FC0-U71 Tech Concepts and Terminology Practice Question
A technician is comparing storage technologies for a new workstation that will run a database with frequent random reads and writes. The technician needs a storage device with no moving parts, low latency, and high durability. Which of the following should the technician choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is focusing only on capacity or cost per gigabyte and overlooking that random access performance and durability are the primary needs for a database workstation.
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
✓
Solid-state drive (SSD)
An SSD meets all the stated requirements: it has no moving parts, provides low latency, and is durable against shock. It is specifically designed for fast random access, making it ideal for database workloads. The other options involve mechanical components and are better suited for bulk storage or backup rather than performance-critical random I/O.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Tape drive
Why it's wrong here
A tape drive is a sequential-access storage device used primarily for backup and archival purposes. It has moving parts and is extremely slow for random access because data must be read sequentially. It is not suitable for a database that requires frequent random reads and writes. While tape offers high capacity at low cost, it does not meet the low-latency, no-moving-parts requirement in this scenario.
- ✓
Solid-state drive (SSD)
Why this is correct
An SSD stores data in flash memory with no moving parts, offering very low latency and high resistance to physical shock. It excels at random read and write operations, which are common in database workloads. In this scenario, the technician needs a device that is fast, durable, and silent, all of which describe an SSD. While SSDs have a finite number of write cycles, modern drives are robust enough for most workstation database tasks.
- ✗
Optical disc drive (ODD)
Why it's wrong here
An optical disc drive uses a laser to read and write data on removable media, which is slow and not designed for frequent random access. It has moving parts and is far too slow for database operations. The media is also not rewritable in many cases, and capacity is limited. This option fails the requirements for low latency, high durability, and suitability for frequent random I/O.
- ✗
Magnetic hard disk drive (HDD)
Why it's wrong here
An HDD uses spinning platters and a moving read/write head, which introduces mechanical latency and makes it vulnerable to shock. It is suitable for bulk storage where cost per gigabyte matters more than speed. For a database with frequent random I/O, the seek time of an HDD would create a bottleneck. The requirement for no moving parts and low latency rules out HDDs in this scenario.
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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 FC0-U71 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 FC0-U71 exam.