CompTIA A+ Practice Test (220-1101)

External SATA, or eSATA, is an interface for connecting external mass storage devices such as hard drives. It allows the fast data transfer speeds of SATA (Serial ATA) to be utilized with external devices. USB is a universal interface supporting various types of devices including storage but isn't specifically designed for high-speed external storage like eSATA. HDMI and VGA are video interfaces used for display devices and not for storage connections.

Category 5 cabling is rated for a maximum of 100 meters.

Load balancers are not limited to a single rack, subnet, or geographic location. They forward each incoming connection or packet to a healthy backend server anywhere the network can reach-even servers located in different data centers or regions-thereby improving redundancy and performance. They do not alternate traffic between clients, and they do not require all backend servers to share the same subnet or physical hardware.

When a laser printer's toner does not fuse properly to the paper, the fuser assembly is the most probable cause. The fuser's function is to apply heat and pressure to melt and bond the toner to the paper. A faulty or end-of-life fuser will not reach the necessary temperature, resulting in smudgable toner on prints. While using an incorrect paper type can also lead to poor fusing, a malfunctioning fuser is a more likely cause for a printer that was previously working correctly. A low toner cartridge would cause faded prints, not a failure to fuse. A malfunctioning transfer belt typically results in defects like color alignment issues, streaks, or missing colors, rather than fusing errors.

The feature that should be enabled is 'user authentication.' This requires individuals to authenticate themselves, typically through a PIN, access card, or username and password, before they can retrieve their documents from the printer. This security measure prevents sensitive documents from being left unattended in the output tray, protecting them from unauthorized access.

SSH relies on the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) because TCP establishes a three-way handshake that guarantees a reliable, ordered stream of data. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) designates TCP port 22 as the well-known port for SSH servers. Options using UDP are incorrect because UDP is connectionless, while the port numbers 23 and 161 correspond to Telnet and SNMP, not SSH.

The Community Cloud model is designed to meet the specific needs of a group of organizations or a community with shared interests and requirements, such as regulatory compliance and performance objectives. It contrasts with other cloud models that are not as specialized or exclusive to a particular group. For example, the Private Cloud is dedicated to a single organization, the Public Cloud is available to the general public, and the Hybrid Cloud is a combination of private and public cloud services.

To avoid mismatched terminations and possible crossover connections, technicians should follow the same wiring convention already used in the infrastructure. Because the existing runs are wired to T568B, the new patch-panel and keystone terminations should also use T568B. T568A would also work electrically, but mixing schemes complicates documentation and can introduce errors. A mixed A-to-B termination intentionally creates a crossover cable, which is unnecessary on modern Auto-MDI/MDIX equipment, and an unrecognized custom color scheme does not follow any approved standard.

Selecting the option to download headers only transfers just the sender, subject, and other minimal header data during the initial sync. The full message body and any attachments are downloaded only if the user opens the email, so far less cellular data is consumed than with full-message or auto-attachment downloads. Push or unrestricted synchronization moves entire messages (and sometimes attachments) automatically, using more data.

Because the application resides on the company's private network, the employee must first establish a secure (typically VPN-based) connection and authenticate with corporate credentials. Only after the laptop is on the internal network will other tasks-such as installing client software or adjusting firewall rules-be meaningful.

To connect a new Bluetooth device for the first time, enabling Bluetooth on the host device (the laptop) is only the first step. The peripheral device (the headset) must be made discoverable, which is often called 'pairing mode'. Once the headset is discoverable, the user must go to the laptop's Bluetooth settings, find the headset in the list of available devices, and initiate the pairing process. The connection is not automatic simply upon enabling Bluetooth. Entering a MAC address is not a standard procedure for pairing, and rebooting the laptop is unnecessary.

The CompTIA troubleshooting methodology:

1. Identify the problem
2. Establish a theory of probable cause
3. Test the theory to determine the cause
4. Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the solution
5. Verify full system functionality, and, if applicable, implement preventive measures
6. Document findings, actions and outcomes

https://www.comptia.org/blog/troubleshooting-methodology

The correct answer is rapid elasticity. Rapid elasticity is the cloud characteristic that allows computing resources to be quickly provisioned and de-provisioned to meet changes in demand. In this scenario, the company needs to automatically scale up its server resources for the 48-hour sale and then scale them back down to save costs, which is the primary function of elasticity.

• Metered utilization is the 'pay-as-you-go' model where a customer is billed for the resources they consume. While related to the cost savings in this scenario, it is the result of using an elastic system; elasticity is the feature that enables the scaling itself.
• High availability ensures that a service remains operational by minimizing downtime, often through redundancy across multiple servers or data centers. While important for an e-commerce site, it does not specifically address the need to handle a massive, temporary surge in traffic.
• File synchronization is the process of keeping files consistent across multiple devices or locations (e.g., Dropbox) and is not relevant to scaling web server capacity for traffic.

An NVMe M.2 SSD would be the best choice for the high-performance storage device in this scenario. NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drives utilize the PCIe bus for significantly faster data transfer speeds compared to SATA interfaces. The small form factor of the M.2 drive makes it ideal for the SFF workstation while providing ample speed for intensive tasks like graphic design and video editing.

Because the system is losing both date/time and custom firmware settings whenever AC power is removed, the most likely root cause is a depleted or faulty CMOS/RTC battery. Replacing that inexpensive coin-cell battery restores standby power to the non-volatile memory that stores BIOS data, preventing further resets. Simply changing the clock or updating firmware would not address the loss of power to the configuration memory.

The correct answer is the 'DDR3 1600MHz' module, as it matches the maximum supported frequency by the older workstation's motherboard. Installing a module with a higher frequency like 'DDR3 1866MHz' or a lower frequency like 'DDR3 1333MHz' would either potentially create incompatibility issues or degrade performance. Using a different RAM type, such as 'DDR2', would physically not fit in the DDR3 slot due to different notches and key placements on the DIMM compared to DDR3, preventing proper installation.

Cleaning the dust from the heat sink and the internal components will allow for proper airflow and heat dissipation, which should resolve the overheating issue leading to intermittent shutdowns. Applying thermal paste and updating the BIOS are good practices in general, but they would not primarily address the problem at hand. Replacing the CPU might be the next step if it was damaged due to overheating, but there is no indication that this is the case here.

Category 6a (Augmented) cabling supports 10,000 Megabits per second (Mbps) which is the same as 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) at distances up to 100 meters.

The technician should use an eSATA cable, which is specifically designed to connect external SATA hard drives to an eSATA port on a computer motherboard or an eSATA PCIe card. eSATA cables are made to handle the external transfer speeds of SATA devices, which in this case is necessary for utilizing the high-speed data transfer capabilities of the existing interface on the workstation's motherboard efficiently. Other interfaces like USB or Ethernet are either not meant for direct hard drive connectivity or would significantly limit the transfer speed of the eSATA interface.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides a cloud platform and a set of tools that enable users to develop, run, and manage applications without the overhead of building and maintaining the underlying infrastructure. PaaS abstracts much of the system-administration effort needed to set up development environments. In contrast, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) supplies virtualized computing resources but still leaves operating-system and middleware management to the customer, while Software as a Service (SaaS) delivers complete applications managed by the provider, making it unsuitable for custom application development.