PK0-005 Practice Question: Basics of IT Infrastructure and IT Project Management
A project to implement a new storage solution. The team is evaluating iSCSI vs Fibre Channel. Which factor is most important for choosing iSCSI over Fibre Channel?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume iSCSI is chosen for its performance or distance capabilities, but the exam emphasizes that cost reduction from using existing Ethernet infrastructure is the primary driver for selecting iSCSI over Fibre Channel.
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
✓
Lower cost
iSCSI is generally chosen over Fibre Channel primarily because it leverages existing Ethernet infrastructure, which significantly reduces hardware and operational costs. Fibre Channel requires specialized switches, host bus adapters (HBAs), and cabling, whereas iSCSI can run on standard network interface cards (NICs) and switches, making it a more cost-effective solution for many organizations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Longer distance support
Why it's wrong here
Both transports reach comparable distances: Fibre Channel over long-wave optics spans kilometres, and iSCSI is bounded by IP routing, not inherently longer. iSCSI is chosen to reuse standard Ethernet cabling and switches, not because it extends reach beyond a Fibre Channel fabric.
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Higher performance
Why it's wrong here
Fibre Channel delivers dedicated lossless throughput at line rate, so iSCSI does not offer higher performance. iSCSI is selected when the requirement is consolidating storage onto existing Ethernet switches and NICs, accepting TCP overhead, rather than maximising IOPS.
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Better security
Why it's wrong here
iSCSI carries SCSI over TCP/IP, so it inherits IPsec and CHAP, but Fibre Channel fabrics also enforce zoning and FC-SP authentication; security is not the deciding axis. iSCSI is chosen for cost-effective reuse of existing Ethernet infrastructure, not superior protection.
- ✓
Lower cost
Why this is correct
iSCSI transports SCSI commands over existing Ethernet infrastructure, so it reuses standard switches, cabling and NICs rather than requiring dedicated Fibre Channel HBAs and fabric switches. That reuse is the axis of difference, satisfying the stem's cost constraint when the organisation lacks a Fibre Channel fabric.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PK0-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 PK0-005 exam.