SK0-005 troubleshooting Practice Question
A database server with 64 GB of RAM and RAID 5 storage is experiencing intermittent performance degradation. System monitoring shows constant 95% memory utilization, high disk queue length, and frequent page faults. The server is running a critical application that cannot be restarted during business hours. Which action will provide the BEST permanent resolution?
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
✓
Add more physical RAM
High memory utilization combined with frequent page faults indicates a memory bottleneck. Adding physical RAM eliminates the need for paging, permanently resolving the root cause. Increasing or moving the page file only mitigates the symptoms, while replacing RAID 5 with RAID 10 improves disk performance but does not address the underlying memory shortage.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Replace the RAID 5 array with RAID 10
Why it's wrong here
Although RAID 10 may improve disk throughput, the root issue is insufficient memory, not storage performance.
- ✗
Move the page file to a dedicated SSD
Why it's wrong here
Moving the page file can reduce disk contention but still relies on paging, which is far slower than physical RAM.
- ✗
Increase the size of the page file
Why it's wrong here
Increasing the page file only offers a temporary workaround and may worsen disk I/O; it does not resolve the memory shortage.
- ✓
Add more physical RAM
Why this is correct
More RAM directly alleviates memory pressure, reduces page faults, and eliminates the need for excessive paging.
Visual reference
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Physical and Logical Security Controls
Key term
RAID Levels
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) levels are different configurations that combine multiple hard drives or SSDs to improve performance, reliability, or both.
Key term
Dual In-line Memory Module
A Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM) is a small circuit board that holds memory chips and plugs into a computer's motherboard to provide Random Access Memory (RAM).
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This SK0-005 question is part of Courseiva's 185-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed July 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This SK0-005 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 SK0-005 exam.