VCP-DCV Configure and Manage vSphere Storage Practice Question
An administrator is configuring multipathing for a Fibre Channel storage array. The administrator wants to maximize throughput by using all available paths. Which path selection policy should be chosen?
⚠ Common exam trap
VCP-DCV often tests the misconception that MRU or Fixed can load balance, but only Round Robin actively distributes I/O across all paths for throughput.
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
✓
Round Robin (VMW_PSP_RR)
Round Robin (VMW_PSP_RR) is the only path selection policy that actively distributes I/O across all available paths to a given device in a round-robin fashion, thereby maximizing throughput by utilizing all paths simultaneously. It is the default PSP for most block storage arrays in ESXi and is recommended for active-active arrays. By cycling through each path, it avoids saturating a single path and can significantly improve performance. This aligns with the administrator's goal of using all available paths to maximize throughput.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Fixed (VMW_PSP_FIXED)
Why it's wrong here
Fixed pins all I/O to a single preferred path, leaving remaining paths idle until failover, so it cannot maximise throughput. It suits arrays where one controller owns the LUN and active/passive failover is required, not the active/active load-spreading this scenario demands.
- ✗
Most Recently Used (VMW_PSP_MRU)
Why it's wrong here
Most Recently Used sends I/O down the last used path, switching only on failure, so it does not distribute load across all paths. It suits active/passive arrays where a single path is preferred and failover must be quick, not the throughput-maximising active/active case here.
- ✗
Vendor-specific (VMW_PSP_FIXED_AP)
Why it's wrong here
Vendor-specific policies delegate path selection to the array's own plugin, which may still use a single active path depending on the vendor's algorithm. It is chosen when the array vendor supplies a PSP module and recommends it, not as a generic means of spreading I/O across every path.
- ✓
Round Robin (VMW_PSP_RR)
Why this is correct
Round Robin (VMW_PSP_RR) satisfies the requirement to use all available paths by rotating I/O across every active path in the set, rather than confining traffic to a single preferred path. This maximises aggregate throughput for the Fibre Channel array, since each path carries a share of the load concurrently.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every VCP-DCV question from scratch — 281 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or 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.