Question 131 of 750

Virtualization and Cloud Technologies →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Cloud Service Outage Troubleshooting

This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of virtualization and cloud technologies. 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.

A small business uses a cloud-based accounting application. Several employees report that they can no longer access the application, and they receive a message stating that the service is temporarily unavailable. The business's internet connection is working, and other cloud services are accessible. What is the most likely cause of this issue?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

A
The user's browser cache is corrupted.
Why wrong: While browser cache can cause issues, it would not affect multiple users simultaneously and wouldn't produce a 'service unavailable' message from the provider.
B
The cloud service provider is experiencing an outage.
A provider-side outage would affect all users of that specific service, matching the symptoms of multiple employees unable to access only that application.
C
The business's firewall is blocking the accounting application.
Why wrong: A firewall block would likely affect all cloud services, not just one, and would not typically show a 'service unavailable' message from the provider.
D
The employees' user accounts have been disabled.
Why wrong: Account disablement would affect only specific users, not all employees, and would likely show a different error message related to authentication.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Quick Answer

The correct answer is that the cloud service provider is experiencing an outage. This is the most likely cause because the issue is isolated to a single cloud-based accounting application while the business’s internet connection remains functional and other cloud services are still accessible, which rules out local network problems or client-side failures. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of cloud service models and the distinction between provider-side outages and local connectivity issues—a common trap is to blame the user’s internet or browser when the real problem lies with the service itself. When troubleshooting cloud service outages, remember that if only one application fails while everything else works, the provider is likely down. A useful memory tip is “one app down, provider’s frown”—if a single cloud service is unavailable despite a working network, the outage is almost certainly on the provider’s end.

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

✓

The cloud service provider is experiencing an outage.

The correct answer is B because the scenario describes a service-specific outage: the cloud-based accounting application is inaccessible while other cloud services and the internet connection remain functional. This pattern—one application failing while others work—strongly indicates that the issue is isolated to that particular cloud service provider, not the local network or user accounts. A provider outage would cause the 'temporarily unavailable' message, as the application's servers are unreachable.

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 user's browser cache is corrupted.
Why it's wrong here
While browser cache can cause issues, it would not affect multiple users simultaneously and wouldn't produce a 'service unavailable' message from the provider.
✓
The cloud service provider is experiencing an outage.
Why this is correct
A provider-side outage would affect all users of that specific service, matching the symptoms of multiple employees unable to access only that application.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The business's firewall is blocking the accounting application.
Why it's wrong here
A firewall block would likely affect all cloud services, not just one, and would not typically show a 'service unavailable' message from the provider.
✗
The employees' user accounts have been disabled.
Why it's wrong here
Account disablement would affect only specific users, not all employees, and would likely show a different error message related to authentication.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

CompTIA A+ often tests the distinction between client-side issues (cache, firewall, account status) and provider-side outages by presenting a scenario where only one service fails, tempting candidates to blame local configuration rather than recognizing the service-specific outage pattern.

Trap categories for this question

Command / output trap
A firewall block would likely affect all cloud services, not just one, and would not typically show a 'service unavailable' message from the provider.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Cloud service outages are often caused by backend failures such as database replication lag, load balancer misconfiguration, or DNS resolution failures within the provider's infrastructure. In practice, providers like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud publish real-time status dashboards (e.g., AWS Health Dashboard) that report service-specific incidents; a '503 Service Unavailable' HTTP response code is the standard indicator of a temporary server-side outage, distinct from client-side errors like 401 (unauthorized) or 403 (forbidden).

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 220-1202 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.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Related 220-1202 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

Windows OS Features and Tools practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows OS Features and Tools.

Windows Settings and Control Panel practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows Settings and Control Panel.

Windows Command-Line Tools practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows Command-Line Tools.

Windows Administrative Tools practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows Administrative Tools.

macOS Features and Tools practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to macOS Features and Tools.

Linux Commands and File Permissions practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Linux Commands and File Permissions.

Mobile OS Features and Tools practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Mobile OS Features and Tools.

Virtualization and Cloud Technologies practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Virtualization and Cloud Technologies.

Physical Security Controls practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Physical Security Controls.

Logical Security Concepts practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Logical Security Concepts.

Wireless Security Protocols practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Wireless Security Protocols.

Malware Types and Removal practice questions

Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Malware Types and Removal.

Practice this exam

Start a free 220-1202 practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

10 questions 20 questions 30 questions 50 questions Timed 30

220-1202 practice-test guide →Study guide →Browse all practice tests

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 220-1202 question test?

Virtualization and Cloud Technologies — This question tests Virtualization and Cloud Technologies — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The cloud service provider is experiencing an outage. — The correct answer is B because the scenario describes a service-specific outage: the cloud-based accounting application is inaccessible while other cloud services and the internet connection remain functional. This pattern—one application failing while others work—strongly indicates that the issue is isolated to that particular cloud service provider, not the local network or user accounts. A provider outage would cause the 'temporarily unavailable' message, as the application's servers are unreachable.

What should I do if I get this 220-1202 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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

About these practice questions

Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on 220-1202

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. A company uses a cloud-based SaaS application for customer relationship management (CRM). Several employees report that they cannot access the CRM this morning, but internet connectivity is working. The IT support team checks the cloud provider's status page and finds no reported outages. What should the technician check next?

easy

A.Verify that the DNS server is resolving the CRM URL correctly.
✓ B.Check if the users' accounts have expired or if passwords need to be reset.
C.Reboot the company's firewall to clear any temporary blocks.
D.Reinstall the CRM application on the affected workstations.

Why B: When a cloud service is accessible to some but not others, the issue is often local authentication or configuration. Expired credentials or browser cache problems are common causes. The cloud provider's status page shows no outage, so the issue is likely client-side. DNS and firewall settings would affect all users if misconfigured.

Keep practising

Question Discussion

Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.

Loading comments…

This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.