This XK0-005 practice question tests your understanding of system management. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A system administrator is troubleshooting a server that is experiencing periodic slowdowns. The administrator runs the 'ps aux' command and notices a process named 'cpu_burn' that is consistently using over 90% CPU. The administrator wants to identify which user is running the process and then terminate it. The server runs Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. Which command should the administrator use to determine the owner of the 'cpu_burn' process?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ps -eo pid,user,comm | grep [c]pu_burn
The 'ps -eo pid,user,comm' command outputs the PID, user, and command name for all processes, useful for identifying the owner of a specific process. Option A can show user but 'grep cpu_burn' will match other fields. Option B is correct as it directly greps the command name. Option C uses 'top' which is interactive and not efficient for scripting. Option D shows all processes filtered by user, but that doesn't help find the user.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
ps -u cpu_burn
Why it's wrong here
The -u option expects a user name, not a process name; this would fail.
✗
ps -ef | grep cpu_burn
Why it's wrong here
Grep may match partial strings, and output includes many columns; not optimal for identifying the owner.
✗
top -bn1 | grep cpu_burn
Why it's wrong here
Top output is not easily parsed for just the user column; it's designed for interactive use.
✓
ps -eo pid,user,comm | grep [c]pu_burn
Why this is correct
This shows PID and user for the process, and the bracket trick avoids matching the grep process itself.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Grep may match partial strings, and output includes many columns; not optimal for identifying the owner.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this XK0-005 question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related XK0-005 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
System Management — This question tests System Management — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: ps -eo pid,user,comm | grep [c]pu_burn — The 'ps -eo pid,user,comm' command outputs the PID, user, and command name for all processes, useful for identifying the owner of a specific process. Option A can show user but 'grep cpu_burn' will match other fields. Option B is correct as it directly greps the command name. Option C uses 'top' which is interactive and not efficient for scripting. Option D shows all processes filtered by user, but that doesn't help find the user.
What should I do if I get this XK0-005 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related XK0-005 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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