Quick Answer
The correct action is to upgrade the network link to 10GbE or enable multiple NICs with teaming. This resolves the bottleneck because NFS storage traffic is entirely network-bound; when a 1GbE link saturates, packet loss and retransmissions directly translate into disk latency for the VM, regardless of the underlying storage speed. On the VCP-DCV exam, this scenario tests your ability to differentiate between storage protocol issues and network-layer constraints—a common trap is to blame the NFS datastore or adjust VM disk settings, but the root cause is insufficient bandwidth. Remember that NFS latency is often a network problem in disguise: if the host shows high network utilization and the VM reports disk latency, always check the pipe first. A useful memory tip is “NFS = Network First, Storage Second,” meaning you should scale the network before tuning the storage.
This VCP-DCV practice question tests your understanding of vsphere performance and scaling. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A vSphere administrator is troubleshooting a VM that is experiencing excessive disk latency. The VM is on a datastore accessed via NFS over a 1GbE network. The host shows high network utilization. Which action should be taken to improve performance?
Enable Storage I/O Control on the datastore.
Why wrong: SIOC does not increase network capacity.
Convert the datastore from NFS to VMFS.
Why wrong: VMFS is not applicable to NFS; it uses iSCSI or FC.
Increase the memory reservation for the VM.
Why wrong: Memory does not affect disk latency.
Upgrade the network link to 10GbE or enable multiple NICs with teaming.
Higher bandwidth reduces latency and congestion.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Upgrade the network link to 10GbE or enable multiple NICs with teaming.
The VM is experiencing excessive disk latency due to high network utilization on the 1GbE link. Since NFS storage traffic is entirely network-bound, upgrading to 10GbE or enabling multiple NICs with teaming increases the available bandwidth, reduces congestion, and directly addresses the root cause of the latency. This is the most effective action because the bottleneck is at the network layer, not the storage protocol or VM configuration.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Enable Storage I/O Control on the datastore.
Why it's wrong here
SIOC does not increase network capacity.
Convert the datastore from NFS to VMFS.
Why it's wrong here
VMFS is not applicable to NFS; it uses iSCSI or FC.
Increase the memory reservation for the VM.
Why it's wrong here
Memory does not affect disk latency.
Upgrade the network link to 10GbE or enable multiple NICs with teaming.
Why this is correct
Higher bandwidth reduces latency and congestion.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may assume Storage I/O Control (SIOC) can solve any storage latency issue, but SIOC only manages contention at the storage array level, not network bandwidth limitations, which is the actual bottleneck in this NFS scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
NFS traffic uses TCP/IP over Ethernet, and a 1GbE link has a theoretical maximum throughput of ~125 MB/s, which is easily saturated by multiple VMs or high I/O workloads. Upgrading to 10GbE provides a 10x increase in bandwidth, while NIC teaming (e.g., using LACP or active-passive) can aggregate multiple 1GbE links to increase throughput and provide redundancy. In vSphere, NFS datastores rely on the network stack for all I/O operations, so resolving network congestion is the only direct way to reduce latency caused by a saturated link.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the VCP-DCV exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
vSphere Performance and Scaling — This question tests vSphere Performance and Scaling — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Upgrade the network link to 10GbE or enable multiple NICs with teaming. — The VM is experiencing excessive disk latency due to high network utilization on the 1GbE link. Since NFS storage traffic is entirely network-bound, upgrading to 10GbE or enabling multiple NICs with teaming increases the available bandwidth, reduces congestion, and directly addresses the root cause of the latency. This is the most effective action because the bottleneck is at the network layer, not the storage protocol or VM configuration.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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