hardMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: That a VM running Linux suddenly displays a…
A user reports that a VM running Linux suddenly displays a 'Kernel Panic' error after the technician applied a snapshot and then reverted to it. The snapshot was taken while the VM was running. What is the most likely cause of the kernel panic?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is attributing a post-revert kernel panic to storage capacity or time sync rather than recognizing that a running-state snapshot is only crash-consistent and can leave the filesystem inconsistent.
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 snapshot captured the VM in a state where the file system was inconsistent (e.g., during a write operation).
A snapshot taken while a VM is running captures the disk state at a point in time, but the guest OS may have in-flight writes and an inconsistent file system/journal. Reverting to such a snapshot can present the Linux kernel with a corrupted or inconsistent root filesystem, causing a kernel panic on boot. This is why hypervisors recommend quiescing or shutting down the VM before snapshotting for critical workloads.
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 snapshot file became corrupted due to insufficient disk space.
Why it's wrong here
If the snapshot file itself, or associated delta disk files, became corrupted due to insufficient disk space during its creation or subsequent operations, the revert operation would most likely fail outright with an error message. It is less probable for a corrupted snapshot to successfully revert to a state that then causes a kernel panic upon boot. A kernel panic implies the system started booting but encountered a critical internal OS error, not a failure to load the snapshot data.
- ✗
The VM’s virtual disk was configured as thin provisioned and ran out of space.
Why it's wrong here
While a thin-provisioned virtual disk running out of space on the underlying datastore would certainly cause I/O errors within the VM, leading to application failures or even a frozen OS, it is unlikely to directly cause a kernel panic specifically after a snapshot revert. The revert operation itself does not inherently change the amount of consumed datastore space in a way that would trigger a new 'out of space' condition immediately post-revert. A kernel panic typically points to a deeper OS-level inconsistency rather than a simple lack of disk space, which would manifest as I/O errors.
- ✓
The snapshot captured the VM in a state where the file system was inconsistent (e.g., during a write operation).
Why this is correct
Taking a snapshot of a running VM without quiescing the file system can capture the disk state at an arbitrary point, potentially in the middle of a write operation or an incomplete transaction. If this snapshot is reverted, the file system metadata might not accurately reflect the actual data blocks, leading to an inconsistent state. When the Linux kernel attempts to mount or access this inconsistent file system during boot, it can encounter critical errors that trigger a kernel panic, as it cannot reconcile the file system's integrity.
- ✗
The hypervisor’s time synchronization caused a clock skew.
Why it's wrong here
Clock skew, resulting from hypervisor time synchronization issues (e.g., NTP problems or VMware Tools time sync misconfiguration), can indeed lead to various problems within a VM, such as authentication failures, incorrect timestamps in logs, or issues with time-sensitive applications. However, a clock skew is a relatively minor system issue that does not directly corrupt the operating system's core functionality or file system integrity. Therefore, it is highly improbable to cause a severe system crash like a kernel panic upon booting after a snapshot revert.
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Key term
Snapshot
A snapshot is a point-in-time copy of a system's data or state, used for backup, recovery, or testing without disrupting the original.
Key term
New Technology File System
New Technology File System (NTFS) is a modern file system developed by Microsoft that controls how data is stored, organized, and accessed on Windows-based hard drives and other storage devices.
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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
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.