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Difficulty: HardTroubleshooting Methodology

A systems administrator is investigating an incident where a virtualized database server experiences service crashes every night during automated volume snapshot jobs. After examining system logs and resource utilization metrics, the administrator suspects that the backup agent's temporary memory consumption exceeds available host overhead, causing the hypervisor to throttle guest RAM. The administrator formulates a theory that restricting the backup agent's maximum memory allocation will prevent the service crashes. According to the standard CompTIA troubleshooting methodology, which of the following is the NEXT step the administrator should perform?

  1. A
    Establish a plan of action and implement memory limits directly on the production backup software.
  2. Test the theory in a staging environment or non-peak window to confirm whether limiting backup memory prevents the crash.Answer
  3. C
    Reallocate physical RAM from adjacent host virtual machines to permanently increase host overhead for all guest systems.
  4. D
    Perform a full system audit and document the backup log metrics as the final root cause in the ticketing system.

Answer

Test the theory in a staging environment or non-peak window to confirm whether limiting backup memory prevents the crash.
According to the standard CompTIA 6-step troubleshooting methodology (1. Identify problem, 2. Establish theory of probable cause, 3. Test theory to determine cause, 4. Establish plan of action & implement solution, 5. Verify system functionality & implement preventive measures, 6. Document findings), the administrator has completed steps 1 and 2. The immediate next action must be testing the theory to determine whether limiting backup memory allocation resolves the issue before creating or applying a production plan of action.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze current progress within the CompTIA 6-step troubleshooting methodology.
The administrator has identified symptoms (Step 1) and established a theory of probable cause (Step 2).
Determining the current phase dictates the required immediate next action.
2
Identify the next sequential phase in the methodology.
Step 3 is 'Test the theory to determine cause'.
A theory must be empirically tested (or a new theory established if proven wrong) before any change management plan or production implementation occurs.
3
Select the option that performs controlled testing of the theory.
Testing the memory restriction setting in a controlled staging environment validates the hypothesis safely.
Testing confirms the root cause without risking unverified changes in a production environment.

Key Concept

CompTIA 6-Step Troubleshooting Methodology (Step 3: Test the Theory)
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Troubleshooting Methodology

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