SK0-005 server-administration Practice Test 4 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A server administrator is tasked with hardening a Windows Server 2022 file server. The server hosts sensitive financial data and must comply with industry regulations. The administrator needs to implement measures to protect data at rest and in transit. Which of the following should the administrator implement? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Configure SMB signing on the file server.. To protect data at rest, BitLocker encryption should be enabled on data volumes. To protect data in transit, SMB signing should be configured to ensure integrity and authenticity of SMB communications. These two measures directly address the requirement to harden the file server for sensitive financial data and regulatory compliance.

Answer

Implement disk quotas to limit user storage.

Answer

Configure IPsec policies to encrypt all SMB traffic.

Answer

Enable the Windows Firewall with advanced rules to block all inbound traffic.

Question 2

A server administrator is troubleshooting a Windows Server 2022 that is experiencing slow boot times. The server has a hardware RAID controller with a battery-backed write cache. The administrator suspects that the RAID controller's cache policy is causing the issue. Which of the following should the administrator check first?

Accepted Answer

Check the RAID controller's battery status and ensure it is healthy.. A failing or discharged RAID controller battery often causes the controller to switch to write-through mode, drastically reducing write performance. This can manifest as slow boot times because the OS performs many writes during startup. Checking the battery status is the most direct way to confirm this suspicion.

Answer

Reconfigure the RAID array with a different stripe size.

Answer

Verify that the RAID controller's write cache is enabled and set to write-back mode.

Answer

Update the RAID controller's firmware to the latest version.

Question 3

A server administrator is setting up a new Windows Server 2022 failover cluster with two nodes. The cluster will host a highly available file server role. The administrator needs to ensure that the cluster can automatically fail over if one node fails. Which quorum configuration should the administrator use to provide the best balance of high availability and fault tolerance for a two-node cluster?

Accepted Answer

Node and Disk Majority. For a two-node cluster, Node and Disk Majority is the recommended quorum configuration. It uses a witness disk that holds a copy of the cluster configuration. If one node fails, the remaining node and the witness disk form a majority, allowing the cluster to continue running. This provides automatic failover and high availability without requiring an external file share.

Answer

Node and File Share Majority

Answer

Node Majority

Answer

No Majority: Disk Only

Question 4

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 groups two or more servers so that if one node fails, another automatically takes over the workload with minimal manual intervention. This provides the automatic failover and low administrative overhead the scenario requires for a critical database server. Clustering is the standard high-availability solution for database workloads needing continuous uptime.

Answer

Load balancing

Answer

Scheduled backups

Answer

RAID 1 mirroring

Question 5

Which TWO of the following are considered best practices for securing a server's remote management access?

Accepted Answer

Use SSH key-based authentication. Using SSH key-based authentication provides strong encryption and eliminates password theft risks. Disabling unused services reduces the attack surface. Enabling default administrative shares increases exposure. Allowing all inbound ICMP can facilitate reconnaissance. Telnet sends data in plaintext and is insecure.

Answer

Enable default administrative shares

Answer

Allow all inbound ICMP

Answer

Use telnet for remote CLI

Question 6

Your organization is migrating a Windows Server 2019 file server with 2 TB of shared data to a new server running Windows Server 2022. The migration must minimize user downtime and ensure file permissions are preserved. Users access files during business hours (8 AM to 6 PM) and the migration must be completed within a four-hour window starting at 10 PM on Saturday. You plan to use DFS Replication (DFSR) for initial data copy and then perform a final synchronization during the cutover. After setting up DFSR between the old and new servers, you realize that the initial replication will take approximately 12 hours due to the large number of files. What should you do to complete the migration within the allowed window?

Accepted Answer

Use robocopy to pre-stage the data from old to new server during off-hours before the cutover, then enable DFSR to replicate only changes made after pre-staging; during the cutover window, do a final DFSR sync. Pre-staging with robocopy during off-hours moves the bulk of the 2 TB before the cutover window, so DFSR only has to replicate the delta of changes made after pre-staging. This shrinks the initial replication from ~12 hours to a manageable delta, allowing the final DFSR sync to complete inside the four-hour cutover window while preserving NTFS permissions and minimizing user downtime.

Answer

Disable DFSR and use robocopy with /MIR /COPYALL during the cutover window to copy all data

Answer

Perform a full backup of the old server and restore to the new server during the cutover window using Windows Backup

Answer

Increase the DFSR staging quota and bandwidth throttling to accelerate initial replication

Question 7

A technician is installing a new server for a department. The server will run a single application that requires high reliability. The operating system should be protected against a single disk failure without sacrificing read performance. Which RAID configuration is MOST appropriate?

Accepted Answer

RAID 1. RAID 1 mirrors the OS drive, providing fault tolerance and good read performance. Option A (RAID 0) has no redundancy. Option B (RAID 5) requires at least three disks and has write penalty. Option C (RAID 6) requires at least four disks and is overkill for a simple OS mirror.

Answer

RAID 5

Answer

RAID 6

Answer

RAID 0

Question 8

A company operates a Windows Server 2019 machine that functions as a domain controller and file server. Over the past week, the server has randomly rebooted several times, often during periods of heavy file access. The administrator reviews the System event log and finds multiple Event ID 41 (Kernel-Power) entries with no preceding critical errors. The server is connected to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that reports stable input voltage. The server room temperature sensors indicate normal ambient temperature (22°C / 72°F). The server hardware is three years old and has not had any recent changes. The administrator has already run a full antivirus scan with no threats found. Which of the following should the administrator do NEXT to diagnose the issue?

Accepted Answer

Inspect and clean the CPU and chassis fans, and check for dust buildup. Option C is correct because random reboots with Kernel-Power 41 often indicate overheating due to failing fans or dust buildup, even if ambient temperature is normal. Option A is wrong because the power supply is likely not the issue given the UPS stability. Option B is wrong because a BIOS update is unlikely to solve hardware overheating. Option D is wrong because disabling automatic restart only hides the symptom and does not prevent the reboots.

Answer

Update the server's BIOS to the latest version

Answer

Replace the power supply unit

Answer

Disable the automatic restart feature in System Properties

Question 9

A company is migrating a legacy line-of-business application from Windows Server 2012 R2 to a new Windows Server 2022 server that is a member of an Active Directory domain. The application runs as a Windows service under a domain service account named CORP\svc_app. The service account has been granted the 'Log on as a service' user right on the old server, and the application is configured to listen on a static TCP port 8443. After installing the application on the new server and configuring it with the same service account and port, the application fails to start. The administrator checks the Windows Event Viewer and sees two errors in the System log: 'The CORP\svc_app service failed to start due to the following error: The service did not start due to a logon failure' and 'The service cannot bind to the designated port 8443'. The administrator has already verified that the service account's password is correct and has not expired, that the account is enabled, that the port 8443 is not being used by another service, and that the Windows Firewall has an inbound rule allowing traffic on port 8443. The application's configuration file correctly points to port 8443. What should the administrator do to resolve the issue?

Accepted Answer

Grant the 'Log on as a service' user right to the CORP\svc_app account via Local Security Policy or Group Policy.. The error 'The service did not start due to a logon failure' combined with the port bind failure points to the service account lacking the 'Log on as a service' right on the new server. User rights such as 'Log on as a service' are assigned per-machine via Local Security Policy or centrally via Group Policy, and they do not automatically follow a domain account when it is used on a new server. Even though the account is enabled and the password is valid, without the SeServiceLogonRight the Service Control Manager cannot create the logon token, so the service fails before it can bind to port 8443. Granting the right on the new server resolves both errors.

Answer

Restart the Windows Server 2022 server to apply any pending policy changes.

Answer

Configure the application to use a dynamic port instead of the static port 8443.

Answer

Reset the service account password and update the service configuration.

Question 10

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 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

To comply with company security policies, a server administrator must disable all unnecessary services on a newly deployed Windows Server 2019. The server will only act as a file server with no web hosting role. Which service should be disabled?

Accepted Answer

World Wide Web Publishing Service. The World Wide Web Publishing Service (W3SVC) is part of IIS and is not required for a file server role. Leaving it running increases the attack surface. Option A (DNS Server) might be used if the server provides name resolution, but it is not mentioned. Option B (DHCP Server) is also not specified as needed. Option D (Server service) is essential for file sharing and should not be disabled.

Answer

DHCP Server service

Answer

Server service

Answer

DNS Server service

Question 13

A user attempts to access a shared folder named \Server\Finance. The share permissions are set to 'Everyone – Full Control'. The NTFS permissions on the folder grant the user 'Read & Execute' but deny 'Write'. What is the user's effective permission when accessing the share over the network?

Accepted Answer

Read & Execute. When share and NTFS permissions combine, the most restrictive of the two applies. Share gives Full Control, NTFS gives Read & Execute, so effective access is Read & Execute.

Answer

Full Control

Answer

Write

Answer

No Access

Question 14

An administrator needs to remotely manage several Linux servers securely without using passwords. Which of the following is the BEST method?

Accepted Answer

Use SSH with key-based authentication.. Option C is correct because SSH with key-based authentication provides strong, password-less remote access. Option A is wrong because RDP is primarily used on Windows, not typical for Linux. Option B is wrong because Telnet is insecure, and SSH tunneling does not make Telnet secure. Option D is wrong because VNC is less secure and not designed for efficient server administration.

Answer

Use Telnet with SSH tunneling.

Answer

Use VNC with a strong password.

Answer

Use RDP with certificate-based authentication.

Question 15

A server administrator notices that a database server is experiencing high CPU usage at specific times of the day. After checking logs, the administrator finds that a report generation task scheduled at those times is causing the issue. The task cannot be rescheduled or optimized further. Which of the following actions should the administrator take to ensure the server remains responsive for other applications during peak usage?

Accepted Answer

Configure the task to run at a lower priority.. Configuring the report generation task to run at a lower priority ensures that the operating system scheduler gives the database and other applications preferential access to CPU resources during peak times. This keeps the server responsive without changing hardware or rescheduling the task. Lowering priority is a non-disruptive, immediate mitigation that addresses the contention directly.

Answer

Add more virtual CPUs to the server's VM.

Answer

Move the database to a server with faster CPU cores.

Answer

Configure processor affinity to dedicate a core to the database process.