Quick Answer
The answer is ensuring adequate buffer credits and implementing single-initiator zoning. Adequate buffer credits prevent frame loss over long-distance links by ensuring the sender does not outpace the receiver’s buffer capacity, directly addressing FC SAN performance improvement techniques by maintaining consistent throughput. Single-initiator zoning reduces inter-switch link traffic and minimizes Registered State Change Notifications, cutting control-plane overhead and preventing fabric-wide disruptions. On the Cisco DCCOR / CCNP Data Center Core 350-601 exam, this question tests your understanding of how zoning and buffer management directly impact storage performance—a common trap is confusing zoning with security-only benefits, when its primary performance gain is reducing RSCN storms. Remember the memory tip: “Buffer credits for distance, single initiator for silence”—buffer credits keep data flowing over long cables, while single-initiator zoning keeps the fabric quiet by limiting control chatter.
This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of storage network. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
An engineer is tuning performance for a storage network. Which two practices improve FC SAN performance?
Disabling flow control.
Why wrong: Flow control is essential.
Using single-initiator zoning.
Reduces inter-initiator traffic.
Ensuring adequate buffer credits.
Prevents frame loss.
Enabling broadcast zoning.
Why wrong: Broadcast increases overhead.
Setting fabric login timeout to the maximum.
Why wrong: Does not improve performance.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Using single-initiator zoning.
Single-initiator zoning (Option B) reduces inter-switch link (ISL) traffic and prevents fabric-wide disruptions by ensuring that only one initiator can communicate with a specific set of target ports. This minimizes the number of Registered State Change Notifications (RSCNs) and simplifies troubleshooting, directly improving FC SAN performance by reducing control-plane overhead.
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.
Disabling flow control.
Why it's wrong here
Flow control is essential.
Using single-initiator zoning.
Why this is correct
Reduces inter-initiator traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Ensuring adequate buffer credits.
Why this is correct
Prevents frame loss.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Enabling broadcast zoning.
Why it's wrong here
Broadcast increases overhead.
Setting fabric login timeout to the maximum.
Why it's wrong here
Does not improve performance.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that disabling flow control improves performance by reducing overhead, but in FC SANs, flow control (BB_Credit) is mandatory for lossless operation, and disabling it causes frame drops and retransmissions.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, single-initiator zoning leverages the FC switch's hardware access control lists (ACLs) to enforce communication boundaries, reducing the number of zone members and thus the size of the zone set. In large fabrics, this minimizes the processing required for fabric reconfiguration events (e.g., when a device logs in or out), as fewer RSCNs are generated. A real-world scenario: in a VMware vSAN environment, using single-initiator zoning prevents a misbehaving host from flooding the entire fabric with RSCNs, ensuring consistent I/O latency for other hosts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
What to study next
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FAQ
Storage Network — This question tests Storage Network — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Using single-initiator zoning. — Single-initiator zoning (Option B) reduces inter-switch link (ISL) traffic and prevents fabric-wide disruptions by ensuring that only one initiator can communicate with a specific set of target ports. This minimizes the number of Registered State Change Notifications (RSCNs) and simplifies troubleshooting, directly improving FC SAN performance by reducing control-plane overhead.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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