Question 1:

A server technician installs a new CPU but the server fails to boot. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
A. Incorrect RAID level
B. Incompatible CPU
C. Faulty NIC
D. Corrupt bootloader
Correct Answer: B. Incompatible CPU
Explanation: If the CPU is not compatible with the motherboard, the system will not start.

Question 2:

Which RAID level provides disk striping with parity, allowing for fault tolerance and performance?
A. RAID 0
B. RAID 1
C. RAID 5
D. RAID 10
Correct Answer: C. RAID 5
Explanation: RAID 5 offers both fault tolerance and improved performance using parity.

Question 3:

What is the default port for HTTPS traffic?
A. 80
B. 443
C. 25
D. 22
Correct Answer: B. 443
Explanation: Port 443 is used for secure HTTP (HTTPS) traffic.

Question 4:

Which of the following technologies allows multiple operating systems to run on a single physical server?
A. Clustering
B. Replication
C. Virtualization
D. Load balancing
Correct Answer: C. Virtualization
Explanation: Virtualization lets multiple virtual machines run on one host.

Question 5:

Which type of backup backs up all selected files and resets the archive bit?
A. Differential
B. Incremental
C. Full
D. Snapshot
Correct Answer: C. Full
Explanation: A full backup copies all data and resets archive bits.

Question 6:

What does the acronym iSCSI stand for?
A. Internal SCSI
B. Internet Small Computer System Interface
C. Integrated SCSI
D. Intelligent Storage and Control System Interface
Correct Answer: B. Internet Small Computer System Interface
Explanation: iSCSI allows data transfer over IP networks for block-level storage.

Question 7:

A server technician receives an alert that CPU temperature is critical. What is the first action to take?
A. Increase the CPU voltage
B. Replace the CPU
C. Check the cooling system
D. Disable power-saving settings
Correct Answer: C. Check the cooling system
Explanation: Overheating is often caused by fan failure, dust, or improper cooling.

Question 8:

Which power redundancy feature is commonly found in enterprise-class servers?
A. UPS
B. Dual NICs
C. Hot-swappable drives
D. Redundant power supplies
Correct Answer: D. Redundant power supplies
Explanation: Redundant power supplies help maintain uptime during power source failure.

Question 9:

Which type of cable is used to connect a server to a SAN using Fibre Channel?
A. Cat6
B. HDMI
C. RG-6
D. Optical fiber
Correct Answer: D. Optical fiber
Explanation: Fibre Channel SANs use optical fiber for high-speed data transmission.

Question 10:

Which of the following BEST describes server hardening?
A. Installing additional hard drives
B. Adding user accounts
C. Applying security configurations
D. Running disk cleanup
Correct Answer: C. Applying security configurations
Explanation: Server hardening involves removing vulnerabilities and applying security best practices.

Question 11:

You need to configure a server to boot from the network. What protocol is commonly used for this purpose?
A. SMB
B. PXE
C. HTTP
D. DNS
Correct Answer: B. PXE
Explanation: PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) enables booting from a network server.

Question 12:

Which log type is used to detect unauthorized login attempts?
A. Performance log
B. Security log
C. Application log
D. Installation log
Correct Answer: B. Security log
Explanation: Security logs track access events and login attempts.

Question 13:

Which tool allows remote management of a server even when the OS is not running?
A. RDP
B. SSH
C. IPMI
D. VNC
Correct Answer: C. IPMI
Explanation: IPMI enables out-of-band management of hardware remotely.

Question 14:

What is the purpose of DNS in a networked server environment?
A. Encrypt traffic
B. Assign IP addresses
C. Translate domain names to IP addresses
D. Store email messages
Correct Answer: C. Translate domain names to IP addresses
Explanation: DNS resolves human-readable names to IP addresses.

Question 15:

Which backup type only copies files that have changed since the last backup of any type?
A. Full
B. Snapshot
C. Incremental
D. Differential
Correct Answer: C. Incremental
Explanation: Incremental backups are fast and only back up new changes.

Question 16:

A technician needs to check server RAM health. Which diagnostic tool is most appropriate?
A. chkdsk
B. memtest86
C. netstat
D. ping
Correct Answer: B. memtest86
Explanation: memtest86 tests memory for errors.

Question 17:

What server role would MOST likely be responsible for authentication and authorization?
A. Web Server
B. Print Server
C. Directory Services
D. DNS Server
Correct Answer: C. Directory Services
Explanation: Services like Active Directory handle user authentication and permissions.

Question 18:

What feature allows a VM to migrate to another host with zero downtime?
A. Clustering
B. Snapshotting
C. Live migration
D. Hyperthreading
Correct Answer: C. Live migration
Explanation: Live migration moves running VMs between hosts without interruption.

Question 19:

Which protocol is commonly used for remote secure shell access to Linux servers?
A. FTP
B. RDP
C. SSH
D. Telnet
Correct Answer: C. SSH
Explanation: SSH provides secure, encrypted remote shell access.

Question 20:

You are tasked with applying a security patch to multiple servers. What should you do first?
A. Apply the patch to all servers simultaneously
B. Reboot the servers
C. Apply the patch to a test environment
D. Inform users
Correct Answer: C. Apply the patch to a test environment
Explanation: Always test patches before rolling them out to production systems.

Question 21:

Which of the following is a benefit of using rack servers in a data center?
A. Better wireless connectivity
B. Increased portability
C. Efficient space utilization
D. Lower electricity usage
Correct Answer: C. Efficient space utilization
Explanation: Rack servers are designed to maximize space in server racks, especially in dense environments.

Question 22:

A server fails to start, and no POST beeps are heard. What is the most likely issue?
A. Faulty hard drive
B. Incorrect time settings
C. Power supply failure
D. Missing OS boot loader
Correct Answer: C. Power supply failure
Explanation: If there’s no power, the system cannot perform POST or beep.

Question 23:

What type of virtualization allows running multiple operating systems directly on the hardware without a host OS?
A. Type 1 hypervisor
B. Type 2 hypervisor
C. Containerization
D. BIOS-level
Correct Answer: A. Type 1 hypervisor
Explanation: Type 1 hypervisors (bare metal) run directly on server hardware.

Question 24:

Which Windows utility helps identify which services start with the OS?
A. Event Viewer
B. Device Manager
C. Services.msc
D. msconfig
Correct Answer: D. msconfig
Explanation: msconfig allows configuration of startup processes and services.

Question 25:

A technician needs to allow access to a web application from the internet. Which port should be opened on the firewall?
A. 3389
B. 21
C. 80
D. 445
Correct Answer: C. 80
Explanation: Port 80 is used for HTTP traffic, which web apps often use.

Question 26:

What is the purpose of load balancing?
A. Provide disaster recovery
B. Distribute traffic across multiple servers
C. Encrypt network traffic
D. Perform regular backups
Correct Answer: B. Distribute traffic across multiple servers
Explanation: Load balancers prevent overloading by distributing client requests.

Question 27:

A technician needs to upgrade firmware on a physical server. What should be done first?
A. Format the hard drives
B. Reboot the system
C. Check the current firmware version and backup configs
D. Install new drivers
Correct Answer: C. Check the current firmware version and backup configs
Explanation: Always confirm current firmware and create backups before applying updates.

Question 28:

Which of the following is used to define access control policies in Linux?
A. BIOS
B. sudoers file
C. fstab
D. CRON
Correct Answer: B. sudoers file
Explanation: The sudoers file specifies which users have administrative privileges.

Question 29:

A technician wants to schedule daily server reboots at 2 AM. Which tool should be used?
A. Task Scheduler
B. Disk Management
C. msconfig
D. Device Manager
Correct Answer: A. Task Scheduler
Explanation: Task Scheduler automates task execution at specific times in Windows.

Question 30:

Which command is used in Linux to monitor real-time system resource usage?
A. ps
B. grep
C. top
D. tail
Correct Answer: C. top
Explanation: top displays live CPU, memory, and process usage.

Question 31:

Which of the following tools is used to validate and troubleshoot DNS settings?
A. tracert
B. ping
C. nslookup
D. net use
Correct Answer: C. nslookup
Explanation: nslookup queries DNS records and helps diagnose DNS issues.

Question 32:

Which of the following is most crucial for ensuring high availability of mission-critical servers?
A. SSD storage
B. Remote Desktop
C. Failover clustering
D. Static IP assignment
Correct Answer: C. Failover clustering
Explanation: Failover clusters allow one server to take over if another fails.

Question 33:

Which type of patch should be prioritized due to security concerns?
A. Feature update
B. Driver update
C. Critical update
D. UI update
Correct Answer: C. Critical update
Explanation: Critical updates typically address security vulnerabilities or system stability.

Question 34:

Which of the following network devices is typically used in a DMZ?
A. Print server
B. Domain controller
C. Reverse proxy
D. File server
Correct Answer: C. Reverse proxy
Explanation: A reverse proxy in a DMZ handles incoming requests and shields internal systems.

Question 35:

What type of backup captures the entire VM state and configuration?
A. Differential
B. Snapshot
C. Incremental
D. Redundant
Correct Answer: B. Snapshot
Explanation: Snapshots save the entire state of a virtual machine at a specific time.

Question 36:

Which term refers to the process of confirming identity before granting system access?
A. Authorization
B. Accounting
C. Authentication
D. Auditing
Correct Answer: C. Authentication
Explanation: Authentication is the first step in verifying identity (e.g., login credentials).

Question 37:

Which Linux command is used to elevate privileges to the root user?
A. sudo
B. chmod
C. su
D. ls
Correct Answer: A. sudo
Explanation: sudo allows users to execute commands with superuser privileges.

Question 38:

A technician needs to ensure network adapters can be replaced without powering down the server. What feature supports this?
A. RAID
B. UPS
C. Hot swapping
D. Clustering
Correct Answer: C. Hot swapping
Explanation: Hot-swappable components can be replaced while the system is running.

Question 39:

What is the primary purpose of a KVM switch?
A. Encrypt server disks
B. Control multiple servers with one keyboard and monitor
C. Automatically back up files
D. Increase CPU power
Correct Answer: B. Control multiple servers with one keyboard and monitor
Explanation: KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switches save space and simplify server management.

Question 40:

Which command displays the IP configuration of a server in Windows?
A. ipconfig
B. ifconfig
C. netstat
D. ping
Correct Answer: A. ipconfig
Explanation: ipconfig shows the IP, subnet mask, and gateway of Windows network adapters.