220-1102 Operational Procedures Practice Question
A technician is scheduled to apply a firmware update to a storage array during a maintenance window. The change was approved by the Change Advisory Board (CAB). At the start of the window, the technician discovers that the latest firmware version is only available on the vendor's support portal, which requires an active support contract that has expired. According to change management best practices, what should the technician do NEXT?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates think the technician should 'do whatever it takes' to complete the change within the maintenance window, ignoring the strict change management process and security risks of using unverified or outdated firmware.
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
✓
Stop the change and notify the Change Advisory Board that the prerequisites are not met.
The technician must stop the change because the prerequisite (a valid support contract to access the latest firmware) is not met. Change management best practices require that all prerequisites be satisfied before proceeding; otherwise, the change risks failure or security issues. The technician should notify the CAB so they can assess the situation and decide on next steps, such as renewing the contract or rescheduling the update.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Apply the firmware update using a previous version that is already available locally.
Why it's wrong here
Applying a previous firmware version that is already available locally would deviate from the exact change plan approved by the Change Advisory Board (CAB). Even if that older version is in your environment, it is not the update that was scheduled, and using it introduces unapproved configuration drift, potentially invalidating the change record and leaving the storage array unsupported. The correct process would be to halt and formally request a separate change to install the prior version, not to improvise within the current maintenance window.
- ✓
Stop the change and notify the Change Advisory Board that the prerequisites are not met.
Why this is correct
Per ITIL-based change management, if a prerequisite cannot be met (e.g., the support contract expired), the change executor must stop the implementation to avoid operating outside approved parameters, then inform the Change Advisory Board (CAB) immediately. This preserves the integrity of the change record and allows the CAB to assess the situation, possibly deferring or modifying the change after proper risk review. Continuing without prerequisites would be an unauthorized change, whereas halting protects both the system and the organization from liability and operational failure.
- ✗
Purchase a new support contract immediately using a company credit card and proceed with the update.
Why it's wrong here
Using a company credit card to purchase a support contract on the spot bypasses the organization's procurement, financial control, and vendor authorization processes, and it does not guarantee that the support provider will accept that transaction to make the storage array eligible for the firmware update within this maintenance window. The maintenance window is reserved for technical implementation, not emergency purchasing, and the CAB has authority over budget and vendor agreements. This action also creates a separate audit trail concern because procurement should follow approved SOPs, not be triggered reactively in the middle of a change window.
- ✗
Download the firmware from an unofficial mirror site to keep within the maintenance window.
Why it's wrong here
Downloading firmware from an unofficial mirror site is a security and integrity violation because the file could be tampered with, containing malware or corrupted code that would compromise the storage array and the entire network. It also violates organizational policy and the change management plan, which would require the firmware to come from the vendor's official support portal or a designated trusted repository. The correct action is to stop the change and escalate the unmet prerequisite, not to introduce an unverified binary into a production storage environment.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Certificate Management for A+
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
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 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 220-1102 exam.