350-601 Storage Network Practice Question
A storage administrator has been tasked with integrating a new Cisco MDS 9706 switch into an existing Fibre Channel SAN. The existing SAN consists of two Cisco MDS 9148S switches configured in a VSAN 100 with a single zone set that contains all initiator and target WWPNs. The administrator connects the new switch to one of the existing switches using an ISL and configures the new switch with VSAN 100 and the same zone configuration. The administrator activates the zone set on the new switch and verifies that the ISL is up and both switches see each other's Fibre Channel IDs. However, servers attached to the existing switches still cannot discover the storage targets that are connected to the new switch. The administrator has confirmed that the ISL is operational and that the zone set on the new switch is activated with the correct WWPNs. What should the administrator check next?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates may assume that zone activation is sufficient without verifying interface states on the new switch.
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
✓
Verify that the new switch's target-facing interfaces are not in shutdown state.
After confirming the ISL is operational and the zone set is activated with correct WWPNs, the next logical step is to verify that the target-facing interfaces on the new switch are not administratively down. If these interfaces are in shutdown state, the storage targets connected to them will not be accessible from servers on the existing switches. Option A is already confirmed in the scenario. Option B is not necessary because trunk protocol is not required for a single VSAN environment, and the ISL is already up. Option C is unlikely because a domain ID conflict would prevent the ISL from coming up, but the ISL is operational and both switches see each other's FC IDs. Therefore, option D is the correct next step.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Confirm that the zone set on the new switch is activated and contains correct WWPNs.
Why it's wrong here
Already confirmed, so this is not the issue.
- ✗
Ensure that the trunk protocol is enabled on the ISL and that allowed VSANs include VSAN 100.
Why it's wrong here
ISL works without trunk if both sides are in the same VSAN; not required.
- ✗
Check that the new switch's domain ID is unique and not conflicting.
Why it's wrong here
Domain IDs are already resolved since the ISL is up and FC IDs are seen.
- ✓
Verify that the new switch's target-facing interfaces are not in shutdown state.
Why this is correct
Interfaces must be administratively enabled to allow login.
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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.