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220-1102 Practice Question: A technician is preparing to replace a failed…
A technician is preparing to replace a failed hard drive in a server that hosts a critical database. The change requires a planned downtime of two hours. Which documentation must the technician review before proceeding?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse operational documentation (like network diagrams or warranty info) with the change management artifacts (change request and backout plan) that are mandatory before any planned downtime, leading them to choose a plausible but incorrect option.
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 approved change request and the backout plan.
Before performing any hardware replacement that requires planned downtime, the technician must review the approved change request to confirm the change has been authorized and to understand the scope, risk, and implementation steps. The backout plan is equally critical as it provides the documented steps to revert the server to its previous state if the replacement fails, ensuring database integrity and minimizing extended downtime. This aligns with ITIL change management best practices and CompTIA A+ 220-1202 objectives for documentation review during hardware maintenance.
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 server's warranty information.
Why it's wrong here
While knowing the server's warranty status is valuable for financial planning and determining service eligibility for parts or labor, it does not provide the operational instructions or authorization required for a technician to physically perform a hard drive replacement. The warranty details pertain to contractual obligations and cost recovery, not the technical steps or risk management protocols for the actual hardware intervention.
- ✓
The approved change request and the backout plan.
Why this is correct
The approved change request is paramount as it formally authorizes the work, details the scope, potential impact, and scheduled downtime, ensuring the technician operates within established IT governance and avoids unauthorized modifications. Concurrently, the backout plan is essential for risk mitigation, outlining the precise steps to revert the system to its pre-change state if the new hard drive fails or the replacement process encounters unforeseen issues, thereby minimizing service disruption and data loss.
- ✗
The network topology diagram.
Why it's wrong here
A network topology diagram illustrates the physical and logical interconnections between network devices, IP addressing schemes, and data flow paths within an organization's infrastructure. While crucial for network troubleshooting, configuration changes, or planning expansions, replacing an internal component like a hard drive within a server is a local hardware procedure that does not alter or depend on the server's network connectivity or its position within the overall network architecture.
- ✗
The employee handbook.
Why it's wrong here
The employee handbook typically outlines company policies, procedures, ethical guidelines, and human resources-related information, such as dress code, conduct expectations, and benefits. It serves as a guide for employee behavior and organizational culture but lacks any technical specifications, step-by-step instructions, or authorization protocols required for performing specific IT hardware maintenance tasks like replacing a failed hard drive.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Documentation and Ticketing Systems
Key term
Change management
Change management is the structured process of planning, approving, implementing, and reviewing changes to IT systems to minimize risk and disruption.
Key term
Integrity
Integrity is the assurance that data has not been altered or tampered with in an unauthorized way, preserving its accuracy and consistency from source to destination.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.