The correct answer is that high await indicates disk I/O requests are taking a long time to complete. In iostat, await measures the average time in milliseconds that an I/O request spends in the queue plus the time it takes for the disk to service it, so a high value directly reflects disk I/O latency. On the CompTIA Linux+ XK0-005 exam, this concept tests your ability to diagnose performance bottlenecks using iostat, often in scenarios like a slow database server where high await points to the disk as the culprit rather than CPU or memory. A common trap is confusing await with %util—await focuses on per-request latency, not disk utilization percentage. For a memory tip, think of await as "average wait": if the disk makes requests wait, the database will slow down.
XK0-005 Troubleshooting Practice Question
This XK0-005 practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 database server is running slow. The administrator uses iostat and notices high await times on the disk. Which of the following best explains the implication of high await?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Disk I/O requests are taking a long time to complete.
In iostat, 'await' measures the average time (in milliseconds) for I/O requests to be served by the disk, including time spent in the queue and the actual service time. A high await value indicates that disk I/O requests are taking a long time to complete, which directly explains the database server's slowness due to disk latency.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The CPU is waiting too long for memory access.
Why it's wrong here
await is a disk metric, not memory. CPU wait (iowait) is related but await is specifically I/O time.
✓
Disk I/O requests are taking a long time to complete.
Why this is correct
Await includes queue time and service time; high values mean disk is slow or overloaded.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The disk is almost full, causing fragmentation.
Why it's wrong here
High await does not directly relate to disk fullness; it is about response times.
✗
The network filesystem is experiencing latency.
Why it's wrong here
iostat measures local disk performance, not network filesystems.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'await' with CPU wait time (iowait) or assume it directly indicates disk fullness, when in fact await is a pure I/O completion latency metric that can be high due to queueing, slow media, or controller issues.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The await metric in iostat is calculated as (total I/O time) / (number of I/O requests), combining both queueing time and service time. In a database context, high await often correlates with a saturated disk controller or slow spindle speed (e.g., 7200 RPM HDD vs. SSD), and can be further diagnosed by comparing 'svctm' (service time) and '%util' to distinguish between queue buildup and slow hardware. Real-world scenarios include a misconfigured RAID controller write-back cache or a failing disk causing elevated await despite low queue depth.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the XK0-005 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this XK0-005 question in full detail.
Troubleshooting — This question tests Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Disk I/O requests are taking a long time to complete. — In iostat, 'await' measures the average time (in milliseconds) for I/O requests to be served by the disk, including time spent in the queue and the actual service time. A high await value indicates that disk I/O requests are taking a long time to complete, which directly explains the database server's slowness due to disk latency.
What should I do if I get this XK0-005 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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