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XK0-006 Practice Question: A system administrator needs to monitor system…
A system administrator needs to monitor system performance over time. Which THREE tools can be used to collect and display CPU, memory, and I/O statistics? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between real-time interactive tools (like top and htop) and historical logging tools (like sar), and the trap here is that candidates may choose htop thinking it covers I/O, but it does not report I/O statistics, while sar is a valid tool that is sometimes overlooked.
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
✓
iostat
iostat (A) is correct because it is part of the sysstat package and reports CPU utilization along with per-device and per-partition I/O statistics such as tps, kB_read/s, and kB_wrtn/s, making it ideal for collecting and displaying I/O and CPU data over time. sar (C) is correct because the System Activity Reporter, also from sysstat, records and replays historical CPU, memory, and I/O metrics via cron-collected binary files (e.g., /var/log/sa/saXX) using options like -u, -r, and -b, which directly supports monitoring performance over time. vmstat (D) is correct because it reports virtual memory, CPU, and I/O statistics including processes (r, b), swap (si, so), memory (free, buff, cache), and block I/O (bi, bo) at specified intervals, allowing ongoing collection and display of the required metrics. top (B) is not among the marked answers because although it displays CPU and memory in real time, it is an interactive process viewer rather than a tool designed to collect and persist statistics over time, and it lacks dedicated I/O reporting. htop (E) is likewise excluded because it is an interactive process monitor similar to top and does not provide the historical data collection or detailed I/O statistics that the scenario requires.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
iostat
Why this is correct
iostat reads per-device and per-partition I/O statistics from the kernel, reporting transfer rates, request queue lengths and CPU utilisation. It satisfies the requirement to collect and display I/O statistics over time, complementing CPU and memory tools such as vmstat, sar and top.
- ✗
top
Why it's wrong here
top displays a live, refreshing snapshot of CPU, memory and process activity but retains no history, so it cannot collect statistics over time. It is tempting because it shows all three metric classes. top is the right choice for real-time interactive troubleshooting, not longitudinal monitoring.
- ✓
sar
Why this is correct
sar reads historical data collected by sadc, reporting CPU, memory and I/O statistics over time. This satisfies the stem's requirement for tools that collect and display performance statistics, unlike instantaneous tools such as top or vmstat.
- ✓
vmstat
Why this is correct
vmstat samples kernel counters for CPU utilisation, run-queue and swap activity, memory usage, and block I/O, printing periodic rows to the terminal. This satisfies the stem's requirement to collect and display CPU, memory, and I/O statistics over time on Linux systems.
- ✗
htop
Why it's wrong here
htop is an interactive process viewer showing current CPU and memory usage, but it stores no historical data, so it cannot collect statistics over time. It is tempting because its colour display covers the same metrics. htop suits live interactive inspection rather than recording trends.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Process Management and System Monitoring
Key term
cron
Cron is a time-based job scheduler in Unix-like operating systems that automatically runs commands or scripts at specified dates and times.
Key term
Process
In IT service management, a process is a structured set of activities designed to accomplish a specific objective, such as managing incidents or changes, by transforming inputs into defined outputs.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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