350-601 Storage Network — Timed 25 Questions

Question 1

A storage network engineer is designing a Fibre Channel SAN with two Cisco MDS switches in a single VSAN. The design requires that if one switch fails, the storage traffic continues to flow without manual intervention. Which two technologies should be implemented?

25 minute time limit — choose an answer to begin.

Accepted Answer

Fibre Channel multipathing. Fibre Channel multipathing (E) is correct because it allows initiators and targets to use multiple physical paths across different switches, automatically failing over if one switch fails. Port channels (B) only aggregate links for redundancy against link failures, not switch failures, and therefore do not meet the requirement. Options A, C, and D are incorrect: NPV is for N_Port virtualization, VSAN trunking virtualizes VSANs, and IVR interconnects VSANs; none provide automatic failover upon switch failure.

Answer

NPV

Answer

Port channels

Answer

VSAN trunking

Answer

IVR

Question 2

An engineer needs to create a VSAN on a Cisco MDS switch with VSAN ID 50. Which command correctly creates the VSAN?

Accepted Answer

switch(config-vsan)# vsan 50. On Cisco MDS switches, to create a VSAN with ID 50, you must first enter VSAN database sub-mode using the 'vsan database' command from global configuration mode, then issue the 'vsan 50' command. This two-step process is required; the global configuration command 'vsan 50' (option B) is not valid. Option D only enters the VSAN database mode but does not create the VSAN. Option C incorrectly uses the 'interface vsan' command, which is used for IP storage services, not VSAN creation.

Answer

switch(config)# vsan 50

Answer

switch(config)# interface vsan 50

Answer

switch(config)# vsan database

Question 3

An engineer is configuring disk redundancy for a storage array that requires high write performance and can tolerate up to two disk failures. Which RAID level should be used?

Accepted Answer

RAID 10. RAID 10 combines mirroring and striping, offering high write performance because writes are performed on both mirrors simultaneously without parity calculations. It can tolerate up to two disk failures as long as each failed disk is in a different mirror set, meeting the requirement for high write performance and two-disk fault tolerance.

Answer

RAID 6

Answer

RAID 0

Answer

RAID 5

Question 4

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 5

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.. 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 6

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 7

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 8

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 9

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 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

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.

Question 14

What is the purpose of NPIV (N_Port ID Virtualization) in a Fibre Channel SAN?

Accepted Answer

Allow a single physical port to register multiple N_port IDs.. NPIV allows a single physical Fibre Channel N_Port to register multiple unique N_Port IDs (FCIDs) with the fabric. This is essential for virtualizing Fibre Channel connectivity, enabling multiple virtual machines or logical partitions to share one physical HBA port while each appearing as a distinct initiator to the SAN.

Answer

Provide encryption on Fibre Channel links.

Answer

Enable multiple paths between initiator and target.

Answer

Allow a switch to act as an NPV device.

Question 15

An engineer is configuring a storage network with FCoE and must ensure that the FCoE traffic does not interfere with standard LAN traffic. Which two mechanisms should be implemented?

Accepted Answer

Enable PFC on the FCoE VLAN.. FCoE requires lossless transport to prevent frame drops that would corrupt Fibre Channel frames. Priority Flow Control (PFC), defined by IEEE 802.1Qbb, enables pause frames on a per-priority basis, allowing the FCoE VLAN to be configured as lossless while standard LAN traffic remains best-effort. This ensures FCoE traffic does not interfere with LAN traffic by isolating the flow control behavior.

Answer

Use the same VLAN for FCoE and LAN.

Answer

Disable flow control on FCoE VLAN.

Answer

Use jumbo frames for LAN traffic only.

Question 16

Which of the following is a benefit of using Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) in a data center?

Accepted Answer

It reduces cabling complexity by using a unified fabric.. FCoE encapsulates Fibre Channel frames over Ethernet networks, allowing storage and data traffic to share the same physical infrastructure. This consolidation reduces cabling complexity and the number of required switches, adapters, and power/cooling overhead, which is the core benefit of a unified fabric.

Answer

It increases the maximum distance of Fibre Channel links.

Answer

It provides native Fibre Channel security.

Answer

It eliminates the need for zoning.

Question 17

An administrator needs to configure a Fibre Channel SAN to support two separate departments that must not see each other's storage. Each department has its own set of initiators and targets. Which technology should be used?

Accepted Answer

VSANs (Virtual SANs). VSANs (Virtual SANs) provide isolation within a single Fibre Channel fabric by partitioning the physical SAN into multiple logical SANs. Each department's initiators and targets are placed in separate VSANs, ensuring they cannot see each other's storage traffic or devices, which meets the requirement for complete separation without additional physical hardware.

Answer

Port channels

Answer

NPV

Answer

IVR (Inter-VSAN Routing)

Question 18

In a Cisco MDS switch, what is the effect of the command 'fcdomain restart vsan 100'?

Accepted Answer

It causes a fabric reconfiguration, which may disrupt traffic.. The 'fcdomain restart vsan 100' command triggers a fabric reconfiguration (RCF) on VSAN 100. This process resets the principal switch selection and domain ID distribution, causing all switches in the VSAN to renegotiate their roles and domain IDs, which disrupts existing Fibre Channel traffic during the reconfiguration.

Answer

It enables NPV mode on VSAN 100.

Answer

It clears the zone configuration for VSAN 100.

Answer

It reboots the switch.

Question 19

A medium-sized enterprise has a Cisco UCS environment with two Fabric Interconnects (FIs) in a cluster. There are 10 blade servers, each with a VIC 1340 adapter. The SAN consists of two MDS 9148S switches in a VSAN for storage. Each server is configured with two vHBAs (primary and secondary) connecting to the SAN via the FIs. Recently, after a firmware upgrade on the MDS switches, several servers are unable to boot from SAN. The storage administrator confirms that the storage array LUNs are accessible from the MDS switches. The UCS administrator reports that the vHBAs show a 'link down' status on the FI. Which action should be taken to resolve the issue?

Accepted Answer

Verify the active zone set on the MDS switches and re-activate it if necessary.. The 'link down' status on the vHBAs indicates that the Fibre Channel fabric is not properly delivering the FLOGI (Fabric Login) response to the initiators. Since the storage LUNs are accessible from the MDS switches, the issue is likely that the active zone set was deactivated or not saved after the firmware upgrade, preventing the vHBAs from logging into the fabric. Re-activating the zone set on the MDS switches will re-establish the FC zones and allow the vHBAs to complete FLOGI and resume boot from SAN.

Answer

Reconfigure the vHBAs on the UCS Manager with new WWPNs.

Answer

Check the storage array LUN masking and re-apply LUN access.

Answer

Downgrade the MDS firmware to the previous version.

Question 20

A large financial institution operates a dual-fabric Fibre Channel SAN with two separate MDS 9710 directors. Each fabric has multiple storage arrays and hundreds of hosts. The SAN is configured with VSANs to isolate different environments (production, development, backup). Recently, the backup VSAN has been experiencing slow performance during backup windows. Analysis shows that the ISLs between the directors in the backup VSAN are heavily utilized (near 100%) while other ISLs have spare capacity. The backup traffic consists of large sequential reads and writes. The SAN administrator has confirmed that there are no CRC errors or link issues. The backup VSAN uses a single 16 Gbps ISL. Which of the following is the best solution to improve backup performance?

Accepted Answer

Add an additional 16 Gbps ISL and configure a port channel for the backup VSAN.. Adding an additional 16 Gbps ISL and configuring a port channel for the backup VSAN increases the available bandwidth for backup traffic, which consists of large sequential reads and writes that can fully utilize the link. Port channels provide load balancing across member links based on source/destination IDs, effectively distributing the backup traffic and reducing congestion on the single ISL. This directly addresses the near-100% utilization without introducing complexity or relying on other fabrics.

Answer

Reduce the buffer credit count on the backup VSAN ISLs to reduce latency.

Answer

Enable QoS to prioritize backup traffic over other traffic.

Answer

Implement IVR to route backup traffic through the other fabric.