220-1101 Hardware Practice Question
A technician is replacing a failed hard drive in a server that uses RAID 1 (mirroring). The server has hot-swappable drive bays, and the operating system continues to function with the remaining drive. Which of the following steps should the technician perform FIRST to restore fault tolerance?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates think they need to manually configure the new drive as a hot spare or format it first, but in a hot-swap RAID 1 scenario, the controller handles the rebuild automatically once the drive is inserted.
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
✓
Remove the failed drive, insert a new drive of equal or larger capacity, and allow the RAID controller to rebuild the mirror automatically
In a RAID 1 (mirroring) configuration with hot-swappable bays, the failed drive can be removed and a new drive of equal or larger capacity inserted while the system remains online. The RAID controller will automatically detect the new drive and rebuild the mirror, restoring fault tolerance without manual intervention or backup restoration. This is the standard first step because it leverages the hot-swap capability and the automatic rebuild feature of RAID 1.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Replace both hard drives and restore the data from a recent backup
Why it's wrong here
This is not the correct procedure for RAID 1. The array is still operational with one drive; replacing both is unnecessary and causes downtime. Restoring from backup would be a last resort if both drives failed.
When this WOULD be correct
This would be correct if both drives in the RAID 1 array had failed simultaneously, or if the server did not support hot-swap and required a power-down, making it more efficient to replace both drives at once. In such a scenario, restoring from backup would be necessary after replacement.
- ✓
Remove the failed drive, insert a new drive of equal or larger capacity, and allow the RAID controller to rebuild the mirror automatically
Why this is correct
This is the standard procedure for replacing a failed drive in a RAID 1 array. The new drive should be the same size or larger (extra space may not be usable). Most RAID controllers will automatically begin rebuilding once the new drive is detected.
- ✗
Format the new drive in the server's file system before inserting it
Why it's wrong here
Formatting the new drive before insertion is unnecessary and can interfere with RAID 1 rebuild. RAID controllers write their own metadata and copy data block-by-block from the surviving mirror, so any pre-existing filesystem (e.g., ext4, NTFS) would be overwritten or could cause the controller to misidentify the drive as 'foreign' or 'unconfigured,' preventing automatic rebuild. Simply insert the unformatted drive; the controller handles the rest.
When this WOULD be correct
When replacing a drive in a non-RAID, standalone system (e.g., a single SATA drive in a desktop) where the replacement drive must be formatted with a file system (e.g., NTFS) before the OS can use it for data storage.
- ✗
Remove the failed drive, insert a new drive, and launch the RAID configuration utility to designate the new drive as a hot spare
Why it's wrong here
Designating a drive as a hot spare is for automatic replacement of a failed drive in the future. In this scenario, the technician is manually replacing the failed drive; the new drive should simply be added to the array to initiate the rebuild.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct in a scenario where a RAID 5 or RAID 6 array has a failed drive and the administrator wants to add a spare drive that can automatically replace any future failed drive, rather than immediately rebuilding the array.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The 220-1101 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Remove the failed drive, insert a new drive of equal or larger capacity, and allow the RAID controller to rebuild the mirror automaticallyCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
This is the standard procedure for replacing a failed drive in a RAID 1 array. The new drive should be the same size or larger (extra space may not be usable). Most RAID controllers will automatically begin rebuilding once the new drive is detected.
✗Replace both hard drives and restore the data from a recent backupWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
RAID 1 mirroring allows the system to continue with one drive; replacing both drives is unnecessary and would require restoring from backup, which is not the first step. The correct first step is to replace only the failed drive and let the mirror rebuild automatically.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This would be correct if both drives in the RAID 1 array had failed simultaneously, or if the server did not support hot-swap and required a power-down, making it more efficient to replace both drives at once. In such a scenario, restoring from backup would be necessary after replacement.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that replacing both drives ensures a clean, consistent state, or they may confuse RAID 1 with RAID 0 where both drives are needed for operation. They might also overestimate the risk of data corruption on the remaining drive.
✗Format the new drive in the server's file system before inserting itWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
In RAID 1 with hot-swappable bays, the new drive is automatically recognized and rebuilt by the controller without manual formatting. Formatting the drive would interfere with the RAID metadata and prevent the automatic rebuild process.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When replacing a drive in a non-RAID, standalone system (e.g., a single SATA drive in a desktop) where the replacement drive must be formatted with a file system (e.g., NTFS) before the OS can use it for data storage.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the need to prepare a new drive for use in a non-RAID environment with the RAID rebuild process, assuming that formatting is a required step before insertion.
✗Remove the failed drive, insert a new drive, and launch the RAID configuration utility to designate the new drive as a hot spareWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
In RAID 1, the failed drive should be replaced and the mirror automatically rebuilds without needing to designate the new drive as a hot spare. Designating it as a hot spare is unnecessary because the array already has a dedicated replacement drive.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct in a scenario where a RAID 5 or RAID 6 array has a failed drive and the administrator wants to add a spare drive that can automatically replace any future failed drive, rather than immediately rebuilding the array.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the process of adding a hot spare for proactive fault tolerance with the immediate replacement and rebuild required after a drive failure in a mirrored set.
Analysis generated from the official 220-1101blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Optical Drive Types: DVD, Blu-Ray
Key term
Redundant Array of Independent Disks
A technology that combines multiple physical hard drives into a single logical unit to improve performance, reliability, or both.
Key term
Operating system
An operating system (OS) is the core software that manages a computer's hardware and software resources, providing common services for computer programs.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1101 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 220-1101 exam.