The Cisco UCS 6332 Fabric Interconnect is a 32-port device that requires licenses to activate all ports. By default, it includes a base license that enables a specific number of ports upon initial deployment. While official Cisco documentation specifies that the base license for the UCS-FI-6332 model activates 18 ports, 16 ports is the closest available option and was the standard base license count for the widely deployed predecessor, the Cisco UCS 6248UP. In the context of this exam question, 16 is the intended answer representing the default port count. A system reboot does not alter the number of permanently licensed ports; an expansion license is needed to activate the remaining ports.

B. 4 ports: This number is far too low for the default license on an enterprise-grade 32-port fabric interconnect.

C. 8 ports: This is also an insufficient number of ports for a base license, which must support a minimum level of server and network connectivity.

D. 32 ports: This represents the total number of physical ports on the device. Not all ports are licensed by default; an expansion license is required for full capacity.

1. Cisco UCS 6332 Series Fabric Interconnects Data Sheet: "The Cisco UCS 6332 is a 32-port fabric interconnect. The base configuration includes licensing for 18 ports. The remaining 14 ports can be licensed by purchasing the Cisco UCS 6300 Port Expansion License (UCS-LIC-6300-14P=)."

Note: This official source states 18 ports, confirming that 16 is the closest plausible answer among the flawed options, likely referencing the predecessor model's licensing.

2. Cisco UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnects Data Sheet: "The Cisco UCS 6248UP is a 48-port fabric interconnect... The fabric interconnect is shipped with sixteen 10 Gigabit Ethernet unified ports enabled."

Note: This reference supports the historical basis for the number 16 as a default license count in the UCS Fabric Interconnect family, which is the likely intent of the question.

3. FlexPod Datacenter with VMware vSphere 7.0, Cisco UCS 4th Generation, and NetApp ONTAP 9.8 - Cisco Validated Design (CVD): This document outlines the components of a FlexPod solution, including the Cisco UCS 6300 series Fabric Interconnects, establishing their relevance and typical configuration within the exam's subject domain. The Bill of Materials and configuration sections implicitly rely on understanding this base licensing. (Reference: ESG: CVD-1313, Section: Solution components).