SK0-005 Practice Exam 2 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A small business has a single file server running Windows Server 2019. The server uses two internal SATA drives in a RAID 1 mirror for the operating system and data. The company's backup solution performs a full backup every night to an external USB hard drive, which is stored in the server room. The IT administrator recently noticed that the server's system volume is running low on space and decides to migrate the data to a larger drive. During the migration, the server crashes and will not boot. The administrator attempts to restore from the latest backup but finds that the backup drive is corrupted and cannot be read. The company has no offsite backups. What should the administrator have done to prevent this situation?

Accepted Answer

Regularly test backup restorations to verify data integrity.. The correct answer is D: Regularly test backup restorations to verify data integrity. The administrator assumed backups were valid without verification. Option A is wrong because RAID 1 provides redundancy but does not protect against corruption or accidental deletion; the issue here is backup corruption. Option B is wrong because cloud backup is a good practice but not strictly required; the root cause is lack of backup testing. Option C is wrong because while documentation is helpful, it would not prevent data loss from a corrupted backup drive.

Answer

Implement a RAID 5 array instead of RAID 1 for better redundancy.

Answer

Document the backup procedure and create a disaster recovery plan.

Answer

Use a cloud-based backup service with offsite storage.

Question 2

A server administrator is troubleshooting a performance issue on a VMware vSphere host. The host has multiple VMs, and one VM is experiencing high latency on its virtual disk. The administrator checks the datastore and sees it is a RAID 5 array of 4 SAS drives with 50% utilization. Latency for the VM's virtual disk is reported as 200ms. Which action would most likely improve performance?

Accepted Answer

Migrate the VM to a different datastore with SSD storage.. High latency on a heavily utilized RAID 5 array of spinning disks suggests an I/O bottleneck. Migrating to SSD storage would significantly reduce latency. Option A addresses memory, not disk; B might help with allocation but not latency; C might increase capacity but not improve latency (RAID 6 has more overhead).

Answer

Add a second disk to the RAID 5 array (convert to RAID 6).

Answer

Increase the VM's memory allocation.

Answer

Change the virtual disk type from thin to thick.

Question 3

A medium-sized company runs an e-commerce platform on a cluster of three physical servers hosting virtual machines. The disaster recovery plan includes daily backups to a remote data center using Veeam Backup & Replication. The company's annual disaster recovery drill is scheduled for next week. During the drill, the IT team plans to simulate a complete site failure by powering off the primary data center. The recovery time objective (RTO) is 4 hours, and the recovery point objective (RPO) is 1 hour. The team successfully restores the VMs at the remote site, but the application experiences significant performance degradation and many transactions fail due to database inconsistency. Investigation reveals that the backup was taken at 2:00 AM, but the failure occurred at 10:00 AM, and the application's database had transactions between 2:00 AM and 10:00 AM that were not captured. What should the IT team do to improve the recovery process?

Accepted Answer

Enable log shipping with point-in-time recovery for the database.. The correct answer is B: Implement log shipping with point-in-time recovery for the database. The RPO of 1 hour is not being met because the backup schedule is daily. Option A is wrong because while a faster WAN can reduce backup time, the core issue is the backup frequency, not bandwidth. Option C is wrong because the issue is not data redundancy but recovery granularity; RAID protects against drive failure but not data loss from missing transactions. Option D is wrong because increasing RTO does not solve the RPO violation; the goal is to reduce data loss, not relax the time target.

Answer

Configure RAID 10 on all database servers to improve disk performance.

Answer

Upgrade the WAN connection between sites to reduce backup transfer times.

Answer

Adjust the RTO to 8 hours to allow for more comprehensive backups.

Question 4

A technician is troubleshooting a server that fails to boot after a scheduled power outage. The server is connected to a UPS. Upon pressing the power button, the server powers on briefly (fans spin, lights flash) and then shuts down after 2 seconds. The POST does not complete. The server has a dual power supply with each connected to a separate PDU. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A short circuit in the motherboard. Option C is correct because immediate power-off after a brief spin-up is a classic symptom of a short circuit, often on the motherboard. Option A is wrong because a failed power supply would typically prevent any power-on or cause beep codes, not a brief power-on. Option B is wrong because the UPS battery condition would not cause this behavior if the server is receiving utility power; also the server is receiving power momentarily. Option D is wrong because a dead CMOS battery would cause date/time loss but not prevent boot completely.

Answer

The UPS battery is depleted

Answer

One of the power supplies has failed

Answer

The CMOS battery is dead

Question 5

A server fails to boot after installing new memory. The POST beep code indicates a memory error. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The new memory is incompatible with the server. The POST memory error most commonly indicates an incompatible or improperly seated memory module. Incompatible memory (e.g., wrong type, speed, or rank) is a frequent issue when adding memory to servers. Option B is less common because most servers auto-detect slots. Option C is not required for basic memory compatibility. Option D would cause system instability, not a specific memory error.

Answer

The memory module is not seated properly

Answer

The BIOS is not updated to support the new memory

Answer

The memory is installed in the wrong slot

Question 6

A large enterprise uses a centralized backup solution with a backup server running Commvault. Backups are stored on a deduplicated disk array and replicated to a secondary site for disaster recovery. The company's security team detects ransomware activity that has encrypted several file servers. The backup administrator checks the backup repository and finds that the backup data is also encrypted because the backup service account had permissions to modify backup files, and the ransomware propagated to the repository. The last known good backup is from two weeks ago, which is too old for the organization's RPO of 24 hours. The backup administrator is under pressure to restore operations quickly. Which of the following should the administrator implement to prevent this from recurring?

Accepted Answer

Immutable backup storage and a dedicated service account with least-privilege access.. The correct answer is A: Implement immutable backup storage and use a separate service account with write permissions only during backup windows. Immutable backups cannot be modified or deleted by any user or process, including ransomware. Option B is wrong because air-gapping alone does not prevent access if the backup server is compromised; immutable storage is more robust. Option C is wrong because while MFA is a good security practice, it does not protect backups that are already accessible with valid credentials. Option D is wrong because encryption of backup data protects it during transit or while stored, but does not prevent the ransomware from encrypting the files if the backup system is accessible.

Answer

Encrypt all backup data at rest and in transit.

Answer

Require multi-factor authentication for the backup service account.

Answer

Air-gap the backup repository by disconnecting it from the network except during backup windows.

Question 7

A company uses a two-node failover cluster for a critical application. The cluster nodes are located in the same data center, and the quorum configuration uses a file share witness on a separate server in the same data center. During a major power outage, both cluster nodes and the file share witness server lose power. What is the impact on cluster availability?

Accepted Answer

The cluster will be offline until one of the nodes or the witness comes back online.. In a two-node cluster with a file share witness, if both nodes and the witness are unavailable, the cluster cannot achieve quorum and will be offline. This is because the cluster requires a majority of votes to stay online. With only two nodes, the witness is needed to break ties. Without any votes, the cluster fails.

Answer

The cluster will automatically fail over to a third site because the witness server is unavailable.

Answer

The cluster continues operating because the nodes can use a dynamic quorum and adjust the vote count.

Answer

The cluster remains online because the nodes can communicate directly and form quorum without the witness.

Question 8

A server is running out of disk space on the system drive (C:). The server is running Windows Server 2019. The IT manager wants to add more space without downtime. The server has one free SATA port and one available drive bay. Which of the following is the BEST solution?

Accepted Answer

Add a new drive, create a new partition, and mount it as a folder in the system drive. Option C is correct because mounting a new drive as a folder into the C: drive allows immediate space expansion without downtime or rebooting. Option A is wrong because it requires downtime for replacement and restore. Option B is wrong because configuring a mirror would require converting to dynamic disk and may require a reboot; also it duplicates data but does not add usable capacity. Option D is wrong because shrinking the system partition and extending to another disk is complex and often requires reboot or specialized software.

Answer

Shrink the existing partition and extend it onto an additional drive

Answer

Add a new drive, initialize it, and configure a RAID 1 mirror with the existing drive

Answer

Replace the current system drive with a larger one and restore from backup

Question 9

A server with dual redundant power supplies shuts down unexpectedly. One power supply has a solid amber LED. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The power supply has failed. A solid amber LED on a redundant power supply typically indicates a power supply failure. Overheating would cause both to fail or trigger thermal shutdown. A power cord unplugged would show no LED. Server overload would not cause a single amber LED.

Answer

The server is drawing too much power

Answer

The power cord is unplugged

Answer

The server is overheating

Question 10

You are a server engineer for a financial services firm. The company recently deployed a new HP ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server running Windows Server 2022 with SQL Server 2019. The server has 2 Intel Xeon Gold processors, 128GB RAM, and a Smart Array P408i-p controller managing two RAID 1 arrays: one for OS (two 300GB 10K SAS) and one for data (four 600GB 10K SAS). After one month, the OS array reports a predictive failure on one drive. You replace the drive via hot-swap, and the RAID controller rebuilds. However, the server now experiences random system crashes with Event ID 1001 (BugCheck) and the SQL database occasionally becomes corrupt requiring restore from backup. The server's RAM has been tested with HP's diagnostic tool and passed, and the CPU temperature is normal. The RAID controller log shows no errors during the rebuild but occasional 'Parity errors' logged before the drive replacement. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the current instability?

Accepted Answer

The remaining original OS drive has bad sectors that were not detected.. Option C is correct because predictive failure on one drive may indicate that the entire mirrored pair has latent defects; the remaining original drive may have bad sectors that were not detected. The parity errors before replacement suggest data inconsistency, and after rebuild, the system relies on the remaining drive which can cause crashes and database corruption. Option A is wrong because the rebuild completed without errors, so the new drive is likely fine. Option B is wrong because a failed cache module would cause general errors, not specific parity issues. Option D is wrong because a faulty PCIe slot would cause intermittent disconnects of the controller, not these symptoms.

Answer

The new replacement drive is faulty.

Answer

The motherboard has a faulty PCIe slot for the RAID controller.

Answer

The RAID controller cache module has failed.

Question 11

A server administrator is troubleshooting a physical server that randomly crashes once or twice a week. The administrator has already verified that the power supply is functioning correctly and has checked the event logs for critical errors. According to standard troubleshooting methodology, what should the administrator do next?

Accepted Answer

Run memory diagnostics (e.g., MemTest86) to test RAM.. Option B is correct because random crashes often indicate a memory issue, and running memory diagnostics is a logical next step after verifying power and logs. Option A is premature because replacing the CPU is more invasive and less likely to resolve random crashes. Option C is a last resort after hardware issues are ruled out. Option D is irrelevant to random crashes.

Answer

Check network cables and switch connections.

Answer

Reinstall the operating system.

Answer

Replace the CPU with a known good one.

Question 12

A technician is troubleshooting a server that fails to boot after a power outage. The server displays a "Non-system disk or disk error" message. Which action should the technician take first?

Accepted Answer

Check the boot order in the BIOS configuration.. The error indicates that the server cannot find a bootable device. The most common cause after a power outage is a change in the BIOS boot order. Checking the boot order is a quick, non-invasive first step. Replacing the drive or reseating cables may be necessary if boot order is correct, but starting with boot order is best.

Answer

Run a filesystem check utility from a recovery disk.

Answer

Replace the hard drive with a known good one.

Answer

Reseat the hard drive data and power cables.

Question 13

A server administrator notices that a database server is responding slowly to queries. The CPU utilization is at 30%, memory at 40%, and disk latency is normal. Which of the following should the administrator check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Network bandwidth utilization. Network bandwidth utilization should be checked next because high network usage can cause slow responses even when CPU, memory, and disk are fine.

Answer

Power supply status

Answer

Database index fragmentation

Answer

Operating system patch level

Question 14

A server in a virtualized environment is experiencing VM performance degradation. The host server has adequate resources. The hypervisor logs show excessive 'ready' time for the CPU. Which of the following is the BEST action to resolve this issue?

Accepted Answer

Reduce the number of VMs on the host. Reducing the number of VMs on the host reduces contention for CPU resources, decreasing ready time.

Answer

Disable hyper-threading on the host

Answer

Increase the number of vCPUs for the VM

Answer

Migrate the VM to a different host

Question 15

Refer to the exhibit. A technician is troubleshooting a server that is experiencing data corruption. What is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Faulty RAID controller. Event ID 11 with a controller error typically indicates a faulty RAID controller or HBA, not a disk failure or cable issue.

Answer

Corrupted file system

Answer

Loose data cable

Answer

Failed hard disk drive

Question 16

Refer to the exhibit. What is the most likely cause of this error?

Accepted Answer

The boot order is set incorrectly. The error 'Boot device not found' with 'Hard Disk: (3F0)' indicates the BIOS cannot find a bootable device. The most common cause is an incorrect boot order, where the system is trying to boot from a non-bootable device before the hard drive. A corrupt boot sector would give a different error (e.g., 'Missing operating system'). A loose cable could cause the drive not to be detected at all, but often the system would show no hard drive in BIOS. A failed drive would typically be detected but unbootable.

Answer

The hard drive data cable is loose

Answer

The boot sector is corrupted

Answer

The hard drive has failed

Question 17

A technician is troubleshooting a server that fails to boot. The server powers on, fans spin, but no video output and no beep codes. The technician reseats the RAM and GPU, but the issue persists. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Test or replace the CPU. Option C is correct because if the system powers on but no POST, a faulty CPU is a common cause when other components are reseated. Option A is wrong because power supply issues would typically cause no power or cycling. Option B is wrong because the CMOS battery is for clock/BIOS settings, not boot failure. Option D is wrong because BIOS corruption is less likely after reseating.

Answer

Replace the CMOS battery

Answer

Flash the BIOS firmware

Answer

Replace the power supply

Question 18

A server administrator is troubleshooting a network connectivity issue on a server that has recently been moved to a different rack. The server can ping its own IP address but cannot ping the default gateway. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Faulty Ethernet cable or incorrect patch panel port. Option A is correct because being able to ping self but not gateway suggests a layer 1 or 2 issue like a faulty patch cable. Option B is wrong because DNS would affect name resolution, not ping. Option C is wrong because incorrect subnet mask would affect self-ping or gateway detection. Option D is wrong because duplicate IP would cause intermittent issues or conflict messages.

Answer

Incorrect DNS server configuration

Answer

Incorrect subnet mask

Answer

Duplicate IP address on the network

Question 19

A data center technician is troubleshooting a server that is overheating and shutting down intermittently. The server is a 2U rackmount with six fans at the front and a power supply with an integrated fan at the rear. The technician checks the ambient temperature (72°F) and verifies that the server intake temperature is normal. The server's system logs show 'CPU temperature threshold exceeded' before each shutdown. The technician has replaced the thermal paste on the CPU and reseated the heat sink, but the issue persists. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Replace the chassis fans with high-static-pressure models. Option B is correct: the fans may be running but not at full speed due to a faulty fan controller or sensors. Option A is wrong because ambient temp is fine. Option C is wrong because CPU is already reseated. Option D is wrong because power supply is not indicated.

Answer

Move the server to a cooler location in the data center

Answer

Reinstall the CPU heat sink with more thermal paste

Answer

Replace the power supply unit

Question 20

A server has been randomly rebooting several times a day with no pattern. The administrator reviews the IPMI System Event Log and finds multiple 'Correctable ECC error' entries for DIMM slot B2. The server memory is configured with 16 DIMMs of the same type and manufacturer, all recently installed. What should the administrator do FIRST to resolve this issue?

Accepted Answer

Replace the DIMM in slot B2 with an identical spare.. Correctable ECC errors indicate a failing or marginal memory module. The first step is to replace the DIMM showing errors. Option A is wrong because reseating does not guarantee the errors will stop, and the DIMM is likely faulty. Option C is wrong because while increasing voltage might help with stability, it is not recommended as a first fix and could void warranty. Option D is wrong because disabling ECC removes error correction but does not fix the underlying hardware fault.

Answer

Disable ECC in the firmware to prevent the module from reporting errors.

Answer

Reseat the DIMM in slot B2 and run a memory diagnostic test.

Answer

Increase the DRAM voltage slightly in the BIOS/UEFI to improve stability.