CCNA Server Administration Questions

SSH key-based authentication replaces reusable passwords with cryptographic key pairs, so brute-force and credential-stuffing attacks against remote management access fail. This satisfies the stem's best-practise requirement by removing the weakest authentication factor from server administration channels.

A failed rebuild with a second drive showing a media error leaves the array degraded with no redundancy, so any further read stress risks total loss. Backing up critical data first satisfies the stem's requirement to minimise risk of permanent data loss before attempting another rebuild.

Avg. Disk sec/Transfer measures the average time, in seconds, for a disk transfer to complete. It includes both read and write operations and is a key indicator of disk performance. A high value indicates a disk bottleneck. This counter directly answers the question about average time for read and write operations.

A UPS provides battery backup during a power outage, allowing the server to continue operating briefly. A network management card enables the UPS to communicate with the server, so it can trigger a graceful shutdown when the battery is low. This meets both requirements: ride-through for short outages and orderly shutdown for longer ones.

RAID 10 combines mirroring and striping, providing excellent random read/write performance and high fault tolerance. It can tolerate multiple drive failures as long as they are not in the same mirrored pair. With eight drives, RAID 10 offers both speed and redundancy, making it ideal for database servers requiring high performance and maximum uptime.

Windows Admin Center is a browser-based management tool that can manage Windows Server 2022 Core installations remotely, providing a GUI for many administrative tasks. It does not require a GUI on the server itself and is designed for headless servers. It meets the requirement of using GUI-based tools to manage the Core server from a Windows 11 workstation.

The INPUT chain's default policy is DROP, and no rule permits inbound TCP port 80, so iptables silently discards every HTTP request before it reaches the listening service. Because the web server process itself is healthy, the blockage sits at the packet-filtering layer, matching the stem's confirmed-running service with failed user connections.

Batching small writes into larger sequential writes reduces write amplification and the number of program/erase cycles on the SSD, directly lowering wear. This approach maintains performance because sequential writes are generally more efficient for SSDs. It addresses the root cause, which is frequent small writes, and is a recommended optimization for write-intensive applications on flash storage.

Combining full, differential, and frequent transaction log backups allows restoration to any point in time down to the last log backup.

macOS supports SMB natively and can connect to Windows shares. When macOS uses SMB, it respects NTFS permissions because the server enforces them based on the authenticated user's token. This ensures consistent permission enforcement. Using SMB is the recommended method for macOS to access Windows file shares in modern environments.

Connecting each power supply to a different PDU on separate circuits ensures redundancy at both the power supply and power source levels. If one PDU or circuit fails, the other continues to provide power. This is a best practice for mission-critical servers and meets the requirement of maintaining operation during a power supply or power source failure.

This is an IIS component; if web hosting is not needed, it should be disabled to reduce the attack surface.

CHAP authentication verifies the identity of initiators, ensuring only authorized ones can connect. IPsec encryption secures data in transit, protecting it from eavesdropping. Together, they meet the requirements for access control and encryption. This is the correct configuration for securing iSCSI traffic.

RAID 10 combines mirroring and striping, offering excellent write performance because data is written to multiple mirrored pairs without parity calculations. It also provides redundancy, allowing one drive per mirrored pair to fail. This meets the database's need for high write performance and low latency while ensuring fault tolerance.

After installing FSRM, the administrator must create a file screen that defines which file types to block. A file screen can be configured to actively prevent users from saving files with specific extensions, such as .exe, .mp3, and .avi. This action directly implements the required restriction on unauthorized file types.

Overheating can cause machine check exceptions and random reboots. Checking CPU temperature and ensuring cooling fans are operational and heatsinks are clean can identify thermal issues. If temperatures are high, improving cooling may prevent further reboots. This is a logical hardware diagnostic step.