VCP-DCV Configure and Manage vSphere Networking Practice Question
A vSphere administrator is configuring Network I/O Control (NIOC) on a vSphere Distributed Switch. The environment has multiple traffic types: vMotion, iSCSI, and virtual machine traffic. The administrator wants to ensure that during periods of congestion, vMotion traffic does not starve iSCSI traffic, but vMotion should be able to use more bandwidth than iSCSI when available. Which NIOC configuration should the administrator apply?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse shares with limits or reservations, thinking that a higher limit or reservation automatically provides priority during congestion, when shares are the mechanism for relative priority.
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
✓
Assign vMotion a higher shares value than iSCSI.
NIOC shares determine relative bandwidth allocation during congestion. Giving vMotion more shares than iSCSI ensures vMotion gets more bandwidth when needed, but iSCSI still receives its proportional share, preventing starvation. Limits and reservations do not provide the same relative prioritization. Therefore, adjusting shares is the correct approach.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Assign vMotion a higher limit than iSCSI.
Why it's wrong here
A limit sets a maximum bandwidth cap. Assigning a higher limit to vMotion would allow it to use more bandwidth up to that cap, but it does not guarantee priority during congestion. If iSCSI has a lower limit, it could still be starved if vMotion consumes its limit. Limits are absolute caps, not relative priorities, so this does not ensure fair sharing during contention.
- ✓
Assign vMotion a higher shares value than iSCSI.
Why this is correct
NIOC uses shares to allocate bandwidth during congestion. Shares define relative priority: a higher shares value gives vMotion more bandwidth than iSCSI when contention occurs. This meets the requirement that vMotion does not starve iSCSI (since iSCSI still gets its proportional share) and can use more bandwidth when available. Setting shares appropriately balances the two traffic types.
- ✗
Assign vMotion a higher reservation than iSCSI.
Why it's wrong here
A reservation guarantees a minimum bandwidth. Assigning a higher reservation to vMotion would guarantee it more bandwidth, but that does not prevent it from starving iSCSI if iSCSI's reservation is lower. Reservations are minimums, not relative priorities. During congestion, shares determine how excess bandwidth is distributed, so this alone does not meet the requirement.
- ✗
Assign iSCSI a higher shares value than vMotion.
Why it's wrong here
Assigning iSCSI higher shares would give iSCSI more bandwidth than vMotion during congestion, which contradicts the requirement that vMotion should use more bandwidth when available. While it would prevent iSCSI starvation, it would reverse the desired priority. Shares are relative, so the higher shares get more bandwidth; thus this is incorrect.
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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
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