS resolution time, and a fullbrowser waterfallof every object (images, scripts, CSS) loaded during the session. Crucially, it calculates an "Experience Score" for each session, allowing IT teams to identify if a user's frustration is caused by slow page rendering or underlying network issues.

In contrast:

Scheduled tests (Option A)andDynamic tests (Option B)are forms ofSynthetic Monitoring. They simulate traffic using a headless browser or simple network probes to check availability but do not record the actual clicks or browsing activity of the real human user.

Network Access tests (Option D)is not a standard test category in the ThousandEyes endpoint ecosystem; rather, network connectivity is a layer monitoredwithinthe other test types.

Therefore,Real user testsare the definitive tool for organizations needing to analyze actual employee browser behavior and the resulting application performance.

In theDesigning and Implementing Enterprise Network Assurance (300-445 ENNA)curriculum, monitoring modern APIs often requires handling complex authentication flows, such as OAuth 2.0 with specific client credential parameters. The provided exhibit illustrates theHTTP Authenticationoptions available within a standard HTTP Server test: None, Basic, NTLM, Kerberos, and OAuth.

According to the ENNA implementation standards, while the HTTP Server test type supportsOAuth(Option C), its native implementation is limited. Specifically, it is designed to use a pre-existing token or a simple token refresh flow; it does not support the injection of custom parameters in the initial POST request required to obtain a token in many enterprise client-credential scenarios. Basic and NTLM (Options A and B) are legacy protocols that rely on simple username/password headers and cannot facilitate the multi-step token exchange process described.

To fulfill the requirement of a two-step flow (POST for token, followed by GET for resource), engineers must use more flexible test types:

Transaction scripts (Option D):These allow the engineer to write custom JavaScript using the ThousandEyes transaction library to programmatically handle the POST request, parse the resulting JSON token, and then pass that token into the subsequent GET request's header.

API tests (Option E):These are purpose-built for API monitoring and natively support the definition of variables and multi-step requests where the output of one call (the token) serves as the input for the next.

By utilizing these advanced test types, the engineer can successfully navigate complex authentication requirements that the standard HTTP Server test cannot accommodate.

TheDesigning and Implementing Enterprise Network Assurance (300-445 ENNA)certification emphasizes that the primary value proposition of the Cisco "Assurance Stack" is the reduction ofMean Time to Identification (MTTI)andMean Time to Resolution (MTTR). The integration of ThousandEyes across Cisco's portfolio—including Catalyst, Meraki, and SD-WAN—allows for quick identification and resolution of performance issues(Option D).12

By embedding ThousandEyes agents into the existing network infrastructure, Cisco enables "end-to-end visibility" that spans domains the enterprise traditionally does not control, such as the public internet and SaaS environments.13During troubleshooting, this cross-platform visibility allows network engineers to immediately correlate internal network health (from Catalyst Center or Meraki Dashboard) with external path visualization (from ThousandEyes). For example, when a user experiences poor video quality in a Webex meeting, the integration allows the engineer to "cross-launch" from the Webex Control Hub directly into a ThousandEyes path view.14This pinpoint accuracy avoids the "blame game" between network, application, and ISP teams by providing a "single source of truth" regarding where the packet loss or latency is occurring.

While some automation exists (Option C), the core benefit isn't automatic configuration changes based on feedback, but rather providing theactionable insightsrequired for manual or policy-based remediation. Similarly, while it streamlines data gathering, its ultimate purpose is thespeed of resolutionin complex, hybrid environments.

TheDesigning and Implementing Enterprise Network Assurance (300-445 ENNA)framework highlights the integration between ThousandEyes and Cisco Meraki as a solution for "cross-domain assurance".5The primary purpose of this integration is tomonitor external applications and services from SD-WAN sites(Option B).

In a distributed Meraki environment, IT teams often struggle with visibility into the "Internet as a WAN," where performance issues may occur outside the local network perimeter. By embeddingThousandEyes Enterprise Agentsnatively withinMeraki MX appliances, organizations can bridge the gap between internal LAN metrics and external service health.6This integration allows for proactive monitoring of SaaS platforms (like Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and Webex) and other public-facing dependencies using synthetic probes. It complements the nativeMeraki Insight (MI), which provides passive monitoring of real user traffic, by adding active path visualization and hop-by-hop analysis across the Internet.

Key advantages of this integration include:

One-Click Activation:Enabling the ThousandEyes agent directly from the Meraki Dashboard without additional hardware.7

Pre-configured Templates:Using built-in test templates for common SaaS applications to accelerate troubleshooting.8

Isolation of Fault Domains:Quickly determining if a user's lag is caused by a local Wi-Fi issue (via Meraki wireless metrics) or an ISP routing problem (via ThousandEyes path data).9

While ThousandEyes does provide visibility for VPN and security, Options A, C, and D are not theprimaryfocus of the specific Meraki-ThousandEyes integration architecture, which is centered on extending application performance assurance to distributed branch locations.

According to theDesigning and Implementing Enterprise Network Assurance (300-445 ENNA)best practices for collaboration monitoring,Microsoft Teams(as well as Webex and Zoom) is monitored using a combination ofScheduled and Dynamic tests(Option D).

Scheduled Tests:These are used to proactively monitor the reachability and performance of the Microsoft Teams infrastructure. The Teams template typically includes scheduled HTTP Server tests to teams.microsoft.com and login.microsoftonline.com, along with network-layer tests to theTeams Transport Relay(e.g., worldaz.tr.teams.microsoft.com). These provide a continuous baseline of connectivity regardless of whether a user is currently in a call.

Dynamic Tests:These are a unique feature for collaboration monitoring. When an Endpoint Agent detects that the Teams application has initiated a real-time media session (audio or video call), it automatically triggers aDynamic Testto the specific IP and port being used for that call. This allows IT teams to see the exact network path—including hop-by-hop latency and loss—of the actual call traffic while the session is active.

Real User Tests (Option C)are generally not used for Teams monitoring in the same way they are for web-based SaaS apps. Because most users utilize the Teamsdesktop clientrather than the browser, the RUM browser extension cannot capture the rich telemetry of the desktop application's internal signaling and media streams. Therefore, the specialized "Automated Session Testing" provided byDynamic Tests, combined with the proactive health checks ofScheduled Tests, constitutes the complete assurance strategy for Microsoft Teams.

According to theDesigning and Implementing Enterprise Network Assurance (300-445 ENNA)architecture, monitoring site-to-site connectivity between managed locations requires vantage points at both ends of the connection. In this scenario, the organization needs to measure performance between branch offices (San Francisco and Texas) and a central data center (North Virginia).

The most appropriate combination is usingEnterprise Agentswith theAgent-to-agent test type(Option C). Enterprise Agents are software probes deployed on infrastructure owned or controlled by the organization, such as switches or routers in the branch offices and servers in the data center. Unlike Agent-to-server tests, which only provide one-way metrics and approximate path data, anAgent-to-agent testprovides bi-directional network metrics. This includes detailed throughput, packet loss, latency, and jitter measurements in both directions, which is critical for identifying asymmetric routing or link saturation that might affect application performance.

Alternative options are less suitable for this specific internal monitoring requirement:

Cloud Agents (Options A and B):These are located in global ISP data centers and cannot be placed inside the organization's private data center or branch LAN to measure internal path characteristics.

HTTP/DNS Server tests (Options B, D, and E):These target specific services but do not provide the granular, bi-directional network-layer performance data (like throughput or path visualization) that an Agent-to-agent test delivers.

Agent-to-server (Option E):While useful for reaching a target that cannot host an agent, it loses the benefit of the destination agent's ability to measure the "return" path independently.

By deploying Enterprise Agents at each site and configuring Agent-to-agent tests, the engineer gains the highest level of visibility into the health of the private WAN or SD-WAN fabric connecting the branches to the data center.

In theDesigning and Implementing Enterprise Network Assurance (300-445 ENNA)curriculum, understanding the distinction between different monitoring methodologies is fundamental to architecting an effective assurance strategy. When an engineer deploys aThousandEyes Enterprise Agenton a Meraki MX appliance, they are implementingactive monitoring.

Active monitoring, as defined in standard network assurance frameworks like RFC 7799, involves the generation of synthetic traffic or "probes" that are sent across the network to a specific destination. These probes, which can utilize protocols such as ICMP, TCP, or HTTP/S, simulate real user transactions to measure performance metrics including latency, packet loss, jitter, and path visualization. The Enterprise Agent acts as a dedicated vantage point, executing these tests at scheduled intervals to provide a proactive baseline of network and application health. This allows the engineer to identify performance degradation or outages even when no real users are actively using the application, ensuring that issues are detected before they impact the business.

It is important to contrast this withpassive monitoring(Option B). In the Meraki ecosystem,Meraki Insight (MI)natively performs passive monitoring by observing and analyzing actual user traffic flows (HTTP/S data) as they traverse the MX appliance without injecting additional traffic. While passive monitoring is excellent for understanding real-world user experience and server response times, it relies on existing traffic and cannot provide hop-by-hop path visualization across the Internet in the same way active synthetic probing does.

By integrating the ThousandEyes Enterprise Agent—which runs as a containerized service within the MX architecture—the engineer gains the benefits of active monitoring directly from the branch edge. This eliminates the need for separate hardware and provides deep, "outside-in" and "inside-out" visibility into SaaS application performance. Therefore, the deployment of a ThousandEyes agent explicitly enablesactive monitoring(Option A) to supplement the native passive capabilities of the Meraki platform.