Quick Answer
The answer is RAID 10. This RAID level provides the best combination of performance and fault tolerance for a critical database workload on a Cisco UCS C-Series server with a hardware RAID controller because it stripes data across mirrored pairs, delivering high read/write throughput while allowing up to one disk failure per pair without data loss. On the Cisco DCCOR / CCNP Data Center Core 350-601 exam, this question tests your understanding of balancing I/O demands with availability in UCS environments—a common trap is choosing RAID 5 or 6 for their space efficiency, but their write penalties degrade database performance. Remember the memory tip: “Mirror first, then stripe” for RAID 10, ensuring both speed and safety.
This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of compute. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A data center engineer is configuring a Cisco UCS C-Series server with a hardware RAID controller. The server will host a critical database. The RAID controller supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10. Which RAID level should be chosen to provide the best combination of performance and fault tolerance?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
RAID 10
RAID 10 combines mirroring and striping, offering both performance and fault tolerance.
RAID 6
Why wrong: RAID 6 provides double parity but has higher write penalty than RAID 5.
RAID 5
Why wrong: RAID 5 provides single parity but has a write performance penalty due to parity calculation.
RAID 0
Why wrong: RAID 0 provides no fault tolerance; if one drive fails, all data is lost.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
RAID 10
RAID 10 (striping of mirrors) provides the best combination of performance and fault tolerance for a critical database workload. It offers high read/write performance through striping and full redundancy via mirroring, allowing up to one disk failure per mirrored pair without data loss. This is ideal for a Cisco UCS C-Series server with a hardware RAID controller where both I/O throughput and availability are paramount.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
RAID 10
Why this is correct
RAID 10 combines mirroring and striping, offering both performance and fault tolerance.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
RAID 6
Why it's wrong here
RAID 6 provides double parity but has higher write penalty than RAID 5.
RAID 5
Why it's wrong here
RAID 5 provides single parity but has a write performance penalty due to parity calculation.
RAID 0
Why it's wrong here
RAID 0 provides no fault tolerance; if one drive fails, all data is lost.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that RAID 5 or RAID 6 offer 'good enough' performance for databases, but the trap is that parity-based RAIDs introduce significant write penalties that degrade transactional throughput, making RAID 10 the correct choice for critical database workloads.
Detailed technical explanation
RAID 10 combines disk mirroring (RAID 1) and striping (RAID 0) at the block level, requiring a minimum of four disks. The hardware RAID controller on a Cisco UCS C-Series server handles the striping and mirroring in firmware, offloading CPU overhead. In a real-world scenario, a database with high transaction rates benefits from RAID 10's ability to perform parallel reads and writes across mirrored pairs while maintaining redundancy, unlike parity-based RAIDs that incur a write penalty (e.g., RAID 5 has a 4x I/O penalty per write).
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Compute — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Compute — This question tests Compute — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: RAID 10 — RAID 10 (striping of mirrors) provides the best combination of performance and fault tolerance for a critical database workload. It offers high read/write performance through striping and full redundancy via mirroring, allowing up to one disk failure per mirrored pair without data loss. This is ideal for a Cisco UCS C-Series server with a hardware RAID controller where both I/O throughput and availability are paramount.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This 350-601 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-601 exam.
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