What is a Switch Virtual Interface (SVI) used for on a Cisco switch?

• A. An IP address on a virtual switch interface is used to manage the switch and for inter-VLAN routing.
• B. A physical port used for management.
• C. A dynamic routing protocol.
• D. A security feature.

Answer: (A)

A switch virtual interface is a virtual Layer 3 interface tied to a specific VLAN. It provides an IP address for devices in that VLAN to use as their gateway and gives you a management address to reach the switch itself (for example via SSH or ping). When the switch has IP routing enabled, the SVI serves as the gateway for inter-VLAN routing, allowing hosts in different VLANs to communicate through the switch. This is why an IP on the SVI is used both for managing the switch and for routing between VLANs. It isn’t a physical port, it isn’t a dynamic routing protocol, and it isn’t a security feature.