hardMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: Migrating a critical application from a physical…
A company is migrating a critical application from a physical server to a virtual machine. The application requires a static MAC address tied to its license. The technician performs a P2V migration and starts the VM, but the application fails to activate. The technician verifies that the VM has the same MAC address as the original physical server. What is the most likely cause of the activation failure?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that preserving the MAC address is sufficient to preserve the hardware fingerprint; candidates overlook that the BIOS UUID is a separate, hypervisor-generated identifier that licensing systems also check.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The VM's BIOS UUID has changed from the physical server
The [CORRECT] answer is B. During a P2V migration, the hypervisor generates a new BIOS UUID (also called the system UUID or SMBIOS UUID) for the virtual machine, even if the MAC address is manually preserved. Many license activation systems bind the license to a hardware fingerprint that includes the BIOS UUID, motherboard serial, and other SMBIOS identifiers—not just the MAC address. Since the UUID changed, the application sees a different machine and refuses to activate.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The virtual switch is set to NAT, blocking the license server
Why it's wrong here
NAT (Network Address Translation) primarily functions to allow multiple devices on a private network to share a single public IP address for external communication. While misconfigured NAT or firewall rules could potentially block network access to a license server, the problem description points to a license activation failure despite a correct MAC address, suggesting the issue is not a fundamental network blockage. The application's failure is more indicative of a hardware identifier mismatch rather than a network connectivity problem that NAT would directly cause.
- ✓
The VM's BIOS UUID has changed from the physical server
Why this is correct
Many critical applications and operating systems employ licensing schemes that bind the software's activation to specific hardware identifiers to prevent unauthorized use. The BIOS UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) is a common identifier used for this purpose, as it is designed to be unique to each physical machine. When an application is migrated from a physical server to a virtual machine, the hypervisor generates a new, different BIOS UUID for the VM, which the application's licensing mechanism detects as a change in the underlying system, leading to activation failure.
- ✗
The VM has insufficient RAM allocated
Why it's wrong here
Insufficient RAM allocated to a virtual machine would typically manifest as severe performance degradation, application crashes, or the operating system becoming unresponsive due to excessive paging to disk. While critical applications require adequate resources for optimal operation, a lack of RAM directly impacts operational performance and stability, not the initial license validation process. Licensing failures are generally tied to specific hardware identifiers or network access, not the amount of memory available for runtime operations.
- ✗
The hypervisor does not support the application's OS
Why it's wrong here
If the hypervisor did not support the application's operating system, the virtual machine would likely fail to boot, experience kernel panics, or exhibit severe instability from the outset, making it impossible to even attempt launching the application. The fact that the application *tries* to launch but fails specifically due to a licensing issue indicates that the OS itself is running correctly within the virtualized environment, confirming hypervisor compatibility. The problem lies with the application's specific licensing mechanism reacting to the virtualized hardware.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Troubleshoot: Motherboard Issues
Key term
BIOS
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is the low-level firmware stored on a motherboard chip that initializes and tests hardware components before loading the operating system.
Key term
MAC address
A MAC address is a unique hardware identifier assigned to a network interface card that allows devices to communicate on a local network.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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