1Y0-312 Advanced Provisioning and Image Management Practice Question
Which storage location is recommended for the write cache when using MCS to provide the best performance for virtual desktops?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often suggest shared high-speed SAN storage. While reliable, it creates a bottleneck for write-intensive VDI workloads, whereas local SSD storage provides lower latency and significantly better performance scaling.
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 hypervisor storage (e.g., SSD).
The write cache holds transient session data. Placing it on high-performance local storage (like SSDs) rather than shared storage (SAN) offloads I/O from the network and the primary storage array. This is a critical performance optimization, as VDI environments are often I/O intensive, and reducing latency for write operations significantly improves the user experience and the overall density of the host servers.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A low-speed, high-capacity SATA network share.
Why it's wrong here
Using a low-speed SATA network share for the write cache will introduce significant latency during session activity. This can lead to sluggish application response and degraded user experience, as the disk I/O for temporary file writes becomes a bottleneck in the overall performance of the virtual desktop.
- ✗
The same shared storage as the base disk.
Why it's wrong here
Placing the write cache on the same shared storage as the base disk increases contention for the SAN. This causes I/O spikes during boot and application launch, negatively impacting both the responsiveness of the virtual desktop and the performance of other virtual machines hosted on the same storage.
- ✓
Local hypervisor storage (e.g., SSD).
Why this is correct
Local SSD storage is ideal for write caches because it provides low-latency, high-throughput I/O. By keeping transient data local, the administrator eliminates the network overhead associated with shared storage, leading to faster application performance and improved density for the virtual desktop environment on the hypervisor host.
- ✗
A secondary, remote storage site.
Why it's wrong here
Remote storage is unsuitable for write cache due to network latency, which is typically too high for the frequent read/write operations required by an operating system. This would lead to severe performance degradation and potential session crashes as the system waits for disk I/O to complete over the network.
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Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Citrix exam blueprint
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