350-601 Storage Network — 10 Questions

Question 1

An engineer is configuring a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) SAN. Which statement about FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP) is true?

Accepted Answer

FIP uses Ethernet MAC addresses for communication.. FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP) uses Ethernet MAC addresses for communication during the discovery, initialization, and maintenance phases of an FCoE session. FIP frames are encapsulated in standard Ethernet frames with a specific EtherType (0x8914), allowing FCoE-capable endpoints to discover each other and establish virtual links without relying on IP addresses.

Answer

FIP operates only over lossless Ethernet.

Answer

FIP is used only for FCoE initialization, not for maintenance.

Answer

FIP requires IP addresses to establish FCoE sessions.

Question 2

A storage administrator needs to ensure that a Fibre Channel zone configuration is operationally effective without disrupting the current active zone set. Which approach should be used?

Accepted Answer

Create the new zone configuration in the defined configuration, then activate it as a new zone set.. Option A is correct because in Cisco MDS Fibre Channel SANs, zone configurations are created in the defined configuration and then activated as a new zone set. This approach ensures that the current active zone set remains operational and unaffected during the configuration process, preventing any disruption to existing traffic. Only when the new zone set is explicitly activated does it replace the active set, allowing for a controlled cutover.

Answer

Delete the active zone set and create a new one.

Answer

Edit the active zone set directly.

Answer

Use the 'commit' command to update the zone set.

Question 3

A data center deployment uses NPV mode on a Cisco MDS switch to connect to a core Fibre Channel switch. After configuration, the NPV switch does not register with the core. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

NPIV is not enabled on the core switch.. NPV (N_Port Virtualization) mode requires NPIV (N_Port ID Virtualization) to be enabled on the core Fibre Channel switch. NPIV allows a single physical N_Port to register multiple FCIDs (Fibre Channel IDs) for multiple virtual initiators behind the NPV switch. Without NPIV on the core, the NPV switch cannot complete the FLOGI (Fabric Login) process and will not register with the fabric.

Answer

Fibre Channel ports are in trunk mode.

Answer

The core switch has NPV mode enabled.

Answer

The NPV switch has an incorrect domain ID.

Question 4

An engineer is tuning performance for a storage network. Which two practices improve FC SAN performance?

Accepted Answer

Using single-initiator zoning.. Single-initiator zoning (Option B) reduces inter-switch link (ISL) traffic and prevents fabric-wide disruptions by ensuring that only one initiator can communicate with a specific set of target ports. This minimizes the number of Registered State Change Notifications (RSCNs) and simplifies troubleshooting, directly improving FC SAN performance by reducing control-plane overhead.

Answer

Disabling flow control.

Answer

Enabling broadcast zoning.

Answer

Setting fabric login timeout to the maximum.

Question 5

Which FCoE component is responsible for encapsulating Fibre Channel frames into Ethernet frames?

Accepted Answer

FCoE module on the switch or adapter. The FCoE module on the switch or adapter is the component that performs the encapsulation of native Fibre Channel frames into Ethernet frames. This module handles the conversion by adding an Ethernet header, including the EtherType 0x8906 for FCoE, and managing the mapping of Fibre Channel constructs (e.g., VSANs) to VLANs. Without this module, Fibre Channel traffic cannot traverse an Ethernet network.

Answer

FCoE Forwarder (FCF)

Answer

Virtual Fibre Channel interface (VFC)

Answer

VN interface

Question 6

A SAN administrator notices intermittent connectivity issues between an initiator and target. The Fibre Channel link shows CRC errors. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Faulty SFP or fiber optic cable.. CRC errors on a Fibre Channel link indicate physical-layer issues such as signal degradation, dirty connectors, or faulty hardware. The most common cause is a faulty SFP module or damaged fiber optic cable, which introduces bit errors that the CRC check detects. This is the first component to verify when troubleshooting intermittent connectivity with CRC errors.

Answer

Incorrect domain ID.

Answer

Buffer credit starvation.

Answer

Incorrect zone configuration.

Question 7

In a Cisco UCS environment, which component provides the Fibre Channel connectivity to the SAN switches when using FCoE?

Accepted Answer

UCS Fabric Interconnect. In a Cisco UCS environment, the Fabric Interconnect (FI) is the component that provides Fibre Channel connectivity to SAN switches when using FCoE. The FI integrates both Ethernet and Fibre Channel traffic, performing FCoE encapsulation and forwarding the Fibre Channel frames to the SAN via its native Fibre Channel uplink ports. This allows the UCS domain to connect directly to Fibre Channel SAN fabrics without requiring external FCoE-capable switches.

Answer

IOM (I/O Module)

Answer

Cisco VIC adapter

Answer

UCS Manager

Question 8

Which of the following is a required characteristic of an FCoE SAN?

Accepted Answer

Lossless Ethernet (PFC) must be enabled.. FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) requires a lossless Ethernet fabric to prevent frame drops, which would corrupt Fibre Channel frames. Priority Flow Control (PFC), defined in IEEE 802.1Qbb, enables lossless operation by pausing traffic on individual CoS queues, ensuring no-drop behavior for FCoE traffic. Without PFC, standard Ethernet's best-effort delivery would cause frame loss, breaking FCoE's reliability requirements.

Answer

Jumbo frames must be enabled.

Answer

Spanning Tree Protocol must be disabled.

Answer

Link aggregation (LACP) is required.

Question 9

An engineer is designing a SAN for a virtualized environment. Which two best practices should be followed for Fibre Channel zoning?

Accepted Answer

Use single-initiator zoning.. Single-initiator zoning (also known as one-to-one zoning) is a best practice because it restricts each Fibre Channel zone to exactly one initiator (host HBA) and one or more target ports. This eliminates the risk of RSCN storms propagating across multiple initiators, reduces fabric instability, and simplifies troubleshooting by ensuring clear, predictable paths between each host and its storage.

Answer

Use multiple initiators in a single zone.

Answer

Use soft zoning exclusively.

Answer

Disable zoning for performance.

Question 10

A Fibre Channel switch is experiencing high latency on a specific ISL. The link is operating at 16 Gbps and has high utilization. Which action will most likely reduce latency?

Accepted Answer

Add an additional ISL and configure a port channel.. Adding an additional ISL and configuring a port channel increases the aggregate bandwidth between the two switches, reducing per-link utilization and thus lowering queuing latency. This directly addresses the root cause—high utilization on a single 16 Gbps link—by distributing traffic across multiple physical links, which also provides load balancing and redundancy.

Answer

Reduce the buffer credit count.

Answer

Enable trunking on the ISL.

Answer

Disable flow control on the ISL.