The answer is to decrease the FSPF cost on the direct links, as this directly addresses the root cause of the latency by encouraging the fabric to route backup traffic over shorter, fewer-hop paths. In Fibre Channel fabrics, FSPF calculates the lowest-cost path to a destination, and by lowering the cost on the direct inter-switch links, the backup host’s traffic will prefer those links over longer, multi-hop routes, thereby reducing hop count and the associated latency. This scenario is a classic troubleshooting trap on the Cisco DCCOR 350-601 exam, testing your understanding that FSPF cost manipulation, not load balancing or IVR, is the precise tool for latency caused by uneven hop counts in a full-mesh topology. A common mistake is to assume increasing cost or adding PortChannels will help, but the key is that lower cost equals shorter path, directly reducing latency. Memory tip: “Low cost, low latency—high cost, high latency.”
350-601 Storage Network Practice Question
This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of storage network. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 organization has four Cisco MDS 9700 directors connected in a full-mesh topology. They use VSANs to separate production, backup, and management traffic. The backup VSAN is experiencing high latency and occasional timeouts. The engineer runs the 'show fcspf routes' command and notices that the path from the backup host to the backup target has an uneven hop count across different paths. The links are all 16 Gbps. The engineer also notes that the backup target is connected to a different director than the backup host. Which action is most likely to improve performance?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Decrease the FSPF cost on the direct links
Decreasing the FSPF cost on the direct links encourages traffic to take shorter paths, reducing hop count and latency. Increasing cost would push traffic away, making it worse. IVR is for inter-VSAN routing, not intra-VSAN. Load balancing via PortChannels increases bandwidth but does not directly reduce latency from long paths.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Configure IVR to route backup traffic over a dedicated path
Why it's wrong here
IVR is for routing between VSANs, not within the same VSAN.
✓
Decrease the FSPF cost on the direct links
Why this is correct
Lowering cost makes the direct path more preferred, reducing hop count and latency.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Increase the FSPF cost on the direct links
Why it's wrong here
Increasing cost would make the direct path less preferred, increasing hop count.
✗
Implement load balancing using multiple PortChannels
Why it's wrong here
PortChannels increase throughput but do not reduce the number of hops.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 350-601 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Storage Network — This question tests Storage Network — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Decrease the FSPF cost on the direct links — Decreasing the FSPF cost on the direct links encourages traffic to take shorter paths, reducing hop count and latency. Increasing cost would push traffic away, making it worse. IVR is for inter-VSAN routing, not intra-VSAN. Load balancing via PortChannels increases bandwidth but does not directly reduce latency from long paths.
What should I do if I get this 350-601 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 350-601 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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