350-601 Compute Practice Question
A large enterprise runs a Cisco HyperFlex cluster with three nodes, managed through Intersight. After a planned maintenance window, the administrator notices that one of the nodes is in a 'Degraded' state and the cluster is running in 'Read-Only' mode. The administrator checks the Intersight dashboard and sees that the node's disk status shows 'Missing' for one of the SSDs. The administrator also notices that the node's IP address is reachable and the ESXi host is still operational. The administrator reviews the cluster health and sees no other alerts. What is the most likely root cause and the recommended action to restore full cluster health?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume a 'Degraded' state with reachable ESXi implies a network or CVM issue, but the specific 'Missing' disk status points directly to a hardware fault, not a software or connectivity problem.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The SSD failed due to a hardware fault; the administrator should replace the SSD and then use Intersight to rebuild the node's disk group.
A is correct because a missing SSD in a HyperFlex node triggers a 'Degraded' state and forces the cluster into 'Read-Only' mode to prevent data corruption. Since the node's IP is reachable and ESXi is operational, the issue is a hardware fault, not a network or CVM problem. Replacing the SSD and using Intersight to rebuild the disk group restores the node's storage capacity and cluster health.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The SSD failed due to a hardware fault; the administrator should replace the SSD and then use Intersight to rebuild the node's disk group.
Why this is correct
A failed SSD is a common cause of a missing disk. Replacing the SSD and rebuilding the disk group restores redundancy and cluster health.
- ✗
The node lost connectivity to the cluster's internal network; the administrator should check the network switches and restore the VLAN configuration.
Why it's wrong here
Network loss would cause the node to become unreachable, but the node IP is reachable and the ESXi host is operational, so this is unlikely.
- ✗
The node's controller VM (stCVM) is not running; the administrator should reboot the node and wait for the CVM to start.
Why it's wrong here
A stopped CVM would not cause a disk to appear as 'Missing'; it would result in 'CVM offline' alerts and node unavailability.
- ✗
The cluster has split-brain due to a partition; the administrator should force a cluster consensus by shutting down the other nodes.
Why it's wrong here
Split-brain would affect multiple nodes and cause a different error; a single missing disk does not indicate a network partition.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.