A systems administrator installs a new Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter (HBA) into a server running a virtualization host OS to enhance storage connectivity. Following the installation, the server experiences intermittent system freezes and fails to consistently detect the HBA at boot. The administrator has already verified the card is properly seated in the correct PCIe slot and all cables are securely connected. Which of the following should be the administrator's NEXT step to troubleshoot this issue?
Download and install the latest driver for the HBA from the card manufacturer's website.
Replace the HBA with a model from a different manufacturer.
Consult the OS vendor's Hardware Compatibility List (HCL).
Update the server's UEFI/BIOS firmware to the latest version.
The correct answer is to consult the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) for the server's operating system. The HCL is a list of hardware components, like an HBA, that have been tested and certified to work with a specific operating system or hypervisor. Given that this is a new hardware installation causing instability, the first step should be to verify that the HBA model, server model, and OS version are a supported combination. If the hardware is not on the HCL, it may not be compatible, which would explain the intermittent freezes and detection failures. While updating drivers or firmware might solve some issues, these steps are premature if the fundamental compatibility of the hardware has not first been verified. Replacing the hardware is a potential solution, but it is not a troubleshooting step to be taken before confirming the cause of the problem.