VCP-DCV Configure and Manage vSphere Storage Practice Question
A vSphere cluster has multiple storage arrays with different capabilities. The administrator wants to automatically place VMs on datastores that match their storage policy. What is required?
⚠ Common exam trap
VCP-DCV often tests the distinction between capability discovery (VASA), policy definition (VM storage policy), and automated placement (Storage DRS) — candidates frequently pick 'Storage DRS only' and forget that policy enforcement requires an assigned VM storage policy.
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
✓
VM storage policy and Storage DRS
Storage DRS automates initial placement and ongoing balancing of VMs across datastores in a datastore cluster, but it only honors storage requirements when a VM storage policy is assigned. The VM storage policy expresses capabilities such as RAID level, replication, or tier (e.g., gold/silver/bronze), and Storage DRS uses those policy requirements to select a compatible datastore. Therefore both a VM storage policy and Storage DRS are required to automatically place VMs on datastores matching their policy.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
VASA provider
Why it's wrong here
A VASA provider only exposes array capability and policy information to vCenter; it performs no placement decisions itself. It is tempting because it underpins policy-driven storage, but the automatic datastore selection described requires Storage DRS, which consumes that capability data to place VMs.
- ✗
Storage DRS only
Why it's wrong here
Storage DRS balances space and I/O across datastores but cannot read array capability data, so it cannot match VMs to storage policies. It is tempting because it automates placement, yet without a VASA provider it is unaware of policy requirements, making both components necessary together.
- ✗
Storage I/O Control
Why it's wrong here
Storage I/O Control throttles per-VM datastore I/O during congestion by applying shares and latency thresholds; it makes no placement decisions. It is tempting because it also acts on datastores, but matching VMs to policy-compliant datastores requires Storage DRS, not I/O prioritisation.
- ✓
VM storage policy and Storage DRS
Why this is correct
Storage DRS automates initial placement and ongoing balancing of VM files across datastores in a datastore cluster, while VM storage policies define the per-VM requirements. Together they let vSphere match each VM to a datastore satisfying its policy, which is precisely the automatic placement behaviour the administrator requires.
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
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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.