Question

Difficulty: HardCompTIA Troubleshooting Methodology

During a data center upgrade, a network engineer is investigating why a newly provisioned storage switch fails to synchronize fabric configuration files with the primary core switch. The engineer performed diagnostic packet captures and verified that the underlying cause is an MTU mismatch across the interconnecting trunk link, which causes jumbo frames to be dropped. According to the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology, which of the following actions should the network engineer perform NEXT?

  1. Develop a plan of action to adjust the trunk interface MTU settings and evaluate the change's potential impact on active fabric traffic.Answer
  2. B
    Reconfigure the switch interface MTU value to 9000 bytes across the interconnecting link immediately.
  3. C
    Execute a test file transfer between storage nodes to confirm that fabric synchronization operates properly.
  4. D
    Log the MTU mismatch root cause, actions taken, and configuration outcome in the change management ticketing database.

Answer

Develop a plan of action to adjust the trunk interface MTU settings and evaluate the change's potential impact on active fabric traffic.
The scenario states that the engineer has already tested and confirmed the root cause (an MTU mismatch dropping jumbo frames), completing Step 3 (Test the theory to determine cause). According to the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology, the immediate next step is Step 4: Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and identify potential effects. Developing a plan to adjust MTU while assessing risks to active fabric traffic strictly fulfills this phase.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the completed methodology phase from the scenario context.
The engineer performed packet captures and confirmed the MTU mismatch as the root cause, indicating that Step 3 (Test the theory to determine cause) is complete.
CompTIA troubleshooting requires determining the current phase before identifying the immediate next step.
2
Determine the next sequential phase in the CompTIA 7-step model.
Following Step 3 (Test theory), the technician must perform Step 4: Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and identify potential effects.
Planning and risk assessment must precede actual implementation to avoid creating secondary network outages.
3
Select the option matching Step 4 requirements.
Developing a plan of action to adjust MTU while evaluating potential impacts on active fabric traffic directly matches Step 4.
This option explicitly fulfills both key components of Step 4: action planning and impact assessment.

Key Concept

CompTIA Troubleshooting Methodology Step Order (Testing Theory -> Plan of Action & Identifying Potential Effects)
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