Greatest Concern When Consolidating Servers

CISA By islever Editorial Last updated Sep 8, 2026

Short answer

D System maintenance may require more coordination.

Question

Which of the following is the GREATEST concern when consolidating several applications from two outdated servers onto one new server?

Network traffic may increase.
Power usage will increase.
The new server will not be fully utilized after migration.
System maintenance may require more coordination. Correct Answer

Key Takeaways

This question tests the prioritization of availability risks over efficiency gains, specifically the trap of selecting underutilization over the critical need for maintenance coordination.

When consolidating applications onto a single server, the primary risk is operational rather than financial. The consensus identifies the increased complexity of coordinating maintenance for multiple applications as the greatest concern.

Common mistake: Selecting C (underutilization) is common because it addresses resource waste, but it fails to account for the higher priority of service availability and the risks associated with shared downtime.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Consolidating applications onto a single server creates a shared environment where maintenance activities, such as patching or reboots, impact all hosted applications simultaneously. This requires rigorous coordination to prevent unplanned downtime and ensure service levels are maintained across the board. As community members noted, the immediate operational impact on availability makes this the priority over other factors.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option A is incorrect because network traffic changes are generally manageable and less critical than service availability. Option B is incorrect because consolidation typically aims to reduce power consumption, not increase it. Option C is incorrect because while underutilization represents a financial inefficiency, it does not pose the same level of operational risk as the inability to effectively maintain the system.

Community Comment Notes

The community consensus heavily favors answer D, with users emphasizing that the need to coordinate downtime for multiple applications introduces a significant operational burden. Comments suggest that while underutilization (Option C) is a valid concern, it is secondary to the complexities of ensuring compatibility and managing maintenance windows without disrupting business operations.

Official Reference

ISACA CISA Review Manual, Chapter 4: IT Operations and Maintenance

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

Prioritize Availability and Integrity over Efficiency in audit scenarios. If an option implies a single point of failure or complex downtime coordination, it is likely the correct answer.

Community Votes

75%

25%

75% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 4 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 4

a84n 👍 2 Answered D

Answer D concerns such as increased coordination for system maintenance (option D) have a more immediate and direct impact on the organization's operations and ability to maintain service levels. Therefore, while underutilization of the new server is a valid concern, it may not be the greatest concern compared to other factors such as maintenance coordination in the context of consolidating applications onto a new server.
MJORGER 👍 1

ChatGpt: C. The new server will not be fully utilized after migration. Consolidating applications from multiple servers onto a single new server can lead to underutilization of resources if the new server is not properly configured or if the applications do not have consistent resource demands. This can result in wasted resources and increased costs without realizing the expected benefits of consolidation.
mdh717 👍 1 Answered C

When consolidating several applications onto a new server, the greatest concern is the risk that the new server will not be fully utilized after migration (C). This is because underutilization of the new server means that the investment in hardware is not being maximized, leading to inefficiencies in resource usage and potentially higher costs in the long run.
joehong 👍 1 Answered D

System maintenance to ensure compatibility is needed

Reader comments & corrections

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