AZ-802 Practice Question: Monitor and Troubleshoot Windows Server Environments
An administrator reports that Active Directory changes made on DC01 are not appearing on DC02. You suspect a replication issue. Which tool and command provide the most comprehensive output regarding the status of all replication neighbors for a specific domain controller?
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
✓
repadmin /showrepl DC02
Repadmin.exe is the primary command-line tool for monitoring and troubleshooting Active Directory replication. It provides deep visibility into the replication topology, last successful replication times, and specific error codes that occur when domain controllers fail to synchronize their databases, which is critical for maintaining forest-wide consistency.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Active Directory Sites and Services - 'Check Replication Topology'
Why it's wrong here
While Sites and Services allows you to manually trigger replication and check the topology, it does not provide a detailed, historical report of replication failures or specific error codes in a single consolidated view. It is more of a management interface than a deep troubleshooting and diagnostic tool.
- ✓
repadmin /showrepl DC02
Why this is correct
The 'repadmin /showrepl' command displays the replication status for the specified domain controller. It lists every naming context, the neighbors from which it replicates, the time of the last success, and the specific error message for any failures, making it the best tool for diagnosing sync issues.
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dcdiag /test:Replication
Why it's wrong here
Dcdiag is a diagnostic tool that runs a battery of tests against a domain controller. While the replication test is useful for identifying if a problem exists, it often provides less granular detail about individual neighbor status compared to the specific and targeted output of the 'repadmin /showrepl' command.
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Get-ADReplicationPartnerMetadata
Why it's wrong here
This PowerShell cmdlet provides similar information to repadmin, but 'repadmin /showrepl' is the traditional and most widely used tool for this specific task in Windows Server administration. Repadmin output is often preferred by administrators for its concise and comprehensive formatting when troubleshooting immediate replication failures.
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.