CompTIA A+ Core 1 Final Assessment Flashcards
Which cloud characteristic handles changes in demand requirements in real time?
Rapid elasticity refers to the system’s ability to handle changes to demand in real time. This type of system would not experience loss of service or performance if demand doubles.
Scalability
Scalability means that the costs involved are linear. For example, if the number of users doubles, the costs to maintain the same level of service would also double
High Availability (HA)
High availability (HA) means that the service experiences very little downtime. For example, a service with 99.999% availability experiences only 5 minutes and 15 seconds annual downtime.
Metered Utilization
The per-use billing for resources consumed by the cloud is referred to as metered utilization. The metering measurement is based on the type of resource such as storage, processing, bandwidth, or active users.
How many binary digits are found within a media access control (MAC) address?
A MAC address consists of 48 binary digits, making it 6 bytes in size. MAC addresses are represented in hexadecimal and each hex digit represents half a byte.
IP Address
An IP address is 32 binary digits. This address type is made up of four octets, each with 8 binary digits.
MAC Hexadecimal
A MAC address is typically represented as 12 digits of hexadecimal. Hex is a numbering system often used to represent network addresses of different types.
16 Bits
The number 16 is representative in many areas of computing that usually relate to bits. There are not 16 MAC binary digits.
A small call center office asks their IT service provider to implement a voice-over-IP (VoIP) system for them. After discussing the office’s needs, the technician learns that their ability to make and receive phone calls is critical. Considering this information, which of the following should the technician recommend?
The technician should suggest configuring quality of service (QoS) on the router to prioritize the port used by VoIP over any other type of protocol.
Dynamic frequency selection (DFS)
Dynamic frequency selection (DFS) is used to prevent Wi-Fi signals from interfering with radar and satellites. It is not related to VoIP.
Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP)
Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) is a firewall setting that automatically opens the IP addresses and ports necessary for VoIP calls, but it has many security issues.
Port flapping
Port flapping is when a port transitions continually between up and down states, often caused by bad cabling, external interference, or a faulty network interface card (NIC) at the host end. It is not something that is set up and is not related to VoIP.
A systems administrator looks to control HTTP requests from client computers based on the time of day. What type of service does the administrator deploy when configuring clients in a non-transparent manner?
A proxy can perform a security function by acting as a content filter to block access to sites deemed inappropriate. A non-transparent proxy requires client configuration for the proxy server.
Load Balancer
A load balancer can be deployed to distribute client requests across server nodes in a farm or pool.
A unified threat management (UTM)
A unified threat management (UTM) appliance is one that enforces a variety of security policies and controls, combining the work of multiple security functions.
An embedded system
An embedded system is an electronic device that is designed to perform a specific, dedicated function. An embedded system does not describe the deployed service.
Non-volatile storage devices hold data when the system is powered off. These devices are also referred to as mass storage. What are the three types of technologies that mass storage devices use? (Select all that apply.)
- Magnetic drives, commonly called hard disk drives (HDDs), store data on metal or glass platters that are coated with a magnetic substance.
- Optical drives, such as Compact Discs (CDs), DVDs, and Blu-Ray drives, use a laser to read data that has been encoded on the surface of the disc.
- A solid-state drive (SSD) uses flash memory technology to implement persistent mass storage.
RAM
System memory is implemented as random-access memory (RAM) devices. RAM is faster than the flash memory used for SSDs and much faster than an HDD, but it is volatile. RAM is not a mass storage technology.
An engineer configures 6 disks in a workstation to be part of a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) volume where one-sixth of the space on each disk will be used for parity. Which RAID type does the engineer implement?
RAID 5 requires a minimum of three drives but can be configured with more. When configuring RAID 5, an equal portion of each disk is used for parity.
RAID 0
RAID 0 requires a minimum of two drives but can be configured with more. As this type of RAID provides no redundancy, there is no parity information available.
RAID 1
RAID 1 is a mirrored drive configuration that uses two disks. A read operation may use either disk, however, a write operation is performed on both disks.
RAID 10
RAID 10 is a nested RAID configuration that combines the features of two basic RAID implementations. It pairs a logical striped volume (RAID 0) configured with two mirrored arrays (RAID 1).
A technician needs to repair a laptop. Symptoms are that some keyboard characters are not typing properly and the fingerprint reader is not recognized. What type of component is the technician inspecting?
When replacing components such as a keyboard or touchpad, a connection is made to the motherboard via a data cable, typically with a flat ribbon cable type.
Small Outline DIMM (SODIMM)
Laptop RAM is packaged in a smaller form factor called Small Outline DIMM (SODIMM). The memory is typically fitted into slots that pop up at a 45º angle.
M.2 Port
A solid-state disk (SSD) can be provisioned in an adapter card form factor. These often use an M.2 interface. An M.2 port is oriented horizontally.
The peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) bus
The peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) bus is the mainstream interface for modern adapter cards.
What is a class of management software designed to apply security policies to the use of mobile devices and apps in the enterprise?
Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) is a class of management software designed to apply security policies to the use of mobile devices and apps in the enterprise. The two main functions of the EMM suite are Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Application Management (MAM).
Internet Mail Access Protocol (IMAP)
Internet Mail Access Protocol (IMAP) is a protocol used in the accessing of email from multiple devices. This protocol allows the user to view messages on a server but will not delete the email from the server until the user specifically deletes the message.
Two-factor authentication (2FA)
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a two-part authentication protocol such as a PIN and fingerprint.
Mobile device synchronization (sync)
Mobile device synchronization (sync) is the process of copying data back and forth between devices.
Several users of a shared printer complain that the printer is printing on both sides of a sheet of paper when it should only print on one side. What setting does a technician change?
Duplex printing refers to the capability of a printer to print on both sides of a sheet of paper. The technician would adjust this setting to single-sided printing.
Orientation (Printing)
The orientation setting on a printer refers to having a print job use portrait or landscape mode.
Badging (Printing)
Badging means the print device is fitted with a smart card reader. The employee must present their ID badge to the reader to start the print job.
Quality (Printing)
The quality of a print job allows for the selection of the proper type of paper stock (size and type) to use and whether to use an economy or draft mode to preserve ink/toner.
A shared printer handles a lot of print jobs for a medium-sized company. As of late, all users are complaining about the print jobs having a speckled output. What does a printer maintenance technician find to be the problem?
The speckling of toner on output is likely caused by loose toner that may be getting onto the paper. Cleaning the inside of the printer using an approved toner vacuum is helpful.
The fuser needs replacing
When toner is not fused to the paper, a common symptom is an output that smudges easily. This indicates that the fuser needs replacing.
The feed rollers are dirty
Vertical or horizontal lines on output, such as marks that appear in the same place, are often due to dirty feed rollers.
The charge roller is dirty
Black stripes or a whole page black indicates that the primary charge roller is dirty or damaged or that the high voltage power supply to the developer unit is malfunctioning.
A security team at a company discovers that malware is rapidly moving from one virtual machine to another in a live environment. What security issue is occurring?
Virtual machine escaping (VM escaping) refers to malware running on a guest OS jumping to another guest or to the host system itself.
Extension (Virtualization)
An extension may refer to a number of things. With virtualization, the central processing unit (CPU) uses extensions to enable virtualization features within the host and guest operating systems.
Intrusion
Intrusion refers to a malicious actor gaining unauthorized access to a system.
Sprawl (Virtualization)
The uncontrolled deployment of more and more VMs is referred to as virtual machine sprawl (VM sprawl). Such action may happen as a result of malicious activity.
A laptop technician in a large corporation needs to upgrade the hard drives on employee laptops. Currently, the laptops have standard 5400 rpm 500 Gb magnetic drives. The technician needs to know what physical drive size to order. What is the normal size for a laptop magnetic drive?
A 2.5-inch drive is the standard size for a laptop magnetic HDD. On laptops, it is also important to consider the depth of the drive, since those vary by manufacturer and model.
3.5 inch drive
A 3.5-inch drive is the standard size for a desktop magnetic HDD. This drive configuration is too large for most laptops to utilize internally. Laptop drives are commonly 2.5 inches.
1.8 inch drive
A 1.8-inch drive is commonly an mSATA SSD drive, not an HDD.
M.2 SSD (80 mm)
The M.2 SSD adaptors interface directly with the PCI express bus. The most popular length is 80 mm.
A critical system is set to use secure boot. What properties are characteristic of the secure boot process? (Select all that apply.)
- Secure boot is a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) feature designed to prevent a computer from being hijacked by malware. With secure boot, the computer firmware is configured with cryptographic keys.
- With secure boot, the firmware can identify trusted code and ensure that the bootloader has been digitally signed by the OS vendor.
A trusted platform module (TPM)
A trusted platform module (TPM) microprocessor is hard coded with a unique, unchangeable key, referred to as the endorsement key.
TPM over OS
TPM can be enabled or disabled and reset via the system setup program. TPM can be managed from the OS as well.
A technician builds a spare computer with an older motherboard and purchases a new modular power supply. What type of P1 motherboard connector will the power supply most likely provide?
Most modular power supply units (PSUs) have a 20+4-pin P1 adapter cable for compatibility with older motherboards with a 20-pin port.
9 pin motherboard
Internal USB 2 connections are made via 9-pin headers. The front panel audio interface also has a 9-pin connector for attaching to the motherboard.
20 pin motherboard
Motherboards with a 20-pin power port have been replaced with newer boards that have a 24-pin port.
4/6/8 pins motherboard
A PSU will usually have several Molex and/or SATA device power connectors and 4/6/8-pins used for motherboard peripherals such as the CPU and adapter cards.
A user complains about the quality of the display on a laptop. The user mentions that the laptop has been in use since the company started many years ago. IT determines that the display uses a very early thin film transistor (TFT) technology and will replace the laptop. Which TFT technology does the display use?
In an early TFT implementation, twisted nematic (TN) crystals twist or untwist in response to the voltage level. This is the earliest type of TFT technology that can be in budget displays.
Vertical Alignment
Vertical alignment displays use crystals that tilt rather than twist or rotate. This technology supports wide color gamut and the best contrast ratio performance.
LED (OLED) display
In an organic LED (OLED) display, or technically an advanced matrix OLED (AMOLED), each pixel is generated by a separate LED. This is not a TFT display.
IPS Display
In-plane switching (IPS) displays use crystals that rotate rather than twist. The main benefit is to deliver better color reproduction at a wider range of viewing angles. Most IPS panels support 178/178 degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles.
Systems administrators deploy a virtualization solution that separates host resources for each instance at the operating system level. Which solution is running?
With a container, resource separation occurs at the OS level. The OS defines isolated containers for each user instance to run in. Each container is allocated CPU and memory resources, but the processes run through the native OS kernel.
Type 1 Hypervisor
A bare metal virtual platform means that a type 1 hypervisor is installed directly onto the computer and manages access to the host hardware without going through a host OS.
Type 2 Hypervisor
A hypervisor application that is installed onto a host OS itself is known as a type 2 hypervisor. VMWare Workstation and Parallels are examples.
VM
Client-side virtualization refers to any solution designed to run on desktops or workstations. A traditional virtual machine (VM) runs on what is known as a hypervisor.
A user’s monitor displays a distortedly large image. To fix the resolution problem, the IT specialist performs which software troubleshooting steps? (Select all that apply.)
- If the output resolution of the video card does not match the resolution of the display device’s native resolution, the image on the screen may be distorted and the card needs to be configured correctly.
- Updating the video card driver will install the most recent version of the driver, which should fix the configuration compatibility problem.
Use the OSD to check configuration settings on the graphics card.
The OSD does not check configuration settings but does allow a user to adjust screen functions, such as contrast, aspect ratio, and brightness.
Check that the monitor is powered on.
A monitor that is not powered on will remain dark and will NOT produce a fuzzy image.
An organization looks to harden email services. The systems administrator uses every possible option to help prevent SPAM and other anomalies. During the final stages of configuration, the systems administrator creates a policy within the Domain Name System (DNS) to handle authentication failures. Which record is being configured?
The Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) framework ensures that SPF and DKIM are being utilized effectively. DMARC specifies a policy mechanism for senders to specify how authentication failures should be treated.
Mail Exchange (MX)
A mail exchange (MX) record is used to identify an email server for the domain so that other servers can send messages to it.
The Sender Policy Framework (SPF)
The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) uses a TXT resource record published via DNS to identify the hosts authorized to send email from that domain.
DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM)
DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) uses cryptography to validate the source server for a given email message. To configure DKIM, the organization uploads a public encryption key as a TXT record.
A printer technician receives a complaint from multiple users sharing a laser printer that the pages they are printing are faded or faint. Upon troubleshooting, the technician ruled out user and server settings. What laser printer component needs replacing to fix this error?
If user settings can be ruled out, it is common that the toner cartridge has simply run out of toner and needs to be replaced.
Fuser
The fuser on a laser printer would have to be replaced if printed material on a paper smudges easily.
Print head
Both inkjet and dot matrix printers use a print head in the printing process. Laser printers do not rely on a print head.
Drum (Printer)
The print drum on a laser printer may need to be replaced if images reappear on a sheet of paper as it is printed.
A computer technician replaces the power supply in a desktop system. To do this, the technician needs to know the output of the current power supply unit (PSU). What is the PSU output capability measured as?
The PSU’s output capability is measured as its wattage rating. Power is measured in watts (W), calculated for electrical components as voltage multiplied by current (V*I).
Voltage
The voltage coming into a PSU is the input voltage. Though it is important to assess the power distribution for its output voltages, it is not how the PSU output capability is measured.
Power
Power is the rate at which things generate or use energy. Power is measured in watts (W), calculated for electrical components as voltage multiplied by current (V*I).
Efficiency
The efficiency is calculated as wattage drawn from the power grid divided by the wattage the PSU is rated at. This is not, however, how the PSU output capability is measured.
A user states that a smartphone does not hold a charge for as long as it did in the past and seems to charge slowly after replacing a lost adapter. The change was noticed over the last few months. What could be the cause? (Select all that apply.)
- An aging battery would be the cause of charging issues, including the likelihood of a battery no longer holding a full charge. As batteries age, so does the charging lifetime.
- An aftermarket or third party mobile power supply may impact how well a battery is being charged, as it may not have the manufacturer’s power specifications needed for proper charging of the device.
Swelling
Swelling is a symptom and not a cause of a battery problem. Swelling is the result of a defective, overheating, or aging battery.
Li-ion
Li-ion batteries are not related to a degrading charge.
A technician troubleshoots wired connectivity issues with a device. What should the technician check first to resolve a no connectivity issue?
When troubleshooting connectivity on a wired network, the first thing the technician should check is the Ethernet cable. Ensure that the RJ45 connectors are solidly connected to the cable, there are no obvious wear bends or breaks, and that it is properly connected to the device and the wall jack.
NIC
The NIC or driver software may be malfunctioning, however, this is not common, nor should it be the first step in troubleshooting connectivity issues.
Wall Port
The wall port is the port that connects the device to the local switch. It is uncommon for the wall port to have a physical issue that would cause no or intermittent connectivity.
Wifi Adapter
The Wi-Fi adapter is an adapter used to connect to wireless networks.
A PC tech plugs a x4 PCIe adapter card into a x8 socket. What speed would the card be capable of running? (Select all that apply.)
- Each PCIe adapter card supports a specific number of lanes. Ideally, the card should be plugged into a port that supports the same number. Often a card will only work at x1 if in a mismatched port.
- If insufficient slots are available, a card will fit in any port with an equal or greater number of lanes. The card may work at x4.
x16
A card may be plugged into a port with a greater number of lanes. This is called up-plugging. The card, however, will not work at x16.
x8
Additionally, a card may be plugged into a x8 port, which has a larger number of lanes, but will not work either.
While troubleshooting a user’s computer that has no power, the technician eliminated these possible causes: power supply, cabling, wall socket, and connection issue. Therefore, which of the following could be the problem?
Given all of the potential causes that were discounted by the technician, a faulty motherboard is the only available option that would cause a computer to have no power.
Faulty CPU
A faulty CPU can cause several problems, such as booting issues and frequent shutdowns. But, it will not cause the computer to have no power.
Corrupted BIOS
A corrupted BIOS will thwart the booting process, but it will not result in the computer having no power.
Corrupted boot sector
A corrupted boot sector will prevent Windows from loading and produce error messages such as “Boot device not found” or “OS not found” but it does not lead to no power.
A company implements a new wireless Infrastructure. During the installation, an engineer adjusts the signal of all antennas for optimal performance. Which setting does the engineer use to measure dBi?
Antenna gain is the amount that a signal is boosted by directionality. This focuses the signal in a single direction rather than spreading it over a wide area. Gain is measured in dBi (decibels isotropic).
Transmit Power
Transmit power is the basic strength of the radio, measured in dBm.
Effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP)
Effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) is the sum of transmit power and gain, expressed in dBm.
Frequency Band
Every Wi-Fi device operates on a specific radio frequency range within an overall frequency band. Each frequency band is split into a series of smaller ranges referred to as channels.
A technician needs to troubleshoot problems. When problem-solving, what are the three items that define a problem? (Select all that apply.)
- Troubleshooting is problem-solving. It is important to realize that problems have causes, symptoms, and consequences. Knowing what issue the user or system is having helps define the symptoms of the problem. Identifying the symptom(s) allows one to properly assess a problem.
- Once the symptoms are defined, narrow down the cause. Identifying the cause of the problem is an important problem-solving step. This could be a faulty network interface card.
- Often, the consequence of the problem is that affected user(s) are unable to complete their work. Understanding the consequences of problems, allows the technician to prioritize problems.
Fault
Though a fault can be a cause of a problem, it is not part of the problem-solving process.
A user complains that a computer is too slow when opening numerous applications. A technician suggests purchasing a new computer that features CMP capabilities to handle the user’s workload. Which statement describes the technician’s suggestion?
A multi-core central processing unit (CPU) is multiple processors combined in one. This means that there are multiple execution units and registers. This is referred to as chip level multiprocessing (CMP).
A single execution unit and set of registers for processes
A single-core CPU has a single execution unit and set of registers implemented on a single package. This essentially means that the system has a single processor.
A multi-socket motherboard for multiple CPUs
The use of two or more physical CPUs is referred to as symmetric multiprocessing (SMP). An SMP-aware OS can then make efficient use of CPUs on a multi-socket motherboard.
Multiple parallel thread capability within a process
Simultaneous multithreading (SMT) is referred to as HyperThreading by Intel. A thread is a stream of instructions generated by a software application. SMT allows the threads to run through the CPU at the same time.
The projector in the conference room is experiencing intermittent shutdowns. The technician begins troubleshooting by checking all the connector cables. What are the next troubleshooting steps for the technician? (Select the best two choices.)
- Overheating is the main cause of intermittent shutdowns for projectors. Dust in the vents of a projector is a likely cause of intermittent shutdowns because the blocked vents could lead to overheating.
- When a projector shuts down intermittently, the technician should check that the fan is working. A projector uses a very strong bulb that becomes very hot and a faulty fan can cause overheating, which leads to shutdowns.
Check that the bulb is not burned out.
Projector bulbs have a limited lifespan, so a burned-out bulb is not uncommon and does not result in intermittent shutdowns.
Check that the LED array is situated properly.
An LED array is more commonly found in a PC monitor than a projector but does not lead to intermittent shutdowns.
What is the modern Android-based smartphone and tablet connector for wired peripherals and charging?
USB-C is the modern and current type of connector for Android-based smartphones and tablets. Laptops may also use USB-C ports. These can serve as either standard USB-C ports or function as Thunderbolt ports.
Micro-B USB
Micro-B USB connector form factors are only found on older models of Android devices. Micro-USB devices are being phased out in favor of the USB-C connector.
Mini-B
Mini-B USB connectors are less common and are still found on some game consoles and other hardware.
Lightning
The Lightning connector is a proprietary connector for Apple phones and tablets. This type of port is still used currently. However, some of the latest iPad models, such as the iPad Pro, use USB-C.
A technician troubleshoots a motherboard issue. What the tech discovers is chip creep with a serial ATA (SATA) connector. What is the cause? (Select all that apply.)
- Chip creep is where an adapter works loose from its socket over time. This may happen perhaps because of temperature changes causing the plastic to flex over time.
- Dust and dirt can cause chip creep in a SATA connector by acting as an abrasive between the connector and socket, causing wear and damage to the pins over time.
Electrostatic discharge
The motherboard’s soldered chips and components could be damaged by electrostatic discharge (ESD), electrical spikes, or overheating.
Capacitor swelling
If a component has “blown,” it can leave scorch marks. This may be caused by capacitor swelling. The capacitors are barrel-like components that regulate the flow of electricity to the system chips.
A technician plugs a USB device into a computer and notices that the speeds are slightly less than expected. The USB port and device are USB 3.x devices, and the achieved speed is roughly 9 Gbps. What USB standard is in use?
Variations of USB 3.x introduced new connector form factors and faster transfer rates than previous versions. USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 is capable of speeds up to 10 Gbps.
USB 3.2 Gen 1
The USB 3.2 Gen 1 Superspeed USB standard is capable of up to 5 Gbps. The legacy designation of this standard is USB 3.0.
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
The USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Superspeed USB is capable of 2 x 10 Gbps. While other standards can use a variety of connector types, this standard strictly uses USB-C.
USB 2.0
USB 2.0 is a high speed standard that specifies a data rate of 480 Mbps that is shared between all devices attached to the same controller.
An engineer configures a workstation for development testing by using virtualization. The engineer chooses to use a type 1 hypervisor. Which statements describe the environment? (Select all that apply.)
- A bare metal virtual platform means that a type 1 hypervisor is installed directly onto the computer and manages access to the host hardware without going through a host OS.
- When a hypervisor is installed directly on the hardware of a host system, it is a type 1 hypervisor. This type has direct access to hardware on the host.
The hypervisor is installed within an OS.
A hypervisor application that is installed onto a host OS itself is known as a type 2 hypervisor. VMWare Workstation and Parallels are examples.
The hypervisor is host-based.
In a guest OS (or host-based) system, a hypervisor is installed within the operating system of the physical host machine.
A systems administrator is wanting to use a process in which the TCP/IP protocol is used to query and update an X.500 directory. What can be used to accomplish this task?
The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is a TCP/IP protocol used to query and update an X.500 directory. LDAP uses TCP and UDP port 389 by default.
POP3
The Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3) will download any mail to the device, removing it from the server mailbox. Configuring a device to use an Exchange server will not use POP3.
IMAP
The Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is useful for accessing email on multiple devices as this protocol does not remove email from the server.
SMTP
An outgoing mail server sends outbound emails. The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server is used for sending an email.
A support firm installs and configures network access control systems for organizations. This includes implementing the security mechanisms for local and remote computers to authenticate with an internal server system. A switch is put in place on the edge of the network to protect the server and protect against unauthorized traffic. What role does the switch play in the implementation?
A network access server (NAS) or network access point (NAP) is an access appliance, such as a switch, access point, a firewall, or a VPN gateway. It is the device that a system makes a connection to in order to access a network.
Supplicant
A supplicant device is a device requesting access to a network. This includes a user’s PC or laptop, or even a smart device.
An authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server
An authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server is an authentication server that is located in the internal network. A supplicant device authenticates against an AAA server.