The answer is PCI passthrough, enabled by hardware technologies like Intel VT-d or AMD IOMMU. This is correct because PCI passthrough allows a virtual machine to directly control a physical PCIe card, bypassing the hypervisor entirely, which is essential for legacy applications that require exclusive, low-latency access to proprietary hardware. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this question tests your understanding of advanced virtualization features beyond basic resource sharing; a common trap is confusing PCI passthrough with simpler features like device sharing or USB pass-through, which still route through the hypervisor. Remember that passthrough means the VM owns the hardware directly, so the hypervisor steps out of the way—think of it as a VIP lane for the PCIe card. A helpful memory tip: VT-d stands for “Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O,” where “directed” signals direct hardware access.
220-1101 Virtualization Concepts Practice Question
This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of virtualization concepts. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company plans to migrate a physical server running a legacy application to a virtual machine to reduce hardware costs. The application requires direct access to a proprietary PCIe card installed in the physical server. Which virtualization feature must the hypervisor support to allow the VM to use this card?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
PCI passthrough (VT-d/IOMMU)
Direct access to physical hardware like a PCIe card requires hardware passthrough technology, such as Intel VT-d or AMD IOMMU. This allows a VM to directly control the device without going through the hypervisor. The correct answer tests knowledge of advanced virtualization features for hardware compatibility.
Key principle: A trunk being up does not mean the VLAN is allowed across it. Always verify the allowed VLAN list and whether the VLAN exists on both switches.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Virtual machine snapshots
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots capture the VM state but do not provide hardware access; they are for backup and recovery.
✗
Virtual switch VLAN tagging
Why it's wrong here
VLAN tagging is a networking feature, unrelated to physical device access.
✓
PCI passthrough (VT-d/IOMMU)
Why this is correct
PCI passthrough allows a VM to directly use a physical PCIe device, which is essential for the proprietary card.
Related concept
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
✗
Virtual machine migration (vMotion)
Why it's wrong here
vMotion enables live migration of VMs between hosts, not direct hardware access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: an active trunk can still block the VLAN you need
A trunk being up does not prove every VLAN is crossing it. Check allowed VLAN lists, native VLAN mismatch, VLAN existence and access-port assignment.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VLAN questions usually combine access-port and trunking clues. The key is to identify whether the issue is local to one switchport, caused by the trunk, or caused by the VLAN not existing where it needs to exist.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
Trunk ports carry multiple VLANs between switches.
Allowed VLAN lists decide which VLANs can cross a trunk.
Native VLAN mismatch can create confusing symptoms.
TExam Day Tips
→Use show vlan brief to verify access VLANs.
→Use show interfaces trunk to verify trunk state and allowed VLANs.
→Do not treat every same-VLAN issue as a routing problem.
Key takeaway
A trunk being up does not mean the VLAN is allowed across it. Always verify the allowed VLAN list and whether the VLAN exists on both switches.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A help-desk technician troubleshoots why a newly connected PC cannot reach shared printers on the same floor. The cable is good, the switch port is active, but the PC is in VLAN 20 and the printers are in VLAN 10. The uplink trunk only allows VLAN 10. A trunk being up does not mean every VLAN crosses it.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 220-1201 question in full detail.
Review VLAN allowed lists, native VLAN mismatch detection, and how to verify VLAN membership with show vlan brief and show interfaces trunk. Then practise related 220-1201 questions on switching, trunking, and access-port configuration.
Virtualization Concepts — This question tests Virtualization Concepts — Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: PCI passthrough (VT-d/IOMMU) — Direct access to physical hardware like a PCIe card requires hardware passthrough technology, such as Intel VT-d or AMD IOMMU. This allows a VM to directly control the device without going through the hypervisor. The correct answer tests knowledge of advanced virtualization features for hardware compatibility.
What should I do if I get this 220-1201 question wrong?
Review VLAN allowed lists, native VLAN mismatch detection, and how to verify VLAN membership with show vlan brief and show interfaces trunk. Then practise related 220-1201 questions on switching, trunking, and access-port configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
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