SK0-005 Practice Exam 3 — 20 Questions

Question 1

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 2

A server administrator receives an alert that a critical server's disk is almost full. Upon investigation, the administrator finds a large log file that has grown significantly. The log file is rotated daily, but today's rotation failed. Which command should the administrator use FIRST to free up space immediately?

Accepted Answer

> /var/log/large.log to truncate the file.. Option A is correct because truncating the file to zero size instantly reclaims disk space without removing the file, which could cause issues if processes still have it open. Option B is wrong because deleting the file will not free space if any process holds an open file handle. Option C is wrong because moving the file has similar issues as deletion. Option D is wrong because running logrotate might fail if the disk is full or if the rotation script is broken; truncation is quicker and safer under pressure.

Answer

logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.conf to force log rotation.

Answer

rm -rf /var/log/large.log to delete the file.

Answer

mv /var/log/large.log /backup/ to move the file.

Question 3

A systems administrator is configuring a new server that will host a mission-critical database. The server has two redundant power supplies. The organization's data center has two separate power circuits, each backed by a different UPS. Which of the following power configurations provides the BEST redundancy?

Accepted Answer

Connect each power supply to a different power circuit.. Connecting each power supply to a different power circuit ensures that if one circuit or UPS fails, the server continues to receive power from the other source. Option B is correct because it eliminates single points of failure in the power path. Option A is incorrect because connecting both to the same circuit creates a single point of failure; a circuit trip would take down the server. Option C is incorrect because using a single live PSU with a cold spare does not provide automatic failover and would cause downtime if the active PSU fails. Option D is incorrect because a single high-capacity UPS is still a single point of failure, and does not protect against UPS failure or circuit issues.

Answer

Connect both power supplies to a single, high-capacity UPS.

Answer

Use a single power supply and keep the second as a cold spare.

Answer

Connect both power supplies to the same circuit to balance load.

Question 4

A system administrator is configuring a backup schedule for a critical database server that must be available 24/7. The company's recovery point objective (RPO) is 1 hour and recovery time objective (RTO) is 4 hours. The database files change frequently, but the operating system and application binaries rarely change. Which of the following backup strategies would BEST meet these requirements while minimizing storage and backup window impact?

Accepted Answer

Full backup daily, incremental backup every hour. Option D is correct because daily full backups provide a recent recovery base, and hourly incremental backups are small and fast, meeting the 1-hour RPO with minimal backup window. Restoration applies at most 24 incrementals to the latest full, which fits within the 4-hour RTO. Option A is wrong because weekly full backups with hourly incrementals may require restoring too many incrementals, risking the RTO. Option B is wrong because hourly differential backups grow in size throughout the day, increasing backup time and storage. Option C is wrong because weekly fulls with hourly differentials cause exponential growth in differential size over the week.

Answer

Full backup daily, differential backup every hour

Answer

Full backup weekly, differential backup every hour

Answer

Full backup weekly, incremental backup every hour

Question 5

A system administrator is notified that a server with a RAID 5 array of four 2TB drives has a single failed drive. The server uses hot-swappable drives and a hardware RAID controller. Which of the following actions should the administrator perform FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Replace the failed drive and allow the array to rebuild.. Option A (Replace the failed drive and allow the array to rebuild) is correct because with a hot-spare, the array can rebuild automatically after replacing the failed drive, minimizing data vulnerability. Option B (Perform a full backup) is prudent but not immediate; the array is still functional in degraded mode. Option C (Reboot the server and access the RAID controller BIOS) delays recovery and may cause unnecessary downtime. Option D (Replace all drives to increase storage) is unnecessary and wasteful.

Answer

Replace all four drives with larger capacity drives to expand storage.

Answer

Reboot the server and enter the RAID controller BIOS to mark the drive as offline.

Answer

Perform a full backup of the array before taking any action.

Question 6

Refer to the exhibit. A server in a well-maintained data center has triggered upper critical and non-recoverable temperature alerts for CPU1. The server's chassis fans are operating at full speed, and the data center ambient temperature is normal. Which of the following is the FIRST action the administrator should take?

Accepted Answer

Open the chassis and verify that the CPU air baffle/duct is in place.. Correct: Missing or improperly installed air baffles/ducts are a common cause of CPU overheating, especially after maintenance. Option A is wrong because if other components are fine, a liquid cooling failure is less likely and more invasive. Option C is wrong because adding extra fans doesn't address the root cause if airflow path is broken. Option D is wrong because a failed CPU almost never causes overheating; a failing CPU usually causes crashes, not thermal runaway.

Answer

Check for failure of the liquid cooling system for CPU1.

Answer

Replace CPU1 because the high temperature indicates an internal short.

Answer

Install additional high-speed fans to increase static pressure.

Question 7

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 8

A VMware ESXi host runs six virtual machines, each configured with 8GB of RAM, totaling 48GB allocated. The host physically has 32GB of RAM, and memory overcommitment is enabled. Recently, a critical VM experienced severe performance degradation during peak hours, with the guest OS showing high memory pressure and balloon driver activity, while other VMs showed moderate usage. Which of the following actions will BEST resolve the issue without compromising other VMs?

Accepted Answer

Configure a memory reservation of 8GB for the critical VM.. Option B (Set a memory reservation equal to its configured 8GB on the critical VM) is correct because it guarantees physical RAM for that VM, preventing the balloon driver from reclaiming its memory and reducing hypervisor swapping. Option A (Increase host RAM) would solve it broadly but is not the most immediate, targeted action and may not be feasible. Option C (Disable balloon driver on all VMs) could cause host swapping, degrading all VMs. Option D (Reduce CPU limits) does not address memory contention.

Answer

Purchase and install an additional 32GB of physical RAM in the host.

Answer

Disable the VMware balloon driver on all virtual machines.

Answer

Reduce the CPU limit on the non-critical VMs during peak hours.

Question 9

A server administrator receives reports that a production server is shutting down unexpectedly after running for several hours. The server is a 2U rackmount unit located in a data center with proper ambient cooling (20°C/68°F). The server has redundant power supplies connected to separate PDUs and no power anomalies are reported. The administrator checks the operating system event logs and finds a critical log entry: 'The system was shut down due to a thermal event.' However, the CPU temperature logs show that the CPU was at 47°C at the time of shutdown, and the chassis inlet temperature was 23°C. The server's internal fans are running at high speed and are clearly audible. The administrator suspects a thermal issue but is unsure why the CPU is not showing high temperature. The server has a baseboard management controller (BMC) that monitors various sensors. Which of the following components should the administrator investigate FIRST to identify the likely cause of the shutdown?

Accepted Answer

Inspect the voltage regulator module (VRM) temperatures and airflow around the motherboard.. Option B is correct because voltage regulator modules (VRMs) can overheat and trigger a thermal shutdown via the BMC even when the CPU temperature is within normal limits. VRMs are often located in areas with restricted airflow and are critical to CPU power delivery. Option A is incorrect because CPU temperature is normal, so the heatsink is likely functioning. Option C is incorrect because power supply faults would not generate a thermal event. Option D is a possible long-term fix for a firmware bug, but physical inspection of temperature-sensitive components should come first.

Answer

Swap the redundant power supplies to rule out a failing PSU.

Answer

Replace the CPU heatsink and reapply thermal paste.

Answer

Update the server firmware and BIOS to the latest version.

Question 10

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 11

Refer to the exhibit. An administrator receives reports that a web application is returning HTTP 502 errors. The administrator examines the Nginx error log on the reverse proxy server and sees the following. Which of the following is MOST likely causing the errors?

Accepted Answer

The upstream server at 10.0.1.25:8080 refuses connections.. Option A is correct because the error 'Connection refused' indicates the upstream server (10.0.1.25:8080) is not accepting connections, typically because the backend service is down or the port is closed. Option B is incorrect because if Nginx were not running, no such log entry would be generated. Option C is incorrect because the client's DNS resolution is not involved after Nginx has already attempted to contact the upstream IP. Option D is incorrect because a firewall blocking outbound connections would cause a timeout, not a 'Connection refused' message.

Answer

The Nginx service is not running.

Answer

The firewall on the reverse proxy is blocking port 80.

Answer

The client's DNS cannot resolve example.com.

Question 12

A company is planning to deploy a new web application on multiple servers behind a load balancer. The application requires consistent session data across all servers for seamless user experience. Which of the following solutions would BEST meet this requirement?

Accepted Answer

Store session data in a shared, high-performance in-memory data store like Redis.. Option B is correct because a shared in-memory data store like Redis provides low-latency access to session data for all servers, ensuring consistency and high availability. Option A is wrong because round-robin DNS does not handle session persistence. Option C is wrong because sticky sessions tie a user to one server; if that server fails, the session is lost and consistency is not maintained across servers. Option D is wrong because synchronous database replication adds latency and complexity, making it less suitable for high-performance web applications.

Answer

Configure each web server to store sessions locally and use sticky sessions on the load balancer.

Answer

Use round-robin DNS to distribute traffic.

Answer

Implement database session storage with synchronous replication between servers.

Question 13

A technician is installing a new 2U server into a datacenter rack. The server is equipped with redundant power supplies. According to best practices for power redundancy, how should the technician connect the power supplies?

Accepted Answer

Connect each PSU to a separate circuit. Option B is correct because connecting each power supply to a separate circuit (or separate PDUs fed by different circuits) ensures that if one circuit fails, the other keeps the server powered. Option A is wrong because connecting both to the same PDU creates a single point of failure. Option C is wrong because while a UPS is important, connecting only one PSU to a UPS defeats redundancy if the non-UPS circuit fails. Option D is wrong because operating voltages are standardized and must match the server specifications.

Answer

Connect one PSU to a UPS and the other directly to mains

Answer

Run one PSU at 110V and the other at 220V for load balancing

Answer

Connect both PSUs to the same power distribution unit (PDU)

Question 14

Refer to the exhibit. A server administrator configured iptables rules on a Linux server. Immediately afterward, they are unable to connect to the server via SSH. The output of 'iptables -L INPUT -n' is shown. What is the most likely cause of the connectivity issue?

Accepted Answer

The DROP rule for port 22 appears before the ACCEPT rule, causing all SSH packets to be dropped.. iptables processes rules in order. The DROP rule for destination port 22 appears before the ACCEPT rule, so all incoming SSH packets are dropped before the ACCEPT rule can permit new connections.

Answer

The last DROP rule blocks all traffic, including established SSH sessions.

Answer

The default INPUT policy is set to ACCEPT, allowing all traffic.

Answer

The ACCEPT rule for port 22 is missing the ESTABLISHED state, preventing return traffic.

Question 15

Refer to the exhibit. A technician reviewing the server's storage array status sees the above output. The server is using a hot spare with a RAID 5 array. What should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Immediately replace the drive in slot 1I:1:3 to prevent data loss. A predictive failure warning means the drive is likely to fail soon. Immediate replacement prevents array degradation and possible data loss. The hot spare is activated only on actual failure; rebuilding the array to include the hot spare is not possible manually for predictive failures. Backing up is prudent but not the most urgent next step.

Answer

Run a full backup and then replace the drive

Answer

Rebuild the array to include the hot spare

Answer

Continue monitoring; the drive is still functional

Question 16

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.

Question 17

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 18

A server technician replaces a failed RAM module with an identical spare. After installation, the server powers on but emits continuous short beeps and does not complete POST. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAM module is not fully seated in the slot.. Continuous short beeps typically indicate a memory error, and the most common cause after a RAM replacement is that the module is not fully seated. Even though the module is known good and compatible, improper installation can prevent POST. Option C is correct because reseating the module will often resolve the issue. Option A is incorrect because an incompatible module would likely produce a different beep code or no POST at all, but the module is identical and known good. Option B is incorrect because insufficient power would likely prevent the server from powering on at all, not cause RAM beep codes. Option D is incorrect because CPU damage is unlikely from a simple RAM swap and would produce different symptoms.

Answer

The new RAM module is incompatible with the motherboard.

Answer

The CPU has been damaged during the installation.

Answer

The power supply is providing insufficient voltage.

Question 19

A Linux database server has recently exhibited sluggish response times. An analysis of system performance shows high CPU wait I/O, frequent page swapping, and a low cache hit ratio. The server has 16GB of RAM, and the database itself stores 100GB of active data. Which of the following is the MOST effective long-term solution to improve performance?

Accepted Answer

Increase the physical RAM in the server to at least 64GB.. Option C (Increase physical RAM to 64GB) is correct because the server is experiencing memory pressure leading to excessive swapping and low cache utilization. More RAM allows the database to cache a larger portion of active data in memory, reducing I/O wait and improving response times. Option A (Add faster SSDs) may reduce I/O wait but does not address the root cause—memory starvation. Option B (Tune the database query cache) might provide minor relief but is not a substitute for adequate memory. Option D (Increase swap space) would worsen performance by enabling more swapping.

Answer

Tune the database engine's query cache size.

Answer

Configure the server to use a larger swap partition.

Answer

Replace the existing hard drives with faster SSDs.

Question 20

A medium-sized business runs a critical internal application on a single physical server running Windows Server 2019. The application is memory-intensive, often using up to 24 GB out of 32 GB RAM during peak hours. Over the past week, the server has experienced three unexpected reboots, each occurring during peak load. The server is not part of a cluster, and all data is stored on local disks. You have checked the Windows System event log and found Event ID 41 (Kernel-Power) indicating an unexpected shutdown. There are no related critical errors in the Application log. You have also reviewed the server's firmware logs and found multiple corrected memory errors (ECC) over the last month, with an increase in frequency just before each crash. The server is under warranty, and the hardware vendor's diagnostic tools report a failing memory module in DIMM slot A1. The vendor has recommended replacing the faulty DIMM immediately. However, the server is currently processing critical end-of-quarter financial reports that cannot be interrupted for at least 6 hours. Which of the following is the BEST course of action to minimize risk of data loss and downtime until a planned maintenance window?

Accepted Answer

Inform management of the criticality, request emergency approval for immediate maintenance, and if denied, ensure current backups are verified and monitor the server closely for any signs of degradation until the maintenance window.. Option D is correct because it follows proper change management: informing stakeholders, seeking emergency approval if needed, and mitigating risk by verifying backups and monitoring. Option A is wrong because immediately shutting down would interrupt critical processing and potential data loss, without management approval. Option B is wrong because Windows Memory Diagnostic is a boot-time tool and cannot effectively isolate memory regions to avoid crashes on a running production system. Option C is wrong because the server has already crashed, indicating uncorrectable errors; continuing without action risks data corruption and further unplanned outages.

Answer

Use Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to try to isolate the memory region and prevent the application from using it.

Answer

Continue running the server as is, as ECC memory can correct errors and the server will only crash if errors are uncorrectable; the risk is low.

Answer

Immediately shut down the server, replace the faulty DIMM, and restart.