Infrastructure practice questions

USB-C to USB-C cable

A USB-C to USB-C cable connects the phone's USB 3.0 port directly to the laptop's USB-C port, preserving SuperSpeed signalling end to end. Using USB-A at the laptop end would force a USB 3.0 Type-A connection, which still works but the native C-to-C path avoids any adapter bottleneck.

802.11ax

802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) operates on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, unlike 802.11ac which is 5 GHz only. It adds OFDMA and MU-MIMO, boosting throughput and efficiency in dense, crowded environments, directly satisfying the stem's dual-band and performance requirements.

DDR5

DDR5 supports dual-channel operation across matched module pairs, providing the high memory bandwidth video editing demands. Its greater throughput and capacity per module suit large video files, satisfying the stem's dual-channel performance requirement better than older DDR generations.

Hybrid topology

A hybrid topology combines two or more base topologies, so redundant paths from its mesh or ring portions survive a single cable failure. This satisfies the stem's requirement that communication continue through alternate routes when one link breaks.

Mesh topology

Every node in a mesh connects to multiple others, so a single failed cable leaves alternate paths available and communication continues. That full interconnection directly satisfies the stated redundancy requirement, unlike bus or star topologies with single points of failure.

USB cable

USB is a standard wired connection for cameras.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth can wirelessly transfer photos.

SD card

Removing the SD card and inserting it into a laptop is a common method.

Bus

In a bus topology every device taps into one shared central backbone cable, exactly matching the stem. Data travels along that single cable, terminated at both ends. Star, ring and mesh instead use central devices, closed loops or point-to-point links respectively.

Inkjet

Inkjet printers deposit microscopic droplets of cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink, producing smooth colour gradients and fine detail on glossy photo paper. This satisfies the home office requirement for high-quality colour photo prints, which laser toner cannot match for photographic output.

Laser

Color laser printers can produce good quality photos, though not as high as inkjets.

vStorage

vStorage allocates virtual disk capacity and datastore-backed storage to each virtual machine, satisfying the requirement that compute, memory and storage resources be provisioned per VM. Unlike physical LUN assignment, vStorage presents abstracted virtual disks, letting multiple application servers share underlying storage while remaining isolated.

vCPU

Each virtual machine receives one or more virtual CPUs, scheduled by the hypervisor onto physical cores. vCPU is a standard allocation, alongside memory and vStorage, that defines the compute capacity available to each application server.

vRAM

vRAM is the memory capacity assigned to a virtual machine from the host's physical RAM pool. It satisfies the scenario's requirement to allocate resources per VM, letting each application server run with its own dedicated memory allocation independent of other guests.

USB-C (USB 3.1 Gen 2)

USB-C with 3.1 Gen 2 offers up to 10 Gbps.

Router

Provides DHCP and internet connectivity if desired.

Switch

Essential for connecting multiple devices in a LAN.

iCloud sync

iCloud sync stores contacts, calendars and files in Apple's cloud and pushes changes to every device signed in with the same Apple Account, so a smartphone and tablet stay consistent automatically. This satisfies the requirement to synchronise all three data types between the two devices.

Google account sync

Signing both devices into the same Google account synchronises contacts and calendar through Google's cloud servers, and Google Drive or Files handles file sync. This satisfies the requirement for a cloud-based method covering all three data types without a physical link.

USB cable connection

Can manually transfer files and sync data.

Wireless router

A wireless router typically includes a built-in four-port switch plus Wi-Fi, so the desktop, VoIP phone and printer can all reach the network from the single wall jack. It satisfies the constraint of one Ethernet connection.

Network switch

A network switch expands the single Ethernet wall jack into multiple ports, letting the desktop, VoIP phone and printer each obtain a wired connection simultaneously. It satisfies the stem's constraint of one available jack while preserving full-duplex, collision-free links per device, unlike a hub's shared bandwidth.

Graphics card (GPU)

Required for rendering graphics in games and video editing.

Sound card

Provides better audio quality for gaming and editing.

Star

Star topology connects every device to a central switch, so a single cable or port failure affects only that node rather than the whole network. This satisfies the reliability and easy-troubleshooting constraints, since faults are isolated and diagnosed at one central point.

Mesh

Mesh topology provides redundant paths between nodes, so traffic reroutes automatically when one link fails, satisfying the reliability constraint. Its many interconnections, however, make fault isolation harder, which is why it suits the reliability requirement but complicates the easy-troubleshooting goal.

Modem

Provides connection to the ISP.

Router

Routes traffic and provides NAT.

Switch

Connects wired devices in the LAN.

Virtual CPU (vCPU)

The hypervisor schedules physical cores as virtual CPUs, so allocating sufficient vCPUs gives the database engine the processing capacity it needs. Without adequate vCPU assignment the VM cannot execute query workloads at the performance level the scenario demands.

Virtual RAM (vRAM)

Virtual RAM maps guest memory to host physical RAM, and the database's buffer pool and query workspace live there. Allocating enough vRAM prevents ballooning and swapping to disk, which would otherwise destroy the low-latency performance the database scenario requires.

Virtual hard disk (vHDD)

The virtual hard disk backs the database files, logs and tempdb, so its allocated capacity and datastore performance determine I/O throughput. Insufficient vHDD space or a slow backing store throttles transactions, failing the optimal-performance constraint for this database VM.

Print head

Inkjet print heads are a wear item: nozzles clog and the head degrades with use, so it is replaced periodically. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a second consumable alongside ink, unlike the paper tray or chassis, which are not consumed.

Ink cartridge

Inkjet printers deposit liquid ink onto paper, so the ink cartridge is a consumable that depletes with each printed page and must be replaced periodically. This directly satisfies the scenario's inkjet constraint, distinguishing it from laser printers, which use toner powder instead.

High refresh rate (144Hz)

A 144Hz refresh rate refreshes the panel 144 times per second, roughly double the standard 60Hz, which directly satisfies the designer's need for smooth motion by reducing motion blur and perceived lag during video playback and animation work.

IPS panel technology

IPS panels align liquid crystals horizontally, delivering wider viewing angles and more consistent, accurate colour reproduction than TN panels. This directly satisfies the designer's requirement for accurate colour representation, which is the primary constraint in the scenario.

4K resolution (3840x2160)

A 3840x2160 panel provides four times the pixel density of 1080p, giving the fine detail and sharpness needed for editing high-resolution images. This supports accurate colour-critical design work where fine detail matters, complementing the colour and motion requirements.

Switch

A switch forwards Ethernet frames between the five workstations and the file server on the local segment, providing the wired connectivity the network needs. Without it, hosts have no central aggregation point, so file-server traffic cannot reach the workstations.

Router

A router forwards packets between the office network and external networks, providing the gateway that lets workstations reach outside resources. It satisfies the connectivity requirement beyond the local segment, complementing the switch's internal frame forwarding.

WPS

Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) allows devices to join a wireless network without manually typing a long passphrase, typically by pressing a button or entering a PIN. For a small business owner who wants convenience, enabling WPS on the SOHO router meets the requirement while still using WPA2 encryption under the hood. This is the correct feature because it directly addresses the need for simplified secure onboarding.