Question

Difficulty: MediumNetwork and Peripheral Cables and Connectors

A technician is configuring a workstation that requires connecting a high-performance external RAID array demanding at least 20 Gbps data throughput, as well as establishing a direct console management link to a legacy network switch using an RS-232 serial interface. Which of the following cables or adapters should the technician select to complete these connections? (Select TWO.)

  1. A USB Type-C cable supporting Thunderbolt 3Answer
  2. A DB-9 to USB adapter cableAnswer
  3. C
    A standard USB 3.0 Type-A to Type-B cable
  4. D
    An eSATA external drive cable

Answer

The technician should select the USB Type-C cable supporting Thunderbolt 3 and the DB-9 to USB adapter cable.
The USB Type-C cable supporting Thunderbolt 3 provides up to 40 Gbps throughput, fulfilling the 20 Gbps requirement for the external RAID array. Meanwhile, the DB-9 to USB adapter cable bridges a workstation USB port to the standard DB-9 RS-232 serial console port on legacy network hardware.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate the storage throughput requirement
Identified that the storage array requires at least 20 Gbps bandwidth.
Thunderbolt 3 over USB-C provides up to 40 Gbps, whereas standard USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) and eSATA (6 Gbps) fall far short.
2
Identify the connector requirement for legacy RS-232 switch management
Determined that RS-232 serial communication uses DB-9 pinouts.
A DB-9 to USB adapter converts the legacy serial interface to a usable port on a modern workstation.

Key Concept

Peripheral Cable & Connector Capabilities (Thunderbolt 3 vs USB 3.0 vs eSATA & DB-9 RS-232 Serial)
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