350-601 Storage Network Practice Question
An engineer is troubleshooting a SAN performance issue. The show interface counters command shows high output discard counts on a particular Fibre Channel interface. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between output discards (flow-control/buffer credit issue) and input errors (physical-layer issues like CRC), leading candidates to mistakenly attribute output discards to CRC errors or bandwidth limitations.
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
✓
Insufficient buffer credits on the transmitting port.
High output discard counts on a Fibre Channel interface indicate that the transmitting port is attempting to send frames faster than the receiving port can accept them. This is most commonly caused by insufficient buffer credits on the transmitting port, which limits the number of frames that can be in flight before an acknowledgment is required. When buffer credits are exhausted, frames are discarded at the transmit side, leading to output discards.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
High CRC errors on the link.
Why it's wrong here
CRC errors are input errors, not output discards.
- ✓
Insufficient buffer credits on the transmitting port.
Why this is correct
Output discards happen when the port runs out of buffer credits.
- ✗
Insufficient bandwidth due to latency.
Why it's wrong here
Latency can cause buffer credit starvation, but the direct cause is lack of credits.
- ✗
Mismatched zone configurations.
Why it's wrong here
Zoning mismatch prevents communication, but does not cause output discards.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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