VCP-DCV Configure and Manage vSphere Storage Practice Question
An administrator is configuring a vSAN cluster with a storage policy that uses RAID-5 erasure coding. The cluster has 6 hosts, each contributing capacity. The administrator sets the policy to 'Number of failures to tolerate' = 1. What is the minimum number of hosts required for this policy to be compliant?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse RAID-5 with RAID-1, where RAID-1 with FTT=1 requires only 3 hosts, but RAID-5 requires 4.
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
✓
4 hosts
For a vSAN storage policy using RAID-5 erasure coding with 'Number of failures to tolerate' set to 1, the minimum number of hosts required is 4. RAID-5 distributes data and parity across at least 4 fault domains (hosts), allowing the cluster to tolerate one host failure. With fewer than 4 hosts, the policy cannot be satisfied, and VMs would be non-compliant.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
6 hosts
Why it's wrong here
Six hosts are not required for RAID-5 with FTT=1; the minimum is 4. A 6-host cluster would certainly be compliant, but it is overprovisioned for this policy. The administrator might choose 6 for other reasons, but the question specifically asks for the minimum number of hosts needed. Therefore, 6 is incorrect.
- ✓
4 hosts
Why this is correct
RAID-5 erasure coding with FTT=1 requires a minimum of 4 hosts. This configuration stripes data and parity across 4 hosts, allowing the cluster to tolerate one host failure while maintaining data availability. With 4 hosts, the policy can be satisfied. Using more hosts increases resilience and performance, but 4 is the minimum for this specific policy.
- ✗
5 hosts
Why it's wrong here
Five hosts exceed the minimum requirement for RAID-5 with FTT=1. While 5 hosts would provide additional capacity and potentially better performance, the policy can be compliant with 4 hosts. The question asks for the minimum, so 5 is not the correct answer. RAID-5 requires 4 hosts, not 5, to satisfy FTT=1.
- ✗
3 hosts
Why it's wrong here
Three hosts are insufficient for RAID-5 erasure coding with FTT=1. RAID-5 requires at least 4 hosts to provide the necessary redundancy and striping. With only 3 hosts, the cluster cannot satisfy the policy, and VMs would be non-compliant. The minimum for RAID-5 is 4 hosts, as it needs to distribute data and parity across at least 4 fault domains.
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.