PK0-005 Practice Question: Basics of IT Infrastructure and IT Project Management
A company is implementing a new backup solution for its mixed environment of legacy and modern servers. The backup server is connected to the same network segment as production traffic. During initial testing, some backups fail intermittently, especially during peak hours. The backup logs show timeouts. The project manager is asked to identify the most likely cause and recommend a solution. Which of the following is the best course of action?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume timeouts are caused by software or hardware failures, rather than recognizing the classic network congestion symptom where backup traffic competes with production traffic on the same subnet.
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
✓
Isolate backup traffic on a separate VLAN to reduce network congestion.
The backup server is on the same network segment as production traffic, causing congestion during peak hours. Backup timeouts indicate that the backup traffic is competing with production traffic for bandwidth, leading to packet loss or delays. Isolating backup traffic on a separate VLAN reduces network congestion by logically separating the traffic, ensuring dedicated bandwidth for backups and preventing interference with production operations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Upgrade the backup software to the latest version.
Why it's wrong here
While a software update might help, the intermittent nature during peak hours points to network congestion, not software bugs.
- ✓
Isolate backup traffic on a separate VLAN to reduce network congestion.
Why this is correct
Separating backup traffic onto its own VLAN reduces contention with production traffic, resolving timeouts.
- ✗
Increase the backup window to allow more time.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing the window does not reduce network congestion; backups may still fail during peak usage.
- ✗
Replace legacy servers with modern hardware.
Why it's wrong here
Replacing servers is costly and does not address the network congestion issue.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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