SK0-005 server-hardware-installation-management Practice Test 3 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician installs four new 16TB SAS drives into a server with a hardware RAID controller and creates a RAID 6 array. During the initial build, the controller reports the array as optimal, but the OS sees only about 29TB of usable capacity. Which of the following BEST explains the reduced capacity?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

RAID 6 reserves two drives' worth of capacity for dual parity, leaving the equivalent of two data drives usable.. RAID 6 uses two parity blocks distributed across all member drives, so usable capacity equals the total raw capacity minus two drives' worth of space. Four 16TB drives provide roughly 32TB raw, and after dual parity and binary conversion the OS reports about 29TiB, which is expected and not a fault.

Answer

The RAID controller is configured for RAID 10, and the operating system is misreporting the usable capacity.

Answer

The controller is holding one drive as a global hot spare, which removes its capacity from the array.

Answer

The OS is using 4K native sector formatting, which consumes additional space for metadata on each drive.

Question 2

A technician is preparing to replace a failed power supply in a running 2U server that has two hot-swap redundant power supplies connected to separate PDUs. The replacement unit is the same model and wattage. Which of the following steps should the technician perform? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Verify that the remaining power supply can carry the full load before pulling the failed unit.. Hot-swap redundant power supplies allow replacement while the server runs, provided the surviving supply can carry the full load. The technician should verify that capacity and then remove only the failed unit's cord and chassis, leaving the healthy supply energized so the system remains online throughout the procedure.

Answer

Confirm the replacement power supply LED indicates ready before sliding it fully into the bay.

Answer

Disconnect both power cords from the server before removing the failed power supply.

Answer

Power down the server through the OS and place it in standby before swapping the unit.

Question 3

A server administrator is installing a new RAID controller card into a server. The server has a PCIe 3.0 x8 slot available. The RAID controller is a PCIe 3.0 x8 card. After installation, the server powers on but the RAID controller is not detected by the operating system. The administrator verifies that the card is seated properly and the slot is enabled in BIOS. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAID controller firmware is not compatible with the server's UEFI BIOS.. When a RAID controller is installed but not detected, the issue often lies in firmware compatibility. Servers with UEFI require add-in cards to have UEFI-compatible option ROMs. If the card only has a legacy BIOS option ROM, it may not be initialized in UEFI mode. The administrator should check the card's firmware version and update it to a UEFI-compatible version. This is a common pitfall when mixing older RAID cards with newer servers. Thus, the most likely cause is incompatible firmware.

Answer

The operating system does not have the correct driver installed.

Answer

The RAID controller requires a PCIe 4.0 slot for full functionality.

Answer

The slot is not providing enough power to the RAID controller.

Question 4

A technician is preparing to install a new rack-mounted server into an existing rack. The rack currently has several servers and network equipment. Which of the following should the technician do to ensure proper airflow and cooling? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Verify that the rack's front and rear doors are perforated or ventilated.. To ensure proper airflow, the technician should install the server without leaving gaps and verify that rack doors are perforated. These actions prevent hot air recirculation and ensure cool air reaches the server's intake. Other options do not directly improve airflow or are incorrect practices.

Answer

Ensure the server's front bezel is removed for maximum airflow.

Answer

Install the server in the lowest available U space to reduce heat exposure.

Answer

Position the server so that its rear faces the cold aisle.

Question 5

A technician is installing a new 2U server into an existing rack. The rack already contains several servers and the technician notices that the new server's rail kit is a tool-less design that requires square-hole rack posts. The rack in use has round holes. Which of the following should the technician do to properly install the server?

Accepted Answer

Use the included cage nuts and screws to secure the rails to the round-hole rack posts.. Round-hole racks require cage nuts or clip nuts to create threaded mounting points for screws. Tool-less rails designed for square holes will not latch securely. Using cage nuts and screws allows the existing rails to be securely fastened, ensuring the server is safely mounted. This is the standard adaptation method for installing square-hole rail kits in round-hole racks.

Answer

Force the tool-less rails into the round holes and tighten the locking mechanism.

Answer

Replace the rack with a square-hole rack to match the rail kit.

Answer

Mount the server on a shelf instead of using the rail kit.

Question 6

A server administrator is planning to install a new 2U server into a rack. The server will host a virtualized environment and requires high availability. Which of the following should the administrator verify before installation? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

The rack has sufficient depth to accommodate the server and cable management arms.. Before installing a server into a rack, the administrator must ensure physical compatibility and power readiness. Rack depth and cable management space prevent installation issues, while power supply compatibility ensures the server can receive power. These are foundational for high availability. Other checks like CPU features or network protocols are configuration steps that occur after physical installation.

Answer

The network switches support the server's NIC teaming protocol.

Answer

The server's RAID controller battery is charged and functional.

Answer

The server's processor supports the latest instruction set extensions for virtualization.

Question 7

A server technician is installing a new 2U server into a rack. The server includes two hot-swap 1100W power supplies. The rack has only 120V/15A circuits available. The server documentation states that at 120V, each power supply can deliver a maximum of 900W. The technician connects each power supply to a separate 120V/15A circuit. After powering on, the server shuts down unexpectedly when running a heavy workload. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The total power draw of the server exceeds the capacity of the 120V/15A circuits.. The server shuts down under heavy load because the power draw exceeds the available circuit capacity. Although each PSU can deliver 900W at 120V, the circuit may not provide enough continuous power, especially if other devices share the circuit. The technician should verify the actual power consumption and ensure adequate circuit capacity, possibly upgrading to higher-amperage circuits or 208V power.

Answer

The power supplies are mismatched in wattage, causing an imbalance.

Answer

The server requires 220V power and cannot operate on 120V circuits.

Answer

The power supplies are not redundant because they are connected to different circuits.

Question 8

A server administrator is preparing to install a new PCIe expansion card into a rack-mounted server. The server will be used in a production environment where downtime must be minimized. Which of the following should the administrator do to ensure a safe and successful installation? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Consult the server's documentation to confirm the card is supported and the slot meets power and cooling requirements.. Before installing a PCIe card, always verify that the server supports the card and that the slot provides adequate power and cooling. Additionally, use an ESD wrist strap to prevent damage from static electricity. These two steps are critical for a successful installation and are standard best practices in server hardware management.

Answer

Verify that the server's power is completely disconnected and the power supplies are removed.

Answer

Update the server's BIOS and firmware to the latest versions before installation.

Answer

Enable hot-plug support in the operating system before inserting the card.

Question 9

A technician is tasked with installing a new PCIe SSD into a server to improve storage performance for a database. The server has available PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. The SSD requires a x8 connection and supports NVMe. The server's operating system is Windows Server 2019. Which of the following should the technician verify before installation? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

The operating system has the necessary NVMe driver installed.. Before installing a PCIe NVMe SSD, the technician must confirm that the server has a compatible PCIe slot with sufficient lanes and clearance, and that the operating system has the appropriate NVMe driver. These steps ensure the SSD is recognized and performs optimally. Other considerations like boot support or power are secondary for this database storage upgrade.

Answer

The server's BIOS/UEFI supports booting from NVMe devices.

Answer

The server's cooling system can handle the additional heat from the SSD.

Answer

The server's power supply wattage is sufficient for the additional SSD.

Question 10

A server administrator is configuring a new server with multiple network interfaces. The server will host a high-traffic web application that requires maximum throughput and fault tolerance. The administrator decides to use NIC teaming. Which of the following teaming modes provides both load balancing and failover?

Accepted Answer

Link Aggregation (802.3ad). Link Aggregation (802.3ad) is the standard for combining multiple network interfaces into a single logical link that provides both increased bandwidth and redundancy. It requires switch support and proper configuration. For a high-traffic web application, this mode ensures that traffic is distributed across all links and that the server remains reachable if a link fails.

Answer

Active/Passive (Failover)

Answer

Switch Fault Tolerance (SFT)

Answer

Adaptive Load Balancing (ALB)

Question 11

A technician is preparing to install a new server that will be mounted in a rack where the ambient temperature at the front of the rack is measured at 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). The server's documentation lists a maximum operating temperature of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) at the front intake. The technician needs the server to operate reliably within its warranty. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Lower the data center cooling or rearrange airflow so the front intake meets the documented limit before installing. Server warranties and thermal specifications are defined by the temperature of the air entering the front of the chassis, not the general room temperature. When the measured intake exceeds the documented maximum, the environment must be corrected before installation. Lowering cooling output or rearranging airflow to deliver compliant intake air protects components and preserves warranty coverage.

Answer

Install the server and monitor internal temperatures with the management controller

Answer

Add more rear exhaust fans to the rack to pull hot air out faster

Answer

Raise the data center cooling setpoint so the room matches the server's limit

Question 12

A server administrator is configuring a new server with four 10GbE network interfaces. The server will host a high-traffic web application that requires both high availability and increased throughput. The administrator wants to combine the interfaces into a single logical link that provides redundancy and load balancing. Which of the following should the administrator implement?

Accepted Answer

NIC teaming with switch-independent mode. NIC teaming in switch-independent mode allows the administrator to combine multiple network interfaces into a single logical link without requiring specific switch configuration. This provides both redundancy and load balancing, fulfilling the requirements for high availability and increased throughput. Other options either require switch configuration or are not designed for this purpose.

Answer

MPIO (Multipath I/O)

Answer

Link aggregation (802.3ad) with LACP

Answer

NIC teaming with switch-dependent mode

Question 13

A server administrator is installing a new PCIe expansion card into a rack server that has been powered down but is still plugged into the rack PDU. Before touching the card or any internal components, the administrator wants to follow proper ESD and electrical safety practices. (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Wear an ESD wrist strap connected to a known-good ground point on the chassis. Proper ESD and electrical safety during internal server work requires removing power and draining residual energy, then equalizing body potential with the chassis through a grounded wrist strap. Disconnecting cords eliminates standby voltage, and the wrist strap prevents static discharge from damaging the expansion card and motherboard. Gloves, carpet, and leaving cords connected do not provide these protections.

Answer

Wear latex gloves to insulate the hands from the card's gold contacts

Answer

Place the expansion card on a carpeted floor while preparing the slot

Answer

Leave the power cords connected so the chassis remains grounded while working

Question 14

A server administrator is configuring a new server with four 10GbE network adapters and wants to ensure network path redundancy if a single switch fails. The server's OS supports NIC teaming, and the switch ports are configured with LACP on two separate switches that are stacked. Which of the following teaming configurations should the administrator use to survive a single switch failure?

Accepted Answer

Switch-independent teaming with adapters spread across both switches in the stack. To survive a switch failure, the team's member adapters must be distributed across more than one switch. Switch-independent teaming places adapters on separate switches so the loss of one switch leaves the others active, and a stacked switch pair presents a coordinated fabric that supports this failover. Single-switch aggregation, active-passive on one switch, and single-standby designs all leave a switch as a single point of failure.

Answer

Link aggregation with all four adapters connected to one switch using LACP

Answer

Load balancing with all four adapters in a single LACP group on one switch and one standby adapter on the other

Answer

Active-passive teaming with both adapters connected to the same switch

Question 15

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. Attaching an ESD wrist strap to a grounded surface is the first step to safely discharge static electricity from the technician's body before handling server components. This prevents ESD damage to sensitive electronics.

Answer

Place an anti-static mat on the floor

Answer

Spray anti-static solution on the server rack

Answer

Wear rubber-soled shoes