easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: A Linux administrator needs to automate daily…
A Linux administrator needs to automate daily database backups and ensure the job runs even if the system is rebooted. Which approach should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often default to cron (option B) for recurring tasks, but the requirement 'even if the system is rebooted' specifically tests knowledge of systemd timers' persistent and catch-up capabilities, which cron lacks.
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
✓
Create a systemd timer unit that triggers a service.
A systemd timer unit is the correct approach because it can be configured to trigger a service unit (e.g., a backup script) on a daily schedule, and systemd ensures that timers persist across reboots and will catch up on missed runs if the system was down. This provides reliable, dependency-aware scheduling integrated with the init system, unlike cron which may miss jobs during downtime.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Schedule the backup using the at command.
Why it's wrong here
at is for one-time, not recurring.
- ✗
Add a cron job in /etc/crontab.
Why it's wrong here
Cron doesn't handle missed runs after reboot.
- ✓
Create a systemd timer unit that triggers a service.
Why this is correct
Timers can catch up after reboot.
- ✗
Use anacron to run the job daily.
Why it's wrong here
Anacron is fine but systemd timers are preferred for modern systems.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Linux Fundamentals and History
Key term
Init system
An init system is the first process started by the Linux kernel during boot that manages all other processes, services, and system initialization until shutdown.
Key term
Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system that manages computer hardware and software, widely used in servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
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