CompTIA Server+ SK0-005 Practice Question

The correct answer is high environmental humidity. The scenario provides two key pieces of evidence: physical signs of corrosion on components and environmental logs indicating consistently high relative humidity (above 75%). High humidity can lead to condensation on electronic components. This moisture causes corrosion on metallic surfaces like connectors and circuit board traces, leading to short circuits, poor electrical connections, and eventual hardware failure. The widespread and intermittent nature of the problem across different server models and racks points to a systemic environmental issue rather than isolated component or rack-specific problems.

Low environmental humidity is incorrect. Low humidity is a concern in data centers because it increases the risk of electrostatic discharge (ESD), which can damage sensitive electronics. However, ESD damage does not cause corrosion.

Faulty power distribution units (PDUs) are an incorrect choice. While a faulty PDU could cause power-related failures, it would typically be isolated to the servers connected to that specific PDU in a single rack. The problem is described as occurring across multiple racks, making a PDU the less likely root cause. Also, a faulty PDU would not cause the observed physical corrosion on internal components.

Improperly seated components are incorrect. This can cause a variety of failures, but it is highly unlikely that multiple components across various servers and racks would become unseated simultaneously. This type of failure is typically isolated and often occurs after physical maintenance, which was not mentioned in the scenario.