This LPIC-2 practice question tests your understanding of dns, web and mail services. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
An Apache web server is experiencing high memory usage under heavy load. The administrator wants to reduce the number of idle child processes. Which configuration directive should be adjusted?
ServerLimit
Why wrong: This is the maximum number of server processes, not related to idle count.
MaxRequestWorkers
Why wrong: This sets the maximum number of simultaneous requests, not idle processes.
KeepAliveTimeout
Why wrong: This controls how long idle connections stay open, not the number of idle processes.
MinSpareThreads
Reducing this value decreases the number of idle threads kept ready, lowering memory usage.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
MinSpareThreads
Option D is correct because MinSpareThreads controls the minimum number of idle threads that should be available to handle incoming requests. By reducing this value, the administrator ensures fewer idle child processes are kept running, which lowers memory usage under heavy load. This directive is specific to Apache's worker MPM (Multi-Processing Module) and directly influences the number of spare processes.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
ServerLimit
Why it's wrong here
This is the maximum number of server processes, not related to idle count.
MaxRequestWorkers
Why it's wrong here
This sets the maximum number of simultaneous requests, not idle processes.
KeepAliveTimeout
Why it's wrong here
This controls how long idle connections stay open, not the number of idle processes.
MinSpareThreads
Why this is correct
Reducing this value decreases the number of idle threads kept ready, lowering memory usage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse MinSpareThreads with MinSpareServers (prefork MPM) or think that reducing MaxRequestWorkers is the primary way to control memory, when in fact MinSpareThreads directly targets idle process reduction in the worker MPM.
Detailed technical explanation
In Apache's worker MPM, MinSpareThreads sets the minimum number of idle threads across all child processes; if the number of idle threads falls below this threshold, Apache creates new child processes to meet demand. Reducing MinSpareThreads means fewer spare threads are maintained, which can lead to lower memory consumption but may increase latency under sudden traffic spikes as new processes are spawned. A real-world scenario is tuning this value on a memory-constrained VPS where aggressive idle process pruning is necessary to avoid swapping.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the LPIC-2 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
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FAQ
DNS, Web and Mail Services — This question tests DNS, Web and Mail Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: MinSpareThreads — Option D is correct because MinSpareThreads controls the minimum number of idle threads that should be available to handle incoming requests. By reducing this value, the administrator ensures fewer idle child processes are kept running, which lowers memory usage under heavy load. This directive is specific to Apache's worker MPM (Multi-Processing Module) and directly influences the number of spare processes.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This LPIC-2 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI 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 LPIC-2 exam.
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