The answer is to use both `Requires=db.service` and `After=db.service` in the `[Unit]` section of `web.service`. `Requires` establishes a hard dependency, meaning that if the database service fails to start or becomes inactive, the web service will also be stopped or prevented from starting. `After` enforces the ordering, ensuring the web service only begins after the database has reached an active state; without `After`, `Requires` alone does not guarantee startup order. On the CompTIA Linux+ XK0-005 exam, this tests your understanding that dependency and ordering are separate directives—a common trap is assuming `Requires` implies sequencing. Remember the mnemonic: "Requires for the rope, After for the order"—you need both to tie the services together and line them up correctly.
XK0-005 Scripting, Containers and Automation Practice Question
This XK0-005 practice question tests your understanding of scripting, containers and automation. 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.
An administrator wants to ensure that a web service starts after the database service has fully initialized. Which TWO methods can be used to achieve this ordering dependency in systemd?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add Requires=db.service in the [Unit] section
Option A is correct because `Requires=db.service` in the `[Unit]` section declares a strong dependency: if `db.service` fails to start, `web.service` will not be started. Option B is correct because `After=db.service` in the `[Unit]` section of `web.service` ensures that `web.service` starts only after `db.service` has reached the 'active' state, enforcing the required ordering. Together, these two directives guarantee both dependency and sequencing.
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.
✓
Add Requires=db.service in the [Unit] section
Why this is correct
Makes db.service a required dependency; together with After, it ensures ordering.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Add After=db.service in the [Unit] section of web.service
Why this is correct
Specifies that web.service should be started after db.service.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Add BindsTo=db.service in the [Unit] section
Why it's wrong here
BindsTo ties the lifecycle; stopping db stops web, but ordering is not guaranteed.
✗
Add Wants=db.service in the [Unit] section
Why it's wrong here
Wants is a weak dependency; db.service may not start.
✗
Add PartOf=db.service in the [Unit] section
Why it's wrong here
PartOf is used for stopping/restarting together, not ordering.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often pick only `After=` (option B) thinking it alone enforces the dependency, forgetting that `After=` only orders startup and does not prevent the web service from starting if the database fails — the exam expects the combination of `Requires=` and `After=` to fully satisfy the 'starts after and depends on' requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under systemd, `After=` only controls ordering (the start sequence), not dependency — a unit with `After=db.service` can still start even if `db.service` fails unless `Requires=` is also present. Conversely, `Requires=` alone does not enforce ordering; you must combine it with `After=` to ensure the dependency is started first. In practice, many administrators use `Wants=` with `After=` for soft dependencies, but for a hard ordering requirement where the web service must wait for the database to be fully initialized, `Requires=` plus `After=` is the correct pair.
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.
Scripting, Containers and Automation — This question tests Scripting, Containers and Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add Requires=db.service in the [Unit] section — Option A is correct because `Requires=db.service` in the `[Unit]` section declares a strong dependency: if `db.service` fails to start, `web.service` will not be started. Option B is correct because `After=db.service` in the `[Unit]` section of `web.service` ensures that `web.service` starts only after `db.service` has reached the 'active' state, enforcing the required ordering. Together, these two directives guarantee both dependency and sequencing.
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.
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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