SK0-005 server-hardware-installation-management Practice Test 6 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is preparing to add a second processor to a dual-socket server that currently has one CPU installed. The server will run a memory-intensive virtualization workload. Which of the following steps are required for the upgrade to function correctly? (Choose two.)

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

Accepted Answer

Populate the memory slots associated with the new processor according to the server's population rules.. Adding a second physical processor requires a matched CPU that the firmware supports, and it requires memory to be installed in the DIMM slots wired to that processor's integrated memory controller. Without matched CPUs the system may not POST, and without populated local memory the new socket cannot operate correctly.

Answer

Move all existing DIMMs to the slots belonging to the second processor to balance the load.

Answer

Reinstall the operating system so it can detect the additional processor sockets.

Answer

Disable hyper-threading in firmware so the second processor's cores are recognized.

Question 2

A technician is adding a second CPU to a previously single-socket 2U server. The server boots but the operating system reports only half of the newly installed CPU's memory channels as populated, and total RAM is lower than expected. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The DIMMs for the second CPU were not populated according to the memory population guidelines for that socket.. A second physical CPU brings its own memory controller and DIMM slots, and those slots must be filled following the platform's population rules. When slots are left unpopulated in the required order, the corresponding channels are disabled and the OS reports less memory and fewer channels than installed. Verifying the vendor population table for the second socket restores full capacity.

Answer

The system BIOS requires a firmware downgrade to recognize the second CPU's memory controller.

Answer

The second CPU's integrated memory controller failed and must be replaced under warranty.

Answer

The second CPU was installed in the wrong socket orientation and is running at reduced capacity.

Question 3

A technician is installing a new 1U server into a rack that has been in production for three years. The server arrives with a rail kit that requires the rails to be attached to the server chassis before mounting. After attaching both rails, the technician notices the server does not slide smoothly and the front of the server is not flush with the other servers in the rack. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The rails were installed on the wrong sides of the chassis, reversing the front-to-back orientation.. Rail kits are handed and oriented front-to-back; when a rail is mounted on the wrong side of the chassis, the locking tabs and mounting flanges face the wrong direction. The server can still be forced into the rack, but it binds and sits proud of the other equipment. Reversing the rails to their correct sides resolves both the sliding friction and the front-panel alignment.

Answer

The rack posts are not square, so the rail kit cannot be mounted at the correct depth.

Answer

The rail kit is designed for a different rack depth and must be extended before the server is inserted.

Answer

The server chassis is too heavy for the rail kit and is bending the rails under load.

Question 4

A technician is installing a new server into a rack and needs to connect the server's out-of-band management port so the server can be powered on and monitored remotely. Which of the following should the technician connect?

Accepted Answer

The iDRAC or iLO dedicated management port to the management network.. Out-of-band management is provided by a dedicated service processor with its own network port, such as iDRAC or iLO. Connecting that port to the management network lets an administrator power cycle the server, view the console, and monitor hardware health even when the operating system is down.

Answer

The serial port to a terminal server.

Answer

The USB port to a KVM switch in the rack.

Answer

The onboard 1 GbE NIC to the production network switch.

Question 5

A server administrator is adding a second CPU to a dual-socket server that currently has one CPU installed. The server boots with one CPU but fails to POST after the second CPU is installed. The administrator verifies the CPU is seated correctly and the socket is clean. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The server requires memory to be installed in the slots associated with the second CPU before it will POST.. Dual-socket motherboards assign separate memory slots to each processor. When a second CPU is installed, the system expects memory in that CPU's associated slots; without it, the CPU cannot initialize and the server will not POST. Checking that each populated socket has memory in its corresponding channels is the key step for this scenario.

Answer

The second CPU is not on the motherboard's qualified vendor list for dual-socket operation.

Answer

The server's power supply wattage is insufficient for two CPUs.

Answer

The second CPU requires a different heatsink than the first CPU.

Question 6

A server administrator is installing a new 1U server into a rack that already contains several servers. The rack has a limited number of power outlets, and the administrator needs to connect the server's two redundant power supplies. Which of the following should the administrator do to ensure power redundancy?

Accepted Answer

Connect each power supply to a different PDU on separate circuits. For true power redundancy, each power supply should connect to a separate PDU on a different circuit. This isolates the server from a single PDU or circuit failure. Connecting both to the same PDU or circuit leaves a single point of failure, while leaving one unplugged provides no active redundancy. Separate circuits are the accepted best practice.

Answer

Connect both power supplies to the same PDU using two outlets

Answer

Connect one power supply to a PDU and leave the other unplugged as a spare

Answer

Connect both power supplies to the same circuit but different PDUs

Question 7

A technician is adding a second CPU to a dual-socket 2U server that previously ran with a single processor. After installing the matching CPU and heatsink, the server POSTs but the operating system only reports half of the newly installed memory, and the BIOS memory map shows several DIMM slots as unpopulated. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The DIMMs installed on the second CPU's memory channels are not seated or are in the wrong slots.. Adding a processor activates a second set of memory channels, each with its own required slot population order. If the DIMMs are not moved into the slots owned by the new socket, those channels train as unpopulated and the OS sees only the memory attached to the original CPU. Verifying the server's population table and reseating DIMMs in the correct slots resolves the missing capacity.

Answer

The second CPU requires a BIOS firmware update before memory can be enabled.

Answer

The new CPU is not on the server's hardware compatibility list.

Answer

The memory controller interleave setting was disabled in the BIOS.

Question 8

A technician is diagnosing a server that intermittently reboots under heavy load. The server has dual CPUs, 256GB of RAM, and four 1TB NVMe drives. The technician suspects a hardware issue. Which of the following should the technician check to confirm a power-related problem? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Review the IPMI event log for power supply failures or voltage warnings. Power-related intermittent reboots under load are best diagnosed by reviewing the IPMI event log for power supply warnings and verifying that the power supply capacity meets the total system draw. These two checks directly address power delivery and capacity. Other options target thermal or memory issues, which are less likely given the load-correlated symptom.

Answer

Use a multimeter to measure the voltage at the wall outlet

Answer

Run a CPU stress test and monitor core temperatures

Answer

Reseat the memory modules and run a memory diagnostic

Question 9

A technician is preparing to replace a failed hot-swap SAS drive in a production server. The server has a RAID 1 array for the operating system and a RAID 5 array for data. The failed drive belongs to the RAID 5 array. Which of the following steps should the technician take before physically removing the drive? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Verify the drive's slot location using the storage management utility or drive bay LED.. Before pulling a failed drive from a RAID 5 array, the technician must confirm the correct slot and verify the array's current state. These steps prevent removing a healthy drive and ensure the array can tolerate the replacement. Backups, power-down, and firmware updates are not required immediate pre-removal actions for a hot-swap replacement.

Answer

Back up all data on the RAID 5 array to external media.

Answer

Update the RAID controller firmware before removing the drive.

Answer

Power down the server to prevent electrical damage to the backplane.

Question 10

A rack-mount server must be installed in a cabinet that is only 30 inches deep, while the server's rails are designed for a 36-inch cabinet and allow the chassis to extend beyond the front and rear posts. The server must remain serviceable and the cabinet doors must close. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Verify the rail kit's minimum cabinet depth and obtain a shorter rail kit or a deeper cabinet if the specified depth is not met.. Rack rails are rated for a specific range of cabinet depths, and installing them in a shallower cabinet leaves the chassis unsupported at the rear and protruding past the posts. Checking the rail kit's published depth range and procuring compatible hardware or a deeper cabinet resolves the incompatibility before any damage or unsafe mounting occurs.

Answer

Install the server with the front posts only and let the rear of the chassis rest on the cabinet base.

Answer

Mount the server vertically using a wall-mount bracket instead of the rails.

Answer

Remove the cabinet's rear door to provide the extra clearance the server needs.

Question 11

A server administrator is replacing a failed hard drive in a server that uses a hardware RAID controller. The server supports hot-swappable drives. Which of the following should the administrator do FIRST to safely replace the drive?

Accepted Answer

Identify the failed drive using the RAID controller management utility or drive LEDs.. The correct first step is to identify the failed drive using the RAID controller management utility or drive LEDs. This prevents accidentally removing a healthy drive, which could cause a second failure and potentially data loss. Once the failed drive is confirmed, the administrator can safely hot-swap it. Backups and power-down are not required first steps in a hot-swap scenario.

Answer

Remove the drive immediately and replace it with a new one.

Answer

Back up all data on the server before replacing the drive.

Answer

Power down the server and disconnect power cables.

Question 12

A server administrator is tasked with installing a new PCIe SSD into a server that will be used for a high-transaction database. The server has available PCIe 4.0 x16 slots. Which of the following should the administrator consider to maximize performance?

Accepted Answer

Ensure the SSD is installed in a slot with direct CPU lanes rather than chipset lanes. To maximize performance, the PCIe SSD should be installed in a slot with direct CPU lanes. CPU-attached slots provide dedicated bandwidth and lower latency compared to chipset-attached slots, which may share bandwidth. Physical placement, riser cards, or downgrading to PCIe 3.0 do not improve performance and can introduce bottlenecks or compatibility issues.

Answer

Use a PCIe riser card to install the SSD vertically

Answer

Configure the slot to run in PCIe 3.0 mode for compatibility

Answer

Install the SSD in the slot closest to the power supply

Question 13

A technician is installing a new SSD into a server that supports NVMe drives. The server has an M.2 slot that supports PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA. The technician installs an M.2 NVMe SSD into the slot, but the server does not detect the drive. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The M.2 slot is configured for SATA mode in the BIOS/UEFI.. The most likely cause is that the M.2 slot is set to SATA mode in the BIOS/UEFI. Many server motherboards allow M.2 slots to be configured for either SATA or PCIe/NVMe operation. If set to SATA, an NVMe drive will not be recognized. The technician should enter the BIOS/UEFI and change the M.2 slot mode to PCIe/NVMe.

Answer

The SSD is not compatible with the server because it is not a 2.5-inch drive.

Answer

The server's power supply is insufficient to power the NVMe SSD.

Answer

The SSD requires a U.2 connection instead of M.2.

Question 14

A technician must replace a failed 2.5-inch hot-swap SAS drive in a running production server. The array supports hot swapping and the replacement drive is on site. Which of the following is the FIRST step the technician should take?

Accepted Answer

Identify the failed drive's bay location using the management interface or drive LEDs.. Hot swapping still requires positive identification of the failed member before any hardware is touched. The management utility or the fault LED on the carrier confirms the correct bay, preventing removal of a healthy drive. Once identified, the failed drive can be pulled and the replacement inserted while the system remains online and rebuilds.

Answer

Remove the failed drive immediately and insert the replacement to begin rebuilding.

Answer

Shut down the operating system and power off the server before opening the drive bay.

Answer

Update the RAID controller firmware so the replacement drive is recognized.

Question 15

A datacenter technician is preparing to install a new 2U server that uses a hardware RAID controller with a battery-backed write cache. The server will run a transactional database. The technician wants to ensure the write cache remains enabled during a power loss. Which of the following should the technician verify FIRST?

Accepted Answer

That the RAID controller's battery or supercapacitor is installed, charged, and reported healthy in the controller management utility.. Hardware RAID controllers with battery-backed or supercapacitor-backed write cache enable write-back mode only while cache protection is healthy. If the protection module is missing, charging, or failed, the controller defaults to write-through, which protects data but slows database writes. Confirming the cache protection module is installed and healthy is the first step before expecting write-back performance.

Answer

That the server's redundant power supplies are connected to two separate PDUs on different utility feeds.

Answer

That the database is configured with a RAID 10 volume rather than RAID 5 to reduce write amplification.

Answer

That the operating system write cache is disabled at the volume level to prevent double caching.