VCP-DCV Configure and Manage vSphere Storage Practice Question
An ESXi host is connected to an iSCSI storage array using software iSCSI initiator. The administrator has configured two NICs for iSCSI traffic. During setup, the administrator selects 'Round Robin' as the path policy for the storage device. What is the benefit of this path policy?
⚠ Common exam trap
VCP-DCV often tests the confusion between path selection policies — candidates mix up Fixed (single path until failover), Round Robin (load balance across active paths), and Latency (prefer lowest-latency path), and pick the one that sounds most 'optimal' rather than the one matching the described behavior.
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
✓
It load balances I/O across all active paths
Round Robin is a VMware PSA (Pluggable Storage Architecture) path selection policy that actively distributes I/O across all active paths to a given device in a rotating fashion. With two iSCSI NICs configured, Round Robin sends commands down both paths, increasing aggregate throughput and utilizing both NICs simultaneously. This is the defining benefit of Round Robin compared to failover-only policies.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It uses a single path until failure, then switches to another
Why it's wrong here
Round Robin actively balances I/O across all active paths simultaneously, so a single-path-until-failure behaviour describes the Fixed policy instead. Fixed suits arrays where only one controller owns a LUN, or where the administrator wants to avoid path thrashing on active-passive storage.
- ✗
It minimizes latency by always using the path with lowest latency
Why it's wrong here
Round Robin cycles I/O across all active paths, providing aggregate bandwidth and failover, not latency-based selection. It is tempting because reducing latency is a genuine storage goal, but that is delivered by the latency path policy, which measures and selects the lowest-latency path.
- ✓
It load balances I/O across all active paths
Why this is correct
Round Robin cycles I/O across every active path to the device, distributing load rather than using one path. With two iSCSI NICs configured, this policy uses both paths simultaneously, improving throughput and balancing traffic, unlike Fixed or Most Recently Used.
- ✗
It provides the highest performance for all workloads
Why it's wrong here
Round Robin distributes I/O evenly across available paths to aggregate throughput and provide failover; it does not guarantee highest performance for every workload, since some arrays or workloads benefit from fixed or latency-based policies. It is tempting because balancing paths often raises overall throughput, but that is aggregate, not universal, gain.
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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.