AZ-802 Practice Question: Monitor and Troubleshoot Windows Server Environments
An administrator is troubleshooting a Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) cluster where one node shows a status of 'Retired'. The administrator needs to identify if a physical disk failure or a communication timeout caused this status. Which PowerShell cmdlet provides the most detailed health information regarding the operational status of the underlying physical disks in the storage pool?
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
✓
Get-PhysicalDisk
In a Windows Server Failover Cluster utilizing Storage Spaces Direct, monitoring physical disk health is critical for maintaining data redundancy. The retired status often indicates a hardware failure or a disk that has exceeded error thresholds. Using the correct PowerShell cmdlet allows administrators to drill down into the health metadata and operational status codes for precise troubleshooting.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Get-StoragePool
Why it's wrong here
This cmdlet provides high-level information about the health and operational status of the entire storage pool rather than individual disks. While it can confirm if the pool is degraded, it lacks the granular detail required to identify specific physical disk failures or the reasons why a particular drive was retired.
- ✓
Get-PhysicalDisk
Why this is correct
This cmdlet retrieves the status of every physical disk visible to the storage subsystem. It displays critical properties such as HealthStatus, OperationalStatus, and Usage. This is the primary tool for identifying which specific drive has failed or been marked as retired within an S2D cluster or a standard storage pool.
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Get-VirtualDisk
Why it's wrong here
This command focuses on the health of the logical volumes created on top of the storage pool. Although it will show if a volume is 'Degraded' or 'Incomplete' due to disk issues, it does not provide the hardware-level telemetry needed to diagnose the root cause of an individual physical disk failure.
- ✗
Debug-StorageSubsystem
Why it's wrong here
This utility is used for broader troubleshooting of storage faults and can help identify why a cluster might be underperforming. While it is a powerful diagnostic tool, it is generally used after identifying a specific component failure rather than as the primary means of checking the basic status of physical hardware.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
This AZ-802 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 AZ-802 exam.