SK0-005 Practice Test 2 — 25 Questions

Question 1

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 2

A server administrator is tasked with ensuring that a critical database server remains available in the event of a hardware failure. The solution must provide automatic failover with minimal administrative overhead. Which of the following should be implemented?

Accepted Answer

Server clustering. Server clustering provides automatic failover between nodes, ensuring high availability with minimal administrative overhead. RAID 1 offers disk redundancy but not server-level failover. Load balancing distributes traffic but does not automatically redirect if a server fails. Scheduled backups restore data after a failure but do not prevent downtime.

Answer

Load balancing

Answer

Scheduled backups

Answer

RAID 1 mirroring

Question 3

A server with a RAID 5 array of four disks reports a degraded logical drive. The technician replaces the failed disk and rebuilds the array. After the rebuild completes, the array is still degraded. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The replacement disk has a different rotational speed than the other disks. Option B is correct because if the replacement disk is of a different speed (e.g., 10k vs 15k), the RAID controller may not accept it or the rebuild may fail, leaving the array degraded. Option A is wrong because missing a partition would not cause the array to remain degraded after rebuild; the array is at a lower level. Option C is wrong because if the firmware were outdated, the controller would likely not recognize the drive at all. Option D is wrong because the disk name in Windows would not affect the RAID status.

Answer

The replacement disk is assigned a different drive letter in the OS

Answer

The RAID controller firmware is outdated

Answer

The replacement disk is missing a partition table

Question 4

A technician is troubleshooting a server that fails to boot. The server displays a 'Boot Device Not Found' error. The technician verifies that the hard drives are spinning and appear in the RAID controller's BIOS. What should the technician check next?

Accepted Answer

Boot order in BIOS. Option B is correct because boot order is a common cause of 'Boot Device Not Found' when drives are detected. Option A is wrong because if drives are spinning and detected, cables are likely fine. Option C is wrong because missing OS files typically produce a different error. Option D is wrong because the array status is already verified as healthy.

Answer

Operating system files

Answer

SATA cable connections

Answer

RAID array status

Question 5

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 6

A technician is troubleshooting a server that is experiencing high disk I/O wait times. The disk queue length is consistently above 10. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Insufficient RAM. Insufficient RAM can cause excessive paging to disk, leading to high disk I/O wait times and long queue lengths.

Answer

Disk fragmentation

Answer

Slow network link

Answer

Overloaded CPU

Question 7

A technician is replacing a failed hard drive in a hot-swap RAID 5 array. After inserting the new drive, the RAID controller does not automatically rebuild. What should the technician do first?

Accepted Answer

Manually initiate a rebuild from the RAID controller utility. Many RAID controllers require manual initiation of the rebuild process. Rebooting may not trigger it. Replacing with a different model is unnecessary. Checking cabling is less likely since the drive is detected. The technician should use the controller utility to start the rebuild.

Answer

Check the SAS cable connection

Answer

Reboot the server

Answer

Replace the drive with a different model

Question 8

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 9

A RAID 5 array is degraded due to a failed disk. What is the best practice for recovery?

Accepted Answer

Replace the failed disk and allow the array to rebuild automatically. Option C is correct because replacing the failed disk and allowing automatic rebuild utilizes the array's redundancy and minimizes downtime. Option A destroys the existing configuration. Option B and D are unnecessary if the array can rebuild.

Answer

Replace the failed disk and restore from backup

Answer

Replace the failed disk and perform a manual rebuild from backup

Answer

Delete the logical drive and recreate the array

Question 10

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 11

Refer to the exhibit. A server is running slowly. Based on the memory statistics, what is the MOST likely issue?

Accepted Answer

Insufficient physical memory. With only 1 GB of available physical memory out of 16 GB, the server is heavily dependent on paging, leading to slow performance.

Answer

Memory leak in an application

Answer

Virtual memory is misconfigured

Answer

Page file is too small

Question 12

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 13

A SQL Server database administrator wants to backup a large database (500 GB) with minimal impact on transaction log growth and recovery time. Which TWO backup strategies should the administrator implement? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Perform weekly full backups. Options A and D are correct. A: A full backup copies the entire database, and is needed as a base. D: Transaction log backups control log growth and allow point-in-time recovery. Option B is wrong because differential backups depend on a recent full backup. Option C is wrong because copy-only backups do not affect the log sequence, but they don't control log growth. Option E is wrong because tail-log backups are taken just before disaster recovery, not regularly.

Answer

Perform a tail-log backup before each full backup

Answer

Perform daily differential backups

Answer

Perform hourly copy-only backups

Question 14

A technician is installing a new server in a data center. To prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage, which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Attach an ESD wrist strap to a grounded surface. Option C is correct because using an ESD wrist strap connected to a grounded surface is the primary method to prevent ESD damage. Option A is wrong because wearing rubber-soled shoes alone does not provide a path to ground. Option B is wrong because an anti-static mat must be used with a ground connection. Option D is wrong because spraying anti-static spray on the floor is not a standard ESD prevention method and may create a slip hazard.

Answer

Place an anti-static mat on the floor

Answer

Spray anti-static solution on the server rack

Answer

Wear rubber-soled shoes

Question 15

A server has four memory slots on two channels (A and B). Currently, DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2 are populated with 8 GB DDR4-2666 modules each. To maximize performance and capacity, which memory configuration should be added?

Accepted Answer

Add two 8 GB DDR4-2666 modules to DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B2. To achieve dual-channel performance, populate both slots on channel B with identical modules. Adding two 8 GB modules to channel B will enable dual-channel operation and increase capacity to 32 GB symmetrically.

Answer

Add two 8 GB DDR4-2400 modules to channel B

Answer

Add one 8 GB DDR4-2666 module to DIMM_B1

Answer

Add one 16 GB DDR4-2666 module to DIMM_B1

Question 16

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 17

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 18

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 19

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 20

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.