VCP-DCV Configure and Manage vSphere Storage Practice Question
A company is deploying a high-performance database workload on vSphere. The storage array supports NVMe over RDMA (NVMe-oF) and iSCSI. The workload requires extremely low latency and high IOPS. The network is dedicated 25 Gbps Ethernet with RoCE v2 support. Which storage protocol should be recommended, and why?
⚠ Common exam trap
VCP-DCV often tests the assumption that Fibre Channel is always the fastest option; candidates must recognize that NVMe over RDMA can surpass FC in latency and CPU efficiency when the fabric supports it.
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
✓
NVMe over RDMA, because it provides direct memory access and lower CPU overhead
NVMe over RDMA (NVMe-oF with RoCE v2) provides direct memory access between the host and storage target, bypassing much of the TCP/IP stack and dramatically reducing CPU overhead and latency. For a high-IOPS, low-latency database workload on a dedicated 25 Gbps RoCE-capable network, this is the optimal choice. It leverages the existing RDMA fabric to deliver near-local NVMe performance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
NFS, because it supports advanced features like Storage DRS
Why it's wrong here
NFS is a file protocol; the database requires block-level NVMe-oF latency, and Storage DRS is a vSphere datastore-cluster feature unrelated to protocol selection. NFS would be correct for general-purpose file shares needing automated datastore balancing.
- ✓
NVMe over RDMA, because it provides direct memory access and lower CPU overhead
Why this is correct
NVMe over RDMA performs direct memory access between host and array, bypassing much of the TCP/IP stack. On the dedicated 25 Gbps RoCE v2 fabric this cuts CPU overhead and latency, meeting the workload's extremely low latency and high IOPS requirement.
- ✗
Fibre Channel, because it is the fastest protocol available
Why it's wrong here
Fibre Channel is not inherently faster; the array offers NVMe-oF and iSCSI, and the dedicated 25 Gbps RoCE v2 fabric already provides RDMA transport. FC would be correct only if the existing SAN used FC HBAs and no Ethernet RDMA fabric were available.
- ✗
iSCSI, because it is simpler to configure and does not require RDMA support
Why it's wrong here
iSCSI lacks RDMA offload, so its SCSI command path adds latency the NVMe-oF RoCE v2 fabric avoids. iSCSI would be correct where the array offers only block SCSI targets and no RDMA-capable NICs or switches exist.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This VCP-DCV question is part of Courseiva's 281-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 VMware exam blueprint
This VCP-DCV practice question is part of Courseiva's free VMware 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 VCP-DCV exam.