Question 130 of 144
SK0-005 server-administration Practice Question
A Linux database server has recently exhibited sluggish response times. An analysis of system performance shows high CPU wait I/O, frequent page swapping, and a low cache hit ratio. The server has 16GB of RAM, and the database itself stores 100GB of active data. Which of the following is the MOST effective long-term solution to improve performance?
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
✓
Increase the physical RAM in the server to at least 64GB.
Option C (Increase physical RAM to 64GB) is correct because the server is experiencing memory pressure leading to excessive swapping and low cache utilization. More RAM allows the database to cache a larger portion of active data in memory, reducing I/O wait and improving response times. Option A (Add faster SSDs) may reduce I/O wait but does not address the root cause—memory starvation. Option B (Tune the database query cache) might provide minor relief but is not a substitute for adequate memory. Option D (Increase swap space) would worsen performance by enabling more swapping.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Increase the physical RAM in the server to at least 64GB.
Why this is correct
More RAM reduces swapping and allows caching of a larger working set, directly addressing the high I/O wait and low cache hit ratio.
- ✗
Tune the database engine's query cache size.
Why it's wrong here
Query cache tuning can help in specific scenarios, but the overwhelming evidence of swapping points to a systemic memory shortage that tuning cannot fully overcome.
- ✗
Configure the server to use a larger swap partition.
Why it's wrong here
Enlarging swap would encourage more swapping, severely degrading performance; it's a stopgap, not a solution.
- ✗
Replace the existing hard drives with faster SSDs.
Why it's wrong here
SSDs would reduce I/O latency, but the high swapping indicates insufficient RAM; SSDs alone won't eliminate frequent disk-based reads due to low memory.
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Last reviewed: Jul 26, 2026
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