5.3 Troubleshoot RAID arrays Flashcards
Given a scenario, troubleshoot and diagnose problems with storage drives and RAID arrays
What issue is occurring when there is no light-emitting diode (LED) lit on a hard drive disk (HDD)?
-RAID failure
-Mechanical issue
-Faulty disk
-Data loss
Faulty Disk
*If disk activity lights (or LED status indicators) are not active, the whole system might not be receiving power, or the individual HDD could be faulty.
~A loud or grinding noise, or any sort of clicking sound, is a sign of a mechanical problem.
~An LED status itself does not determine data loss. For example, if the HDD was part of a RAID 5 group, data is still available with one faulty disk; two disk failures would result in some data loss.
~A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) failure depends on the RAID type. If part of a RAID 0 group, then a single disk failure results in failure to the RAID. There is no indication of that here.
What type of issue would a desktop computer be most likely experiencing if a technician heard clicking or grinding noises originating from inside the chassis?
-A high performing disk
-A failing hard drive disk (HDD)
-A blue screen of death (BSOD)
-A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) failure
A failing hard drive disk (HDD)
*A healthy HDD makes a certain low-level noise when accessing the platters. A loud or grinding noise, or any sort of clicking sound, is a sign of a mechanical problem.
~A failing fixed disk and file corruption on a Windows computer may cause a particularly severe read/write failure, resulting in a system stop error or crash screen known as the blue screen of death (BSOD).
~A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) failure depends on the RAID level. For example, a RAID 0 will fail with one disk failure, while a RAID 5 will not.
~A high-performing HDD would have high input/output per second (IOPS) statistics. A disk that will fail will not have good performance stats.
How can a technician recover data from a single disk failure in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) 1 volume?
-Replace the failed disk
-Create a RAID 5 volume
-Create a separate RAID 1 volume
-Create a RAID 0 volume
Replace the failed disk
*A RAID 1 volume mirrors data across two disks. The data is recoverable by replacing the failed disk so the RAID volume can rebuild itself.
~A system often uses RAID 0 volume between two HDDs for performance, but it does not provide data redundancy. Creating a new RAID 0 volume will write over existing data on the disks.
~Creating a separate RAID 1 volume will require a new set of hard drive disks (HDDs). However, it will not recover any data on the existing RAID 1 volume.
~A RAID 5 volume operates on at least three HDDs. Therefore, a new RAID 5 will require more disks and will overwrite data on existing disks.
A Windows administrator had to troubleshoot a virtual and physical server due to issues during boot. The resolution was to repair the master boot record (MBR) on one server and repair the extensible firmware interface (EFI) bootloader on the other server. What clues did the administrator notice that resulted in these previously mentioned actions? (Select all that apply.)
-The VM console desktop displayed “Boot device not found.”
-The computer monitor started, “OS not found.”
-The desktop showed the blue screen of death (BSOD)
-The Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) is off
The VM console desktop displayed “Boot device not found.” & The computer monitor started, “OS not found.”
*In the legacy MBR scheme, the MBR is in the first sector of the first partition of a disk. If corrupted or missing, a user may see “Boot device not found” on the screen.
*Modern and larger disks use the GPT boot scheme. The administrator usually installs the EFI bootloader here, and if corrupted or missing, it may show messages, such as “OS not found” on the screen.
~A BSOD indicates a serious fault in the Windows system. This may happen during a system memory fault, a hardware device/driver fault, or corruption of OS files.
~Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) is a self-diagnostic program that fixes most disk issues. Turning this feature off does not negatively impact a disk.
Which of the following signs would indicate an overworked hard drive disk (HDD) due to insufficient system random access memory (RAM)?
-Missing drive in the OS
-Bad sectors
-Clicking sound
-Constant LED activity
Constant LED activity
*Constant activity, often referred to as disk thrashing, can signify that there is not enough system RAM so that paging (virtual memory) is continually using the disk. It could also be a sign of a faulty software process.
~A clicking sound would indicate a mechanical issue on the internal parts of the hard drive disk (HDD).
~A bad sector on an HDD can occur when writing data and a power failure occurs. A mechanical fault can also prevent the proper writing of data to a disk.
~A missing drive in the OS is a result of various use cases, such as a drive misconfiguration in the OS or a faulty drive.
The enterprise monitoring software for desktop computers in the office reported a “pre-failure” disk alert and high read times for a specific office computer. What symptoms could the desktop user describe to confirm the monitoring alerts? (Select all that apply.)
-Desktop monitor shows, “No OS found.”
-Disk LED lights are not flashing
-There is a SMART alert notification
-The operating system loads very slowly
There is a SMART alert notification & The operating system loads very slowly
*High read times on a disk can cause the operating system (OS) on the disk to load very slowly. This could be due to mechanical issues or a system misconfiguration.
*Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) can alert the operating system when detecting a failure or pre-failure on a disk. A pre-failure alert means the disk is about to fail soon.
~When the desktop monitor shows a message, “No OS found,” it could mean that the disk with the OS is not working, or the system has selected the wrong boot order.
~Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) show a disk status or activity. If LED lights are not flashing, the HDD is not powered on or may have failed.
A newly deployed server has two disk volumes in operation. The first redundant array of independent disks (RAID) 0 volume contains two hard drive disks (HDDs) hosting the Windows Server operating system (OS). The second RAID 5 volume contains four HDDs, primarily created for data storage. Upon rebooting the server, the server displays a message, “OS not found.” However, all drives are actively running. Why is the OS not loading after the reboot? (Select all that apply.)
-The LED status light is not flashing
-The first volume may be corrupted
-The second volume is booting first
-The bootable device cannot be found
The first volume may be corrupted, The second volume is booting first, & The bootable device cannot be found
*The first volume will not be able to boot properly if corrupted data exists. If the RAID controller cannot write or read data properly or if either disk malfunctions, corruption may occur.
*The second volume does not have a running OS. If the second volume boots, there is no OS to boot, and it will display a message, such as “OS not found.”
*Although the HDDs are active, the data cable may not be connected properly. Check the cable, or the device will not be available to the motherboard.
~An HDD will indicate activity or movement of its disks with a flashing LED light. Power to the HDDs is not an issue in this case.
What options are available when using Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART)? (Select all that apply.)
-Read Test
-Drive self test
-File Recovery
-Confidence Test
Read Test, Drive self test, & Confidence Test
*The confidence test is one of the options available on SMART. It is a short operational test to ensure the drive is simply operating properly.
*The drive self-test is a test on the internal workings of the individual disk. The short version just tests for common mechanical issues. A self-test failure will require a drive replacement.
*The read test simply tests the reading aspect of the drive. Therefore, long read times will result in performance issues overall.
~A file recovery option is not available on SMART. SMART primarily focuses on individual disk diagnostic tasks.
How would desktop support personnel determine if a hard disk drive (HDD) suffers from a mechanical issue? (Select all that apply.)
-Clicking Noises
-Disk platters are grinding
-Missing drive in OS
-High IOPS
Clicking Noises and Disk platters are grinding
*When accessing the platters, a healthy hard disk drive (HDD) makes a specific low-level noise. The grinding of those internal disk platters is a sign of a mechanical issue.
*When an HDD makes a clicking sound, it is also an indicator or sign of a mechanical disk problem.
~Input/output operations per second (IOPS) is a statistic used for determining a disk’s performance. A high IOPS would indicate that the HDD is capable of handling more operations and is not necessarily going through an issue.
~A missing drive in a Windows operating system (OS), for example, can still indicate a misconfiguration of the disk and not necessarily an issue with the disk itself.
The redundant array of independent disks (RAID) 0 volume reports a disk failure in a disk group of only two hard drive disks (HDDs). How would a desktop technician recover data in this case?
-The data is un recoverable
-Create a RAID 5 volume
-Create a new RAID 0 volume
-Replace the failed disk
The data is unrecoverable
*RAID 0 has no redundancy, so if one of the disks fails, the volume will stop working. RAID 0 only has special uses where speed is more important than reliability.
~Creating a new RAID 0 volume will write all new data on top of the disk’s data. The new RAID volume will be empty.
~A disk replacement is possible with other RAID levels, such as RAID 1 and 5. RAID 1 is a mirror, and RAID 5 has block-level striping with distributed parity.
~Creating a RAID 5 volume will require at least three HDDs since the workstation only has two known disk slots. However, creating a new volume writes over old data on all disks.
The desktop computer cannot find a bootable disk. What may be wrong with the hard drive disk (HDD)? (Select all that apply.)
-Faulty disk
-System memory fault
-File corruption
-Low IOPS
Faulty disk & File corruption
*If the desktop computer fails to boot from the fixed disk, the disk may be faulty. A disk now showing light-emitting diode (LED) light activity or power to the disk could explain a faulty disk.
*If the desktop computer fails to boot from the fixed disk, file corruption may be on the drive. For example, the master boot record (MBR) may be corrupt.
~A low input/output per second (IOPS) statistic would indicate a lower-performing disk. IOPS would result in slow boot times, but not the case where the computer cannot find a bootable disk.
~A system memory fault can lead to a blue screen of death (BSOD). This also occurs when the operating system has corrupted files.
Which redundant array of independent disks (RAID) volume type would continue to run even after a single disk failure? (Select all that apply.)
-RAID5
-RAID 1
-RAID 0
-RAID 10
RAID 5, 1, 10
*A RAID 5 volume operates on at least three hard drive disks (HDDs). A RAID 5 can continue to run up to one disk failure.
*A RAID 1 volume mirrors data across two disks. Therefore, the RAID 1 volume will continue to run up to one disk failure.
*A RAID 10 volume operates on at least 4 HDDs. RAID 10 can support the loss of one device in each mirror.
~A RAID 0 operates on a minimum of two HDDs and is primarily used for performance. Therefore, one disk failure results in a failure on the entire RAID volume.
How can a support technician recover data from a single disk failure in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) 5 volume?
-The data is not recoverable
-Rebuild the array with disk replacement
-create a RAID 10 volume
-Create a RAID 5 volume
Rebuild array with disk replacement
*A RAID 5 volume can still operate when two hard drive disks (HDDs) fail. If one disk fails, the RAID volume can rebuild itself by replacing the failed disk.
~A RAID 5 volume operates on at least three HDDs. Therefore, a new RAID 5 will require more disks and will overwrite data on existing disks.
~A RAID 10 volume combines a RAID 1 and RAID 0 solution on a set of HDDs. A new RAID volume will overwrite data on existing disks.
~Data is easily recoverable when one or two disks fail, and the technician replaces them. However, if three disks fail, then the data in a RAID 6 volume is not recoverable.
What insight can the input/output per second (IOPS) statistic on a hard drive disk (HDD) provide to desktop technicians when troubleshooting issues?
-Boot settings
-Overall disk performance
-RAID setting
-Operating system disk settings
Overall disk performance
*Statistics such as input/output operations per second (IOPS) provide information for overall performance on an HDD. In addition, many vendors provide a baseline IOPS specification to help with purchasing decisions.
~A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage or disk groups do not set IOPS settings. However, the overall storage performance will increase in a RAID 0 configuration.
~Disk settings of an operating system (OS) do not configure or provide inside to a disk’s IOPS stats. An OS may set privileges and quotas on a disk, for example.
~IOPS statistics or specifications of a disk do not drive boot settings. Instead, boot settings simply determine which media to boot and in what order.
A network administrator is working with a Windows Server virtual machine (VM), stating “boot device not found” on the VM console window. What actions can the network administrator take to resolve this issue? (Select all that apply.)
-Repair the mater boot record (MBR) on the hard drive (HDD)
-Repair an HDD by reducing input/output operations per second (IOPS)
-Repair OS using self-monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology
-Repair the extensible firmware interface (EFI) bootloader and GUID partition table (GPT) drive
Repair MBR on the HDD & Repair the EFI bootloader on a GUID partition table (GPT) drive
*In the legacy master boot record (MBR) scheme, the MBR is in the first sector of the first partition of a disk. Therefore, the MBR may need repair to properly ensure the Windows OS boots.
*Modern and larger disks use the Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) partition table (GPT) boot scheme. The extensible firmware interface (EFI) bootloader may need repair to boot the OS or device.
~Drive performance reports as input/output operations per second (IOPS). A higher IOPS means better drive performance.
~Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) is a self-diagnostic program that can fix most disks. It can also alert the OS of a disk failure.
The desktop technician could not use an entry-level redundant array of independent disks (RAID) controller within a brand-new office workstation to improve data protection due to it not supporting which of the following RAID types? (Select all that apply.)
-RAID 10
-RAID 0
-RAID 1
-RAID 5
RAID 5 & RAID 10
*RAID 5 is commonly available on mid- and high-level controllers. It would be able to support a single drive failure with a minimum disk group size of three hard drive disks (HDDs).
*RAID 10 is a nested RAID solution that combines RAID 1 + RAID 0. This solution requires a minimum of four HDDs to configure. It provides a mixture of performance and redundancy.
~RAID 1 is available on all controller levels, but entry-level RAID controllers may only have RAID 1 as the only option.
~RAID 0 is available on all controller levels, but entry-level RAID controllers may have RAID 0 as the only option.
A 5-year-old office workstation slowly loads the Windows operating system (OS). The computer user had mentioned waiting 10 minutes in one case before the desktop screen was viewable. Suspecting an issue with the hard drive disk (HDD), what symptoms would explain the type of behavior the user is witnessing on the workstation? (Select all that apply.)
-LED lights are not flashing on the drive
-SMART has detected a failure
-Computer cannot find a boot disk
-HDD is taking too long to read data
SMART has detected a failure & HDD is taking too long to read data
*HDD can experience performance issues when extended read or write times occur. In this case, the loading of the OS would read data from the HDD, so it may be taking too long to read data.
*Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) can alert the operating system when detecting a failure. An imminent hardware issue may also result in performance issues on the disks.
~If the computer cannot find a bootable disk, then the OS would not even attempt to load. In this case, the disk is accessible.
~Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) show a disk status or activity. If LED lights are not flashing, then the HDD may have failed or is not powered on.
A user reported not seeing the new drive (or D: drive) that desktop support installed the previous workday. However, system applications are running as expected. How would support go about troubleshooting this issue to regain access to the new drive? (Select all that apply.)
-Initialize the disk
-Reformat the C: drive
-Change the boot order
-Check data cable to disk
Initialize the disk & Check data cable to disk
*If the system boots but a second fixed disk does not appear in Windows Explorer, check that the system has initialized and is formatted with a partition structure and file system.
*If desktop support cannot detect the disk by a configuration tool, such as Windows Disk Management, suspect that it has a hardware or cable/connector fault.
~If a computer fails to boot from a fixed disk, the disk may be faulty or have a file corrupted in the boot sector. It is also possible that a computer technician did not correctly set the boot order.
~Reformatting the C: drive will wipe the Windows operating system (OS), which desktop support should not do. Reformatting the D: drive, however, is an option.
What issue is occurring when there is no light-emitting diode (LED) lit on a hard drive disk (HDD)?
-RAID failure
-Faulty disk
-Mechanical issue
-Data loss
Faulty disk
*If disk activity lights (or LED status indicators) are not active, the whole system might not be receiving power, or the individual HDD could be faulty.
~A loud or grinding noise, or any sort of clicking sound, is a sign of a mechanical problem.
~An LED status itself does not determine data loss. For example, if the HDD was part of a RAID 5 group, data is still available with one faulty disk; two disk failures would result in some data loss.
~A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) failure depends on the RAID type. If part of a RAID 0 group, then a single disk failure results in failure to the RAID. There is no indication of that here.
What options are available on the blue screen of death (BSOD) to help troubleshoot issues to reduce the chance of data loss or corruption? (Select all that apply.)
-QR code
-Support URL link
-Stop code
-LED indicators
QR code, Support URL link, & Stop code
*The blue screen of death (BSOD) will display on the monitor if there is a serious fault in the Windows system. In addition, the modern BSOD provides a QR code to scan to find more information about the reported issue.
*The BSOD can provide a support URL link that may be the internal support link or a link to an external entity, like Microsoft.com.
*The BSOD can provide a stop code with an associated description of the most self-explanatory issue. Use the first hex value, such as 0x0a, to find information about the event online.
~Light-emitting diode (LED) indicators are more relevant to a hard drive disk (HDD) that needs to provide status and activity information.
The enterprise monitoring software for desktop computers in the office reported a “pre-failure” disk alert and high read times for a specific office computer. What symptoms could the desktop user describe to confirm the monitoring alerts? (Select all that apply.)
-Disk LED lights are not flashing
-There is a SMART alert notification
-The operating system loads very slowly
-Desktop monitor show, “No OS found”
There is a SMART alert & The operating system loads slowly
*High read times on a disk can cause the operating system (OS) on the disk to load very slowly. This could be due to mechanical issues or a system misconfiguration.
*Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) can alert the operating system when detecting a failure or pre-failure on a disk. A pre-failure alert means the disk is about to fail soon.
~When the desktop monitor shows a message, “No OS found,” it could mean that the disk with the OS is not working, or the system has selected the wrong boot order.
~Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) show a disk status or activity. If LED lights are not flashing, the HDD is not powered on or may have failed.
Which redundant array of independent disks (RAID) volume type would continue to run even after a single disk failure? (Select all that apply.)
-RAID 5
-RAID 0
-RAID 1
-RAID 10
RAID 5, RAID 1, & RAID 10
*A RAID 5 volume operates on at least three hard drive disks (HDDs). A RAID 5 can continue to run up to one disk failure.
*A RAID 1 volume mirrors data across two disks. Therefore, the RAID 1 volume will continue to run up to one disk failure.
*A RAID 10 volume operates on at least 4 HDDs. RAID 10 can support the loss of one device in each mirror.
~A RAID 0 operates on a minimum of two HDDs and is primarily used for performance. Therefore, one disk failure results in a failure on the entire RAID volume.
A system administrator is deploying a physical server with two redundant array of independent disks (RAID) disk groups. The first is a RAID 0 volume containing two hard drive disks (HDDs) and hosts the Windows Server operating system (OS). The second is a RAID 5 volume containing four HDDs that will only hold data storage. After rebooting the server, the administrator sees a message on the screen stating, “OS not found.” All HDDs are actively running. Why is the OS not loading after the reboot? (Select all that apply.)
-The first volume may be corrupted
-The LED status light is not flashing
-The bootable device cannot be found
-The second volume is booting first
The first volume may be corrupted, The bootable device cannot be found, & The second volume is booting first
*The first volume will not be able to boot properly if corrupted data exists. If the RAID controller cannot write or read data properly or if either disk malfunctions, corruption may occur.
*The second volume does not have a running OS. If the second volume boots, there is no OS to boot, and it will display a message, such as “OS not found.”
*Although the HDDs are active, the data cable may not be connected properly. Check the cable, or the device will not be available to the motherboard.
~An HDD will indicate activity or movement of its disks with a flashing LED light. Power to the HDDs is not an issue in this case.
What are the benefits to a hard drive disk (HDD) Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) feature? (Select all that apply.)
-Check for physical damage
-Check for RAID failure
-Check data recovery options
-Check performance issues
Check for physical damage & Check performance issues
*SMART can alert the operating system when detecting a failure. In addition, it includes various tests that can detect whether there is any damage to the device’s storage mechanisms.
*SMART can run advanced diagnostic tests to check on performance issues that extend read or write times.
~SMART does not have data recovery options. However, the SMART test can inform an administrator when it is time to try recovery options before a complete disk failure occurs.
~SMART does not check for statistics related to a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage or disk groups since SMART works on the individual disk.
