The answer is available bandwidth and potential congestion, along with jitter and packet loss, as the three critical factors for FCIP WAN extension. FCIP encapsulates Fibre Channel frames into IP packets for transport over a WAN, but unlike dedicated Fibre Channel links, IP networks introduce variable delay and loss that directly trigger Fibre Channel timeouts and retransmissions, degrading storage performance. On the Cisco DCCOR 350-601 exam, this concept tests your understanding that FCIP design must explicitly account for WAN characteristics—jitter and loss are not inherent to Fibre Channel and are common traps where candidates mistakenly focus only on bandwidth. A key memory tip is to remember the acronym “JLB” for Jitter, Loss, and Bandwidth, as these three form the core of any FCIP WAN extension assessment.
350-601 Storage Network Practice Question
This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of storage network. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 factors must be considered when implementing FCIP for SAN extension over a WAN? (Choose three.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Jitter and packet loss characteristics.
FCIP (Fibre Channel over IP) tunnels encapsulate Fibre Channel frames over IP networks. Jitter and packet loss directly cause Fibre Channel timeouts and retransmissions, severely impacting storage performance. Unlike Fibre Channel over dedicated links, WAN characteristics like jitter and loss must be explicitly accounted for in FCIP design.
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.
✗
VSAN configuration on the remote MDS switch.
Why it's wrong here
VSANs are local fabric constructs, not WAN-specific.
✓
Jitter and packet loss characteristics.
Why this is correct
Jitter and loss impact TCP performance and retransmissions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Buffer-to-buffer credit count on the FCIP tunnel.
Why it's wrong here
Buffer credits are not used in FCIP; they are for FC links.
✓
Round-trip time (RTT) latency of the WAN link.
Why this is correct
Latency affects TCP window sizing and performance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between Fibre Channel fabric parameters (like VSANs and B2B credits) and WAN-specific factors (jitter, loss, RTT, bandwidth) that directly impact FCIP tunnel performance, leading candidates to select local SAN parameters instead of WAN characteristics.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
FCIP relies on TCP for transport, so WAN impairments like jitter cause TCP retransmissions and window reduction, while packet loss triggers Fibre Channel E_D_TOV timeouts. The FCIP tunnel's TCP window and the Fibre Channel's B2B credit count must be tuned based on RTT and bandwidth-delay product (BDP) to avoid underutilization. In real-world scenarios, a high-latency link with 50ms RTT requires significantly more TCP buffers and FCIP credits than a low-latency link to maintain line-rate throughput.
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.
Storage Network — This question tests Storage Network — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Jitter and packet loss characteristics. — FCIP (Fibre Channel over IP) tunnels encapsulate Fibre Channel frames over IP networks. Jitter and packet loss directly cause Fibre Channel timeouts and retransmissions, severely impacting storage performance. Unlike Fibre Channel over dedicated links, WAN characteristics like jitter and loss must be explicitly accounted for in FCIP design.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An engineer is designing a SAN extension over a WAN link using FCIP. The link has high latency (50 ms RTT). Which configuration is most critical to maintain performance?
medium
✓ A.Configure a large TCP window size.
B.Enable compression on the FCIP tunnel.
C.Increase the buffer-to-buffer credits.
D.Reduce the TCP MSS to 512 bytes.
Why A: FCIP encapsulates Fibre Channel frames over TCP/IP. High latency (50 ms RTT) means the TCP sender must wait longer for acknowledgments, which can stall the connection if the TCP window is too small. A large TCP window size (e.g., using window scaling per RFC 1323) allows more data to be in flight before requiring an ACK, thereby maintaining throughput and preventing performance collapse on high-latency WAN links.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
Question Discussion
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