1Y0-312 Performance and Scalability Optimization Practice Question
To optimize disk space and performance, which type of storage should an administrator use for non-persistent machine catalogs?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often suggest traditional SAN storage, ignoring that local SSDs are specifically recommended for the temporary write cache in non-persistent environments to maximize performance and minimize latency.
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
✓
Local solid-state drives (SSD).
Using a temporary data storage like Citrix Provisioning (PVS) cache or MCS temporary disks with high-speed local SSDs is ideal for non-persistent environments. Because non-persistent VMs discard changes at reboot, I/O for these writes must be handled efficiently. SSDs provide the necessary performance to avoid I/O blocking, ensuring that the VDA environment remains responsive and scalable even under heavy write loads generated by multiple concurrent users.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Standard hard disk drives (HDD).
Why it's wrong here
Standard HDDs have high seek times and low IOPS, which creates an immediate bottleneck in multi-user environments. They cannot handle the concurrent read/write requests from multiple virtual machines, leading to high disk queue lengths and sluggish performance that negatively impacts the user experience and the overall scalability of the deployment.
- ✗
Network Attached Storage (NAS) with RAID 5.
Why it's wrong here
RAID 5 has significant write overhead due to parity calculation. While it provides redundancy, it is not optimized for the high-concurrency write requirements of non-persistent VDI. Using it for VDI storage will lead to poor write performance and potential bottlenecks, reducing the overall user density that the storage system can support.
- ✓
Local solid-state drives (SSD).
Why this is correct
Local SSDs provide the low latency and high IOPS required for virtual machine disk caching and temporary file writes. This eliminates the storage bottleneck, allowing the VDAs to operate at full speed and ensuring that the VDI infrastructure can support higher user densities without compromising the quality of the session.
- ✗
Remote cloud-based object storage.
Why it's wrong here
Object storage is designed for latency-tolerant data, such as archives or backups. It lacks the performance characteristics needed for active virtual disk I/O. Using object storage for VDA operation would result in extreme latency and erratic behavior, making it completely unsuitable for running virtual desktops or applications effectively.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Citrix exam blueprint
This 1Y0-312 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Citrix 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 1Y0-312 exam.