ITIL4-CDS Create, Deliver and Support Practice Question
Exhibit
CI_STATUS: { 'id': 'srv-001', 'health': 'degraded', 'dependency': 'db-prod-01', 'auto_patch': 'pending' }
DB_STATUS: { 'id': 'db-prod-01', 'health': 'critical', 'latency': '2000ms' }Refer to the exhibit. Using the 'Causal Link' analysis approach, what is the most appropriate action for the service team?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often fall into the trap of trying to fix the symptoms on the dependent service tier rather than addressing the root dependency failure.
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
✓
Prioritize the investigation and remediation of the 'db-prod-01' database health.
Causal link analysis requires identifying the root source of a chain of dependencies. Here, 'srv-001' is degraded because its dependency, 'db-prod-01', is in a critical health state. Addressing the symptom (the service) without fixing the source (the database) will not resolve the issue. Therefore, the team must prioritize the database remediation to restore the entire chain of dependent services, demonstrating effective incident and problem management logic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Restart the 'srv-001' instance to clear the degraded status.
Why it's wrong here
Restarting the instance is a temporary fix that fails to address the underlying cause, which is the critical health of the database. Since the service depends on the database, the degradation will immediately return. Effective resolution requires tackling the root issue in the dependency chain first.
- ✗
Trigger the 'auto_patch' process for 'srv-001' to resolve the health status.
Why it's wrong here
Patching the service will not resolve the latency issues caused by the critical status of the database. The root cause is external to the service itself, so patching is an irrelevant distraction that wastes resources and does not move the organization closer to restoring normal service operations.
- ✓
Prioritize the investigation and remediation of the 'db-prod-01' database health.
Why this is correct
The database is the upstream dependency causing the service degradation. By focusing on the database, the team addresses the root source of the issue, which is the most logical step in a causal link analysis to restore full service functionality to all dependent components and minimize user impact.
- ✗
Notify the users that 'srv-001' will be taken offline for unscheduled maintenance.
Why it's wrong here
Taking the service offline is an escalation that should be avoided if restoration is possible. Communication is necessary, but it should be paired with proactive remediation of the identified root cause. Simply announcing an outage without attempting to fix the core database issue is a failure of service delivery.
Visual reference
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every ITIL4-CDS question from scratch — 155 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or 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 September 2026 · checked against the official PeopleCert/AXELOS exam blueprint
This ITIL4-CDS practice question is part of Courseiva's free PeopleCert/AXELOS 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 ITIL4-CDS exam.