CV0-004 Troubleshooting Practice Question
A cloud administrator is troubleshooting a performance degradation issue on a database server hosted in a public cloud. The server is experiencing high disk I/O wait times. The administrator suspects that the storage volume type is not optimized for the workload. Which two actions should the administrator take to address the issue? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that increasing volume size automatically scales IOPS linearly, which is not true for all volume types and may not meet performance needs.
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
✓
Change the storage volume to a higher-performance SSD-based volume type.
High disk I/O wait times indicate that the storage volume cannot keep up with the workload's demand. The most effective solutions are to change to a higher-performance volume type or provision a volume with higher IOPS. Both actions directly increase the storage's ability to handle I/O operations, reducing wait times. Diagnostic steps like monitoring are useful but do not resolve the issue.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Increase the size of the existing volume to automatically improve IOPS.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing volume size can sometimes increase IOPS for certain volume types like general-purpose SSD, but it is not guaranteed and may not be sufficient for high-performance workloads. The relationship between size and IOPS is not linear for all types. Moreover, resizing may require downtime and does not directly address the need for higher IOPS if the volume type is the limiting factor. Therefore, this is not a reliable solution.
- ✓
Change the storage volume to a higher-performance SSD-based volume type.
Why this is correct
Upgrading to a higher-performance SSD volume type, such as provisioned IOPS SSD, can significantly reduce disk I/O wait times by providing more IOPS and lower latency. This is a direct solution when the current volume type is the bottleneck. The administrator should evaluate the workload's IOPS requirements and choose an appropriate volume type. This action addresses the root cause of high I/O wait.
- ✗
Increase the instance type to one with more memory.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing memory may help if the database is caching more data, but it does not directly address disk I/O wait times. The bottleneck is storage performance, not memory. A memory upgrade could reduce the need for disk reads, but it is not a direct solution for high I/O wait. The administrator should focus on storage optimizations first. This option is not the most effective for the given symptom.
- ✓
Move the database to a volume with a higher IOPS provisioned.
Why this is correct
Provisioning a volume with higher IOPS, such as a provisioned IOPS SSD, directly increases the available IOPS and reduces I/O wait times. This is especially effective if the current volume has insufficient IOPS for the workload. The administrator can migrate the database to the new volume with minimal downtime using snapshots. This action provides a guaranteed performance improvement.
- ✗
Enable detailed monitoring for the volume to analyze I/O patterns.
Why it's wrong here
Enabling detailed monitoring is a diagnostic step, not a remediation action. While it can help identify the issue, it does not resolve the high I/O wait times. The administrator needs to take corrective action to improve performance. Monitoring is useful for validation but should not be counted as a solution to the problem. This option does not address the root cause.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 834 original CV0-004 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 CV0-004 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 CV0-004 exam.