The answer is SAS hard drives installed in the storage enclosure, SAS cables, and an LSI-based SAS HBA in the server. These three components form the physical backbone of a Cisco UCS direct-attached storage environment using SAS expanders, where the SAS cables carry SCSI commands directly from the HBA to the drives in the enclosure, bypassing any network fabric. On the Cisco DCCOR / CCNP Data Center Core 350-601 exam, this question tests your understanding of the fundamental hardware dependencies for direct-attached storage, often appearing as a multi-select item where a common trap is including a Fibre Channel switch or a UCS Fabric Interconnect—neither of which is used here. Remember that direct-attached means no network layer, so the key is the physical chain: HBA, cables, and drives. A useful memory tip is “HBA-to-Drive, no fabric to contrive,” reinforcing that only these three elements are required for the SAS expander topology.
350-601 Compute Practice Question
This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of compute. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
Which THREE components are required to configure a Cisco UCS Direct-attached storage environment using SAS expanders?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
SAS cables connecting the storage enclosure to the server's storage controller.
Option A is correct because in a Cisco UCS Direct-attached storage environment using SAS expanders, SAS cables are required to physically connect the storage enclosure to the server's storage controller (typically an LSI-based SAS HBA). This direct cabling enables the SAS protocol to carry SCSI commands and data between the server and the drives without any intervening network fabric.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
SAS cables connecting the storage enclosure to the server's storage controller.
Why this is correct
Direct SAS cabling is required for connectivity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
SAS expanders within the enclosure to connect multiple drives.
Why this is correct
SAS expanders allow daisy-chaining of drives.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
SAS hard drives installed in the storage enclosure.
Why this is correct
SAS drives are the storage medium.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) uplinks from the storage enclosure to the Fabric Interconnect.
Why it's wrong here
SAS uses direct SAS connections, not FCoE.
✗
Fibre Channel switch for SAN connectivity.
Why it's wrong here
Direct-attached SAS does not require a SAN.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between Direct-attached storage (SAS) and Fabric-attached storage (FCoE/Fibre Channel), so the trap here is assuming that any storage enclosure requires Fabric Interconnect or SAN components, when in fact Direct-attached storage uses only SAS cabling and expanders.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a UCS Direct-attached storage deployment, the SAS expander within the enclosure acts as a fan-out device, allowing a single SAS HBA port to address multiple drives using SAS addressing (SAS addresses and WWNs). The SAS cables carry differential serial signals over a point-to-point link, and the expander uses the Serial SCSI Protocol (SSP) to manage drive discovery and command routing. A real-world scenario is a blade server with a mezzanine SAS HBA connected to a storage shelf like the UCS S3260, where the expander enables up to 60 drives per HBA port.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 350-601 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Compute — This question tests Compute — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: SAS cables connecting the storage enclosure to the server's storage controller. — Option A is correct because in a Cisco UCS Direct-attached storage environment using SAS expanders, SAS cables are required to physically connect the storage enclosure to the server's storage controller (typically an LSI-based SAS HBA). This direct cabling enables the SAS protocol to carry SCSI commands and data between the server and the drives without any intervening network fabric.
What should I do if I get this 350-601 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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