XK0-006 System Management Practice Question
An administrator wants to monitor real-time system resource usage to identify performance bottlenecks. Which two commands are suitable? (Choose two.)
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
✓
top
It provides a real-time, continuously refreshing view of CPU, memory, load average, and per-process resource consumption, making it ideal for spotting live performance bottlenecks. Option D (htop) is also correct since it is an interactive process viewer that displays the same real-time system metrics as top but with a more user-friendly interface, color-coded resource bars, and scrolling, which helps identify bottlenecks as they occur. Option B (vmstat) is not the best fit here because it typically reports virtual memory, CPU, and I/O statistics at sampled intervals rather than offering an interactive real-time monitoring view. Option C (iostat) is excluded because it focuses on I/O device and CPU statistics, usually in periodic reports, not a live interactive resource monitor. Option E (sar) is also not appropriate because it is designed to collect and report historical system activity data, often for later analysis rather than real-time bottleneck identification.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
top
Why this is correct
top renders a continuously refreshing view of CPU, memory and per-process usage, letting an administrator spot resource-hungry processes in real time. This satisfies the requirement to monitor live system resource usage for identifying performance bottlenecks.
- ✗
vmstat
Why it's wrong here
vmstat reports virtual memory, CPU, and I/O statistics, but it samples at intervals rather than continuously, so it does not provide the real-time, per-process view needed to pinpoint bottlenecks. It is tempting because it is a classic performance tool, and it would suit historical trend analysis or quick snapshot checks.
- ✗
iostat
Why it's wrong here
iostat reports CPU and per-device I/O statistics averaged over an interval, so it does not show live per-process memory or CPU pressure. It is the right tool for diagnosing disk throughput bottlenecks, but the scenario asks for real-time system resource usage, which top and vmstat provide.
- ✓
htop
Why this is correct
htop provides an interactive, real-time view of CPU, memory, swap and per-process usage, refreshing continuously so bottlenecks are spotted as they occur. This satisfies the stem's real-time monitoring requirement, unlike snapshot tools such as top's batch output or static utilities that report only a single instant.
- ✗
sar
Why it's wrong here
sar reads historical counters from the system activity data file, reporting past intervals rather than live usage. It is correct for retrospective trend analysis or capacity reporting, but the scenario requires real-time monitoring, which top and vmstat deliver directly from current kernel statistics.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Process Management and System Monitoring
Key term
User
A user is any person, system, or device that interacts with an IT service, resource, or identity system, typically authenticated through credentials and authorized to perform specific actions.
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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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This XK0-006 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 XK0-006 exam.