220-1102 Operational Procedures Practice Question
A technician is about to perform a firmware update on a critical server after receiving approval from the change advisory board. The technician has downloaded the correct firmware from the vendor and verified the hash. During the maintenance window, the technician begins the update but the server becomes unresponsive after the flash process starts. Which of the following documentation should the technician have prepared BEFORE the update?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse operational documentation (like network diagrams) with change management artifacts (like rollback plans), overlooking the critical need for a backout strategy before high-risk maintenance.
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
✓
A rollback plan and backup of current firmware
A rollback plan and backup of current firmware are essential before any firmware update on a critical server. If the update fails or causes the server to become unresponsive, the technician can restore the previous firmware version to minimize downtime and data loss. This aligns with the change management process, which requires a backout plan for high-risk changes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
An updated network topology diagram
Why it's wrong here
A network topology diagram documents connectivity, not recovery steps, so it cannot restore an unresponsive server mid-flash. It is tempting because topology diagrams are standard change documentation, and would be the right artefact when the change alters network paths rather than firmware.
- ✓
A rollback plan and backup of current firmware
Why this is correct
A rollback plan with a backup of the current firmware lets the technician restore the server if the flash fails, addressing the unresponsive state. Preparing this before the update satisfies the change-management requirement for recovery from a failed firmware flash.
- ✗
A list of all users who access the server
Why it's wrong here
A user list identifies who accesses the server, giving no procedure for recovering a failed flash. It is tempting because access inventories support change planning and post-change validation, but the correct preparation here is a rollback or recovery plan for the firmware failure.
- ✗
An updated asset inventory record
Why it's wrong here
An asset inventory record tracks ownership and location; it cannot restore a server bricked mid-flash. It is tempting because inventory updates are standard change-management housekeeping, and would be the right artefact when auditing hardware or reconciling CMDB entries after a decommission or relocation.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
3-2-1 Backup Strategy
Key term
Firmware update
A firmware update is a process that replaces or patches the permanent software programmed into a hardware device to fix bugs, patch security vulnerabilities, or add new features.
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.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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