Section: MCSA-70-410

18) On your Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V server you are creating a new virtual machine the will be running Windows Server 2012 R2. The VM will require 2.5TB of storage and will be running an application that will require higher levels of disk activity. Which of the following will you configure?

1. A dynamically expanding disk using a vhd file
2. A dynamically expanding disk using a vhdx file
3. A differencing disk using a vhdx file
4. A differencing disk using a vhd file
5. A fixed disk using a vhdx file
6. A fixed disk using a vhd file

You need the best possible performance as the "application will require higher levels of disk activity". In this respect the drawbacks of differencing disks is that they not only can be difficult to manage but large hierarchies of disks can potentially lead to performance problems. This rules out the two differencing disk answers. The dynamic disks are also slower than fixed disks. This is where a fixed-type disk is superior to the other two types listed. It not only offers superior performance over its dynamically expanding counterpart but also avoids host level fragmentation as the VHD has expanded to its full size rather than grown in small amounts over time. Additionally the questions states that “The VM will require 2.5TB of storage”. Since VHD file format only supports disks up to 2TB this rules out all VHDX files listed. VHDX however will support virtual disks up to 64TB.