CompTIA A+ 220-1102 (Core 2) Domain 4: Operational Procedures

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Anna is an account rep for a financial firm and has submitted a ticket in the company ticketing system to resolve an issue with a high-profile customer's account. The account is frequently losing important financial transactions.

She has filled out the following information on the ticket:

• Customer's name and contact information

• Relevant problem information

After waiting three days, the ticket is assigned to a tier-two support operator and set to an in-progress status. In addition, the operator sends the ticket back to Anna with a request for information about her work computer. She is frustrated because a resolution to the issue is not being addressed.

SOLUTION: Anna adds additional information in the ticket description about the importance of resolving the issue immediately. She also includes the make and model of her work computer and then sends the ticket back to the support operator.

Does this action provide what the support operator needs to help resolve the ticketing system issue?

No

• Although adding additional information about the importance of the customer and the issue can help, Anna should have set a severity level so that the issue's priority and time sensitivity is clearly stated.

• In addition, she should have provided detailed information about the work computer beyond the make and model (including network ID, operating system, and application) to help the support operator determine whether the problem is with the computer, network, or application.

Which issue resolution status in a ticketing system indicates that a ticket has been assigned and that an individual is working on resolving that issue?

In-progress

• An in-progress status indicates that a ticket has been assigned and that an individual is working on resolving that issue.

Which issue resolution status in a ticketing system indicates that an issue has been fixed and is awaiting customer acknowledgement?

Solved

• A solved status indicates that an issue has been fixed and is awaiting customer acknowledgement.

Jason is a sales rep with a computer company that sells customized laptops to the public. He is opening a ticket to help resolve a customer issue with a malfunctioning laptop, which was purchased by an important customer who is relying on the laptop to complete a critical project.

Which of the following items in the ticket can Jason use to help the support team immediately determine the time sensitivity of resolving this issue?

Severity level

• One of the most important ticket categories is the severity level. This helps the support team determine the time sensitivity of resolving an issue.

Anna is an account rep for a financial firm and has submitted a ticket in the company ticketing system to resolve an issue with a high-profile customer's account. The account is frequently losing important financial transactions.

She has filled out the following information on the ticket:

• Customer's name and contact information

• Relevant problem information

After waiting three days, the ticket is assigned to a tier-two support operator and set to an in-progress status. In addition, the operator sends the ticket back to Anna with a request for information about her work computer. She is frustrated because a resolution to the issue is not being addressed.

SOLUTION: Anna decides to set a severity level to indicate the high priority of the issue and then sends information back to the operator about her computer, which includes the application experiencing the problem, the device's network ID, and the operating system.

Does this action help resolve the ticketing system issue?

Yes

• By setting a severity level, the support operator can quickly determine the time sensitivity of the issue and make priority adjustments. In addition, providing the correct detailed information about the work computer (including network ID, operating system, and application) is important for the operator to determine whether the problem is with the computer, network, or application.

Which of the following is used to identify and record technical issues, manage their progress, and verify full resolution?

Ticketing Systems

• A ticketing system is used to identify and record technical issues, manage their progress, and verify full resolution.

Which of the following BEST describes the primary role of Tier 1 support operators?

They gather information about a problem and perform basic troubleshooting.

• Most support teams have two or three tiers. The first tier is typically a triage tier. They collect customer and problem information and perform basic troubleshooting. If they're unable to solve the issue, they escalate it to a second-tier team. This team is typically comprised of individuals with a bit more experience within the company or specialized training.

• If the second-tier support is unable to solve the problem or if they do not have the required permissions, they escalate it to the third tier. This tier is typically not customer facing. Instead, they solve issues behind the scenes and handle the most complex situations.

Which of the following occurs during asset deployment?

Recording of asset tag information

• Asset tag information recording occurs during asset deployment.

Jason is a system administrator for a hospital. As part of his role, he helps to maintain all devices in the hospital that connect to the internet (IoT devices).

Recently, the hospital has purchase some new heart-rate monitoring devices that are IoT-enabled. Jason needs to add the devices to the inventory management database.

Which of the following is the asset management phase that Jason is currently involved with?

Deployment

• Deployment is the asset management phase where information about an asset is recorded in the inventory management database.

Candace is a purchasing manager for a large metropolitan hospital and is responsible for making purchasing decisions for millions of dollars worth of equipment each year.

The hospital board has recently decided that many of the older hospital devices need to be upgraded to IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) equipment to become more efficient and effective in their procedures.

Candace has decided to start by ordering new IoMT heart-monitoring devices that track a patient's heart information remotely. She immediately talked to her equipment sales representative and ordered several new IoMT heart-monitoring devices. However, after deploying them, she finds that they do not provide all the data that nurses and doctors were expecting.

Which of the following steps did Candance fail to complete during the asset management Procurement phase that led to this issue?

Determine goods and services required

• Candace immediately contacted her supplier without determining exactly which IoMT heart-monitoring services were required by the nurses and doctors, causing expectation issues once the heart monitors were deployed.

During which asset management phase would you perform maintenance tasks, such as installing updates and patches or upgrading a hard drive?

Operations

• Updates, patches, and hard drive upgrades occur during the Operations phase.

During which asset management phase would you consider whether an asset would replace an existing one and whether it will have any impact on the existing network and users?

Procurement

• During the Procurement phase, you want to be sure to consider whether an asset would replace an existing one or if it would be a new addition to the network. You would also determine whether adding it would have any impact (positive or negative) on the existing network and users.

• You complete the Procurement phase before the Deployment, Operations, and Decommissioning phases.

Aaron is a system administrator for a school district and has been assigned to maintain and decommission computer equipment throughout the district schools.

He has been assigned to review all the workstations currently being used by the administrative staff at the district and school levels to determine if they need to be replaced or upgraded to meet current administrative requirements. He decides to replace the workstations with new equipment, decommission the existing computers, and sell them to the public as surplus.

After selling several of the decommissioned computers, a local paper publishes an article about financial corruption in the school district with documentation to prove the accusations.

Which of the following steps in the Decommissioning process did Aaron fail to do that might have BEST prevented this situation?

Ensure that any sensitive or proprietary information was permanently removed from the workstations before selling them to the public.

• Before selling the workstations to the public, Aaron should have made sure that any sensitive or proprietary information was thoroughly and permanently removed from any storage devices.

Which of the following are information assets?

• Files

• Databases

Which of the following is the process of tracking and managing an organization's assets?

Asset Management

• Asset management is the process of tracking and managing an organization's assets.

Which of the following policies defines who has access to which company resources and explains any restrictions that have been set for their use?

Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

• An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) defines who has access to which company resources and explains any restrictions that have been set on their use.

You are an information security specialist in charge of developing and implementing security measures for your company. You are currently working with the company's IT system administrator to make sure that all policies and procedures meet city, state, and industry regulations.

You have noted that employees often allow coworkers into restricted areas who may not have authorized access. In addition, employees often work from home using company laptops that are often unsecure and frequently contain sensitive company data on the local hard drive.

SOLUTION: You update the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to clearly state that only authorized employees can access restricted areas with a proper key fob (no tailgating), along with any penalties for non-compliance. To address the laptop security issue, you work with the IT system administrator to update the network diagram and inform employees of the changes to help secure their laptops.

No

• The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) addresses who has access to company resources, along with restrictions on personal internet, email, and storage usage and which browsers, applications, and hardware platforms are supported. It is not designed to address security issues such as access to restricted areas.

• The Physical Security Policy specifically addresses access to restricted areas and how to properly access them. Updating the policy (including any consequences for non-compliance) would be a good first step to resolve the access issue, but you should also accompany this with a user education training program to help employees become aware of the policy and any associated procedures.

Your organization has expanded into an adjacent office. You have been tasked with laying cables to connect the new space with the existing space.

Which document should you look at to ensure that there will be no interference or damage to the cables from existing infrastructure?

Floor Plan

• A floor plan provides a layout of all electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and wiring components. This is a valuable reference when determining where you can safely lay cables and install devices without the risk of interference or damage from the existing infrastructure.

Which of the following are included in a network topology diagram?

The relationship between remote locations and the WAN links that connect them.

The location and IP addresses of hubs, switches, routers, and firewalls.

• A network diagram provides a visual representation of the logical and physical layout of your network. A single diagram or a collection of diagrams can include the location and IP addresses of hubs, switches, routers, and firewalls. It can also show the relationship between remote locations and the WAN links that connect them.

You need to find out which kind of laws might apply to your network's operations. Which document type would you consult?

Regulation

• A regulation is a requirement published by a government or other licensing body. Policies are often written in response to regulations.

Which of the following are true about a policy?

Identifies the problem, such as why action is needed and which action should be taken.

Includes rules that have been set by an organization to address a particular problem or concern.

• A policy is a rule set by an organization to address a particular problem or concern. A policy identifies the problem (why action is needed) and explains which action should be taken.

Which of the following BEST describes a Security Policy?

A document or collection of documents that provide information about an organization's network security.

• A Security Policy is a document or collection of documents that provide information about an organization's network security.

You are an information security specialist in charge of developing and implementing security measures for your company. You are currently working with the company's IT system administrator to make sure that all policies and procedures meet city, state, and industry regulations.

You have noted that employees often allow coworkers into restricted areas who may not have authorized access. In addition, employees often work from home using company laptops that are often unsecure and frequently contain sensitive company data on the local hard drive.

SOLUTION: You update the Physical Security Policy to clearly state that only authorized employees can access restricted areas with a proper key fob (no tailgating), along with any penalties for non-compliance. You also work with Human Resources to develop a user education and awareness policy that includes security training. To address the laptop security issue, you work with the IT system administrator to develop a splash screen (which is pushed out to all company laptops) reminding employees to lock their laptop screens when leaving their laptops in an unsecure area.

Does this solution provide a reasonable approach for addressing the security area and work-from-home issues?

Yes

• While this solution cannot be guaranteed to be 100% effective, it is a reasonable approach.

• The Physical Security Policy specifically addresses access to restricted areas and how to properly access them. Updating the policy (including any consequences for non-compliance) is a good first step, but you should also accompany this with a user education training program to help employees become aware of the policy and any associated procedures.

• The issue with laptop security can be initially resolved by working with the IT system administrator to make sure that employees are reminded (possibly through a splash screen) to lock down their laptops when leaving them in an unsecure area. If this is not effective, you may need to take other measures.

Which document outlines how to communicate standards, procedures, and baselines that help an employee perform their job safely and effectively?

User Education and Awareness Policy

• A User Education and Awareness Policy establishes content for mandatory end user training. The policy outlines how to communicate standards, procedures, and baselines that will help an employee to do their job safely and effectively.

You plan on including Employee Education and Awareness Policy training for all new employees. As part of that training, which of the following should you instruct your employees NOT to do as part of company procedures?

• Click on links in a phishing email.

• Respond to social engineering attacks.

• Connect unauthorized devices.

You are responsible for updating your company's onboard training for all new employees.

Which of the following items are important to include in that training?

The help desk's contact information

The process for reporting suspicious behavior

The security policy

• The Security Policy, the help desk's contact information, and the process for reporting suspicious behavior are all important items to include in onboard training for new employees.

Jared, an employee in Human Resources, left the company two months ago as part of a company downsizing initiative. A new Human Resources VP is now running the department and has re-hired Jared to work as a manager in Human Resources.

As a new IT system administrator for the company, you have been assigned to re-establish all of Jared's accounts, including network accounts, email, software, and VPN access. However, you discover that no accounts exist for Jared.

What should have been done during Jared's offboarding process to make sure his accounts were still available for a period of time?

The accounts should have been disabled instead of deleted.

• As part of the offboarding process, you should disable a user account instead of deleting it right away. This ensures that you can back up or transfer any valuable data that the user might have saved as well as save time in re-establishing those accounts.

Which of the following are procedures that should be included when offboarding (ending a relationship with) an employee?

When offboarding an employee (whether voluntarily or involuntarily), you should make sure that:

• You collect all physical access items, such as keys, key fobs, and smart cards.

• You disable all electronic access, such as closing the employee's user account and disabling access codes and passwords.

Where could a company employee find out how to reset a password or change their voicemail message?

Knowledge base

• A knowledge base is a web-based collection of articles and documents related to frequently asked questions, such as how to reset a password or change a voicemail message.

Which part of the change management process specifies how you will return affected systems to their original state if your implementation fails?

Backout plan

• A backout plan specifies how you'll return affected systems to their original state if your implementation fails.

You are filling out a change order form. Toward its end, you explain how you will return affected hardware and software to its original state if the change fails. What is this plan called?

Backout plan

• A backout plan is the portion of a change order form that details how you will return affected hardware and software to its original state if the proposed change fails.

Generally, a change order form requires you to explain your change request in the following order:

• Purpose of the change

• Scope of the change

• Risk analysis

• Backout plan

Which documents are generally finished and approved before a project begins?

Budget

Risk Assessment

Project plan

• Most businesses require executive sign-off on a project's plan, budget, and risk assessment before it begins

Which of the following is typically a question asked when defining the scope of change on a change order form?

What exactly do you want to change?

• "What exactly do you want to change?" is one of the first questions typically asked for the scope of change section on a change order form.

• The following are questions typically asked when defining the purpose of change on a change order form:

  • Why do you want to make this change?

  • Why is the change needed?

Which part of the change management process asks how the project will align with the organization's current mission and strategy?

Purpose of the change

• Change management forms will ask you the purpose of the change. This includes how the change aligns with the organization's current mission and strategy.

Which section of a change order form would include the desired outcomes of a project?

Scope of change

• The scope asks what the desired outcomes or deliverables will be of your project.

Who needs to approve a change before it is initiated?

Change board

Customer

• The change board and, often, the client/end user must approve changes before they are initiated.

• The change board may include the CEO, managers, or other personnel, but approval from persons outside the change board (such as a marketing director, sales rep, or regional rep) is not generally required.

As a systems engineer for a large retail corporation, you have filled out a change order form to replace the laptop computers that sales reps use on the road with business tablets that are much more durable, provide both touch and keyboard options, and are more portable and easier to use when working with clients.

The request has been forwarded to the change board, which is reviewing the change order form with you. One of the board members asks if this change will impact plans to move more of the business online to reach customers directly.

Which of the following questions does the board member really want answered?

How does this change fit with company's current strategic focus?

• What the board member really wants to know is how the requested change will fit with the company's strategic focus to move business online.

An administrator configures the Time Machine application on macOS computers and develops scripts that use the tar command on Linux computers.

Which of the following best practices is the administrator following?

Scheduled backups

• The Time Machine application on macOS computers and the tar command on Linux are used for backups.

You need to back up user data on a Windows 11 system. The computer has a single SSD storage device installed that contains both the Windows operating system (in C:\Windows) and user profile data (in C:\Users). You plan to do the following:

• Use Backup and Restore to back up user data.

• Run the backup automatically every night at 11:00 p.m.

• Store the backups in the C:\Backups folder.

• Include a system image in each backup.

Will this configuration work?

No, backups created with Backup and Restore can't be stored on the drive that contains the information being backed up.

• The configuration in the scenario will not work because backups created with the Backup and Restore utility can't be stored on the same drive that contains the information being backed up. To fix this issue, you need to add a second hard disk or external storage device to the system.

You work as the IT administrator for a small startup company. Lily's computer has two internal hard drives and runs Windows 11. She is concerned that she may accidently delete a personal file or that her primary hard disk may fail at some future time, causing her to lose her personal files.

She has come to you for suggestions about how to protect her files. Due to the size and revenue of this startup company, resources are somewhat limited.

Which of the following would BEST protect Lily's files?

Back up her files using File History.

• Windows 11 includes a backup service known as File History. With File History, only the data in a user's profile (such as personal files) is backed up. Lily could also add folders to a library to back them up using File History. File History does require a second disk for backup. This backup drive could be a second drive in a computer, a USB-connected drive, or a network drive. Lily could use this feature to back up her files from her primary drive to her secondary drive, or you could purchase an inexpensive USB drive that she could use to automatically back up her personal files to.

You need to specify which location File History should use to store backup data.

Click the Control Panel option you would use to do this.

Use the Select drive option to specify the location that File History will store backup data.

You need to protect the user data on a Windows 11 system.

Which tools could you use to do this?

File History

Backup and Restore (Windows 7)

• You can protect user data on a Windows 11 system using the tools listed below.

  • File History works to protect user data. All user profile files (such as documents, music, and videos) are automatically backed up at a regular interval to a second storage device in the system.

  • Backup and Restore (Windows 7) backs up user data to backup media on a specified schedule.

Which of the following is true of a synthetic backup?

It compares the data found in the last full backup with the current content and uploads only the changes.

• A synthetic backup merges the benefits of a full backup with the benefits of an incremental backup. It compares the data found in the last full backup with the current content and uploads only the changes.

What should you do to help protect against data loss before you perform system updates, add new applications, or make other changes to your computer?

Back up your computer

• Whenever you perform system updates, add new applications, or make other changes to your computer, you should back up your computer data.

Match each backup method on the left with the correct description

The following are the appropriate descriptions of each listed backup method:

• Full - backs up all files (even those that have not changed).

• Incremental - backs up every file that has changed since the last full or incremental backup.

• Differential - Backs up every file that has changed since the last full backup.

• Synthetic - Compares the data found in the last full backup with the current content and uploads only the changes.

As the system engineer for a large financial institution, you have decided to implement a backup system on all the Windows 11 laptops used by the financial consultants to ensure that critical customer data is securely stored.

Your requirements for the backup system include:

• Only customer data files created by the financial consultants need to be backed up.

• Data backed up to a flash drive.

• Backed up files must be uncompressed.

• Include contact lists and desktop preferences.

Which of the following backup solutions BEST meets your requirements?

File History

• File History meets all the requirements for the backup system you need, including only backing up personal data files, the ability to save the data to a flash drive, no compression involved, and the ability to back up profile files, such as contacts and desktop preferences.

• File Backup also meets several of your requirements. However, the backed up files are compressed before storage.

You have created a system image of Windows 11 on your laptop before updating several applications on your hard drive. The system image is stored on an external hard drive.

After updating one of the applications, you are required to restart your laptop. However, during the restart, you receive an error message that the system is unable to reboot. You try to restore the system image from the external hard drive, but you are unsuccessful.

Which of the following do you need to do BEFORE successfully restoring your Windows 11 system using the system image?

Use a recovery disc to restore the operating system.

• If you are unable to boot into Windows, you will be unable to restore a system image. You can, however, use a recovery disc to restore the operating system so that you can then restore the system image.

Which operating system uses the Time Machine backup program?

macOS

You have configured your Windows systems to automatically back up user data every night at midnight. You also perform a system image backup once per month.

What else should you do to ensure that you are protected from data loss?

Regularly test restoration procedures.

Store a copy of all backups offsite.

• The only way to ensure that you are protected from data loss is to regularly test your restoration procedures. This activity will reveal whether or not your backup process is functioning properly and whether or not your restoration procedures will actually work. You should also store a redundant copy of your backups at an offsite location. The chance that a disaster at your main site will also affect backups stored offsite is very small.

Why should you store backup media offsite?

To prevent the same disaster from affecting both the system and its associated backup media.

• Backup media should be stored offsite to prevent the same disaster from affecting both the system itself as well as its associated backup media. For example, if your primary facility is destroyed by flood or fire, your data remains protected at an offsite location.

Which of the following describes the grandfather backup in a grandfather-father-son (GFS) rotation scheme?

A full backup that is stored offsite.

• Most organizations create a strict rotation schedule for performing full and partial backups. One commonly used rotation scheme is the grandfather-father-son (GFS) backup type.

• The grandfather is a full backup that is completed once a month or so and stored offsite. It is not an incremental backup store offsite.

• The father is a full backup that is completed once a week and stored onsite.

• The son is an incremental backup that occurs daily and is kept onsite.

You want to adopt a rotation scheme for your Windows systems that works by keeping data for 30 days and then has the data from the 31st day overwrite the data from the first day.

Which of the following is the rotation backup type you should use?

FIFO

• The FIFO (first in, first out) rotation type keeps data for a specific period of time (such as 30 days) and then saves over the oldest data once the time has elapsed (such as replacing the first-day backup with the 31st-day data).

You work for a store that sells and repairs computers. Due to the room's layout, while repairing computers, you must walk from one side of the carpeted room to the other frequently.

Which of the following would BEST protect you from static electricity buildup?

ESD wrist strap

• Walking across a room, especially on carpet, will generate static electricity on your person. Discharging this electricity to a computer component may damage that component. Under these circumstances, it is best to use an electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap to ensure proper grounding.

Which of the following protects a computer system from electrostatic discharge while handling computer components?

Anti-static wrist strap

• An anti-static wrist strap prevents an electrostatic discharge between the service technician and the computer components while handling computer components.

Which of the following tools can help prevent ESD damage when working with computer components?

Antistatic pad and wrist strap

• An antistatic pad provides an insulated covering to prevent static electricity from moving between objects and damaging computer components. When working with computer components, use a wrist strap connected to the antistatic pad and connect the pad to the ground.

You are in a carpeted office lighted by fluorescent bulbs. You are preparing to add memory modules to a user's computer. The user has already unpacked the memory modules and stacked them on top of an old, unused CRT monitor.

What is the greatest threat to these memory modules in this environment?

Electrostatic discharge (ESD)

• Memory modules are very sensitive to ESD. It is possible that the memory modules have already been damaged by the possible lack of proper ESD prevention if the user removed the modules from the packaging while standing on the carpeted floor. But you can still take proper steps to prevent ESD before you proceed to install the modules.

In which of the following situations should you NOT use an ESD wrist strap?

When working with high-voltage components.

• Do not use an ESD wrist strap when working with monitors, power supplies, laptop LCD panels, or other high-voltage components.

Your U.S.-based company has recently purchased an old office building where employees are being assigned to work. As you are setting up the employees' desktop computers, you come to one location where the nearest wall outlet has only two prongs. All of the metal-enclosed desktop computers have three-prong cords.

Which of the following is the BEST way to proceed with that particular desktop computer?

Find a different outlet that uses three prongs.

• The third, or middle, prong of a computer plug is the grounding prong. In the event of a malfunction, the electricity flows through the grounding prong to the earth which, in turn, trips off the breaker, removing all electricity from that outlet. If the grounding prong is removed or bypassed and a malfunction occurs, the electricity will find the next shortest path to the earth, which may be a person who touches the computer. Having the electricity pass through a person could cause serious harm or even death.

ESD is most likely to occur in which of the following environments?

In a cool, dry atmosphere

• Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is most likely to occur in a cool, dry atmosphere.

Timothy works in the graphic arts departments and has received approval to upgrade his video card. The card has arrived, and you are ready to begin the upgrade by replacing the old video card with the new one in his workstation.

To ensure your personal safety, which of the following should you do FIRST?

Disconnect power

• Before you begin any internal service on a computer, you must always be sure that the computer is completely disconnected from the power source. Not removing power can lead to serious harm or death.

Which of the following devices can store large amounts of electricity, even when unplugged?

CRT monitor

• A cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor can store large amounts of electricity, even when unplugged. You should never open a CRT monitor, as the capacitors within the CRT can store enough electricity to be lethal.

While it takes 3,000 volts or more of ESD before you can feel it, it takes very little ESD to damage a computer component.

What is the minimum ESD volt discharge that can actually damage a component?

100 volts

• A discharge of as little as 100 volts, or less, can damage a component, but 3,000 volts or more of ESD must occur before you can even feel it.

Which of the following should be handled with caution due to high operating temperatures?

Printing head in a dot matrix printer

Components within a laser printer

• Components such as the printing head of a dot matrix printer or components inside a laser printer can be hot and should be handled with caution. To prevent burns, you should allow components to cool sufficiently before servicing.

You are removing screws within a computer, but several have fallen into places you can't reach. Which tool would help retrieve the small screws?

Extension magnet

• An extension magnet is a small magnet on a collapsible rod that's used to retrieve screws that have fallen into a computer case or other areas you cannot reach.

Which tool would be the BEST choice for securing cable wiring to a patch panel?

Punch down tool

• A punch down tool is used to secure cable wiring to a punch-down block or a patch panel, not to retrieve screws that have fallen into a computer case or other areas you cannot reach.

Which tool would you use to grab and lift small objects?

3-prong holder

• A 3-prong holder is a tweezer-like tool with three prongs used for grabbing and lifting small objects.

Which of the following is a myth regarding electrostatic discharge (ESD)?

If you can't feel ESD, the surge is not sufficient to harm computer components.

• To be felt, an ESD charge has to reach the level of approximately 3,000 volts. Some computer components can be destroyed by discharges as low as 20 or 30 volts.

Which of the following devices are MOST susceptible to problems associated with ESD?

Processor

Memory

• Processors and memory are most susceptible to damage caused by Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). The small size and small power requirements of these components means that the charges associated with ESD can easily damage the circuitry.

To prevent ESD when replacing internal computer components, you attach an anti-static wrist strap to your wrist. Where should the other end be fastened?

Anti-static mat

Metal area on the computer case

• When using an anti-static wrist strap, you should connect the wrist strap to yourself and the other end to a ground such as the clip on the anti-static mat, or to an area on the computer case so that you and the computer are at the same electrical potential.

Which of the following will help reduce the threat of static discharge when working on computer hardware?

Remain in physical contact with the server chassis at all times.

Store unused components in static shielding bags.

• To reduce the threat of static discharge when working on PC hardware, you should:

  • Store unused components in static shielding bags.

  • Remain in physical contact with the server chassis at all times.

Hard drives are best stored in which of the following?

Static shielding bag

• Hard drives with integrated controller circuitry are susceptible to electrostatic discharge (ESD). Make sure to store hard drives in static shielding bags.

Of the following choices, which action could cause the MOST permanent physical harm to you?

Looking into the end of a fiber optic cable.

• Never look into a fiber optic cable or any other possible source of laser light. Laser light can damage your eyes and even cause blindness.

Which of the following are safety benefits are associated with encasing cables that run across the floor?

Prevents wear

Reduces tripping accidents

• If a cable must run across the floor, encase the cable to prevent wear and secure the cable in place to reduce tripping accidents. Aesthetic improvements are not safety benefits. Individuals could still tamper with the network cables regardless of the casing. Likewise, encasing cables does not prevent eavesdropping.

What should be your top priority when responding to emergencies and hazardous situations?

Ensure the safety of people in the area.

• Your top priority is to protect the safety of individuals. Do this before taking any other actions to protect data, equipment, or the environment.

Which of the following are safe methods for lifting heavy objects?

Lift with your legs.

Bend your knees and keep your back straight.

• When lifting heavy objects, bend your knees, keep your back straight, and use your legs to lift.

You work for a large company that has over 1,000 computers. Each of these computes uses a wireless mouse and keyboard. Therefore, your company goes through a lot of alkaline batteries. When these batteries can no longer power the intended device, you need to decide what to do with them.

Unless otherwise dictated by your local authorities, which of the following would be the EASIEST way to deal with these batteries?

They can be thrown in the trash.

• Alkaline batteries manufactured after 1996 are made of relatively non-hazardous materials and can be tossed directly into the trash in most states.

Your company has a plan in place to upgrade each employee's laptop computer to a newer model every three years. As a result, you often have old laptop batteries.

Unless otherwise dictated by your local authorities, which of the following is the BEST way to deal with these types of batteries?

They must be recycled

• Laptop batteries contain hazardous materials such as mercury, cadmium, and lead. Therefore, these batteries must be recycled or given to a hazardous waste facility.

Which of the following components require special disposal procedures to comply with environmental guidelines?

Notebook battery

• Ni-Cad, NiMH, and other notebook battery types can contain regulated materials. Read the battery's documentation for a description of correct disposal procedures. Incorrect disposal can result in serious fines.

What is the BEST way to dispose of printer cartridges?

Return them to the manufacturer for recycling.

• Empty printer cartridges should be returned to the manufacturer for recycling. Most manufacturers accept the empty cartridges back from you, refill them, and then resell them. This reduces landfill waste, provides the manufacturer with a cheap source of empty cartridges, and provides you with a source for less expensive printer cartridges.

To improve the safety of your location and comply with regulations regarding work environments with hazardous materials, you have been assigned to assemble Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all chemicals used in your shop.

How should you obtain these documents?

Download them from the chemical manufacturer's websites.

• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are written and distributed by chemical manufacturers. You can download them from the manufacturer's website or request them from a company representative.

What is the purpose of an MSDS?

To document how to safely handle and dispose of hazardous materials.

Which of the following is true about CRT monitors?

CRT monitors should be discharged before disposal.

• CRT monitors contain a capacitor that holds up to 20,000 volts.

Which of the following is true about negative pressure systems?

They can bring in airborne particles, such as dust or smoke.

• Negative pressure systems draw air in, potentially bringing in airborne particles, such as dust or smoke. In areas with heavy smoke or dust, add filters to air intake systems to filter out airborne particles.

What method is used to ensure proper ventilation in a server room?

Hot and cold aisles

• Server rooms and data centers often use hot and cold aisles that are designed to ensure that hot air is removed and cool air is pushed into the room.

Katy is a IT engineer who is responsible for maintaining the environment in her company data center in San Francisco.

While swapping motherboards in a server in the data center, she notices that the original motherboard is showing signs of corrosion.

Which of the following is the BEST solution to resolve the corrosion issue?

Decrease the humidity in the data center.

• Corrosion of server components is a sign of high humidity in the environment. And San Francisco is one of the highest humidity cities in the United States. The recommended humidity level is usually between 50 and 65%. The best solution in this scenario is to decrease the amount of humidity in the data center to an acceptable level.

Jeannette's workstation is overheating. She decides to open the workstation and clean any accumulated dust to see if it helps with the overheating issue.

Which of the following can Jeannette safely do to remove dust?

Use short bursts of compressed air to clean delicate components.

Use a special vacuum to clean dust from all hardware components.

• Using short bursts of compressed air to clean delicate components followed by using a special vacuum designed to remove dust from all components provides a safe procedure for removing accumulated dust.

Which of the following are common tools used to physically clean the inside of a computer?

Compressed air

Natural bristle brush

• You can use a natural bristle brush and a can of compressed air to blow dust off of a motherboard and other circuit cards.

Which of the following are most helpful in keeping a computer cool?

Verify that cooling fans are not circulating air in the wrong direction.

Vacuum dust from the system regularly.

• Vacuuming dust from the system is critical to keeping the computer cool. In addition, verify that your cooling fans are blowing air in the right direction and are not working against each other.

Which of the following features should you look for when selecting a vacuum cleaner for your cleaning kit?

Non-static generation

• It's important to select a vacuum cleaner for use with computer equipment that won't generate harmful static. Electrostatic discharge should always be avoided around sensitive computer components, and one that blows as well as vacuums can be important as it may be better to remove dust and other foreign matter by applying a blowing force rather than vacuuming.

What should you use to clean metal contacts (like those found on expansion cards)?

Denatured isopropyl alcohol

• Denatured alcohol can be used to clean metal contacts (like those found on expansion cards).

Your local area experiences brownouts or blackouts during frequent electrical storms.

Which of the following components could you add to your network rack to help protect your servers from brownouts or blackouts?

UPS

• An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device that constantly provides battery power to a computer while the batteries recharge through the wall outlet. A UPS typically provides several locations to plug in devices, and it can help protect your servers from brownouts or blackouts.

What does occasional beeping from the UPS mean?

The computer is running on the UPS battery power.

• Most UPS manufacturers indicate AC power outages and internal battery use with occasional beeping, usually about four beeps every 30 seconds. Some UPS units have a switch that you can use to disable the warning signal when running on battery power.

Which of the following device types should be plugged into a surge-protected-only outlet on a UPS unit and not a battery backup outlet?

Laser printer

• Due to the periodic high power requirements to heat the fuser roller, a laser printer should not be plugged into a UPS's battery backup outlets. Instead, a laser printer should only be plugged into the surge protection outlets or directly into a wall outlet.

Your company resides in an area with rapid growth in both the corporate and residential areas surrounding your office. As such, your company has been experiencing several brownouts due to power grid problems (too much demand and not enough electricity). Fearing that your computers (especially the servers) could be damaged by these brownouts, your manager has asked you to find a solution to this problem.

Which of the following would be the BEST device to recommend to your manager for computer protection?

UPS

• An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device that contains a large battery suitable to run the attached devices for an extended period of time in the event that power is lost or drops below an acceptable level. A UPS can protect your computers from brownouts, power surges, and blackouts. UPSs can be purchased in varying size to accommodate large server or individual computers.

Besides protecting a computer from under-voltages, a typical UPS also performs which other actions?

Protects from over-voltages

Conditions the power signal

• A typical UPS protects a computer from overvoltages as well as undervoltages. Also, because the quality of the electrical signal provided by a UPS battery is not as good as the AC power from the wall outlet, UPS devices often have built-in line conditioners.

You are trying to help a co-worker order a UPS for each PC in her remote office location. What rating is used to specify the size of a UPS?

VA

• The size of a UPS is specified by a volt-amp (VA) rating. The larger the VA rating of the UPS, the longer the UPS can keep the system running in the event of a power failure.

Which of the following devices help protect equipment from temporary, above-normal voltages?

Surge protector

• A power surge is a temporary, excessive voltage increase to a computer. A surge protector helps protect hardware from power surges.

Your company provides testing services that help customers identify and resolve performance issues with their software and e-commerce sites before they go live. To perform accurate testing, a large number of computers are required, sometimes numbering in the hundreds.

Recently, you have noticed that the lights in the testing lab seem dimmer than normal and sometimes flicker.

Which of the following electrical terms BEST describes the condition you are most likely experiencing?

Brownout

• The dimming or flickering is most likely caused by a drop in the voltage to the lab due to the large number of computer being run at the same time. This drop in voltage is known as a brownout and can be harmful to your computers. You should take steps to maintain a constant level of electricity.

A security incident is currently occurring on your company's network. You discover that the attack involves a computer system that is attached to the network. You are unsure what kind of damage is being done to the network systems or data.

Which of the following actions should you take FIRST?

Stop the attack and contain the damage by disconnecting the system from the network.

• The first step in responding to an incident should be to take actions to stop the attack and contain the damage. If the attack involves a computer system attached to the network, the first step would mostly likely be to disconnect the computer from the network. Although you want to preserve as much information as possible to assist in later investigations, it is better to stop the attack, even if doing so alerts the attacker or results in the loss of evidence regarding the attack.

  After containing the damage, subsequent steps you can take include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Examine the active computer system to analyze the live network connection, memory contents, and running programs.

  • Document and photograph the entire crime scene, including the current state of the attached computer system.

  • Determine whether you have the expertise to conduct an investigation or whether you need to call in additional help