Server Maintenance in Hazardous Environments
A server located in an IDF of a paper mill reboots every other day at random times. Which of the following should the technician perform on the server first?
Community Votes
67% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
The exam tests the ability to apply environmental context (paper mill = high dust) to hardware failure symptoms (random reboots = likely thermal shutdown). The trap is ignoring the environmental clue and defaulting to generic troubleshooting steps like checking power cables.
This question tests environmental awareness and preventive maintenance priorities for servers in harsh industrial settings like paper mills. The community consensus is that dust accumulation leading to overheating is the primary suspect, making fan cleaning the first logical step.
Option A (Check power cables) is the most common wrong answer because technicians often prioritize physical layer checks first. However, without evidence of loose connections or power issues, ignoring the specific environmental risk of dust-induced overheating is a strategic error.
Community Discussion (4 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
In a paper mill environment, airborne particulates such as wood dust and paper fibers are abundant. These contaminants quickly accumulate on server intake fans and heatsinks, restricting airflow and causing the CPU temperature to rise. Random reboots are a classic symptom of thermal protection triggering, where the system shuts down to prevent damage. Cleaning the fans addresses the root cause identified by the environmental context.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Checking power cables (A) is a standard first step in general troubleshooting but ignores the specific 'paper mill' clue provided in the scenario. Replacing RAM (C) or reattaching the CPU heat sink (D) are invasive procedures that should only be performed after simpler, non-invasive maintenance steps like cleaning have been attempted or if logs indicate specific hardware faults.Community Comment Notes
Comment [2] correctly highlights that even IT spaces in dirty environments become contaminated, making B the best practical choice. Comment [1] argues for A based on general hierarchy of checks, but fails to account for the specific environmental hazard. Comment [4] succinctly identifies overheating as the likely cause, aligning with the correct answer.Exam Strategy
Always look for environmental clues in CompTIA Server+ questions; they dictate the priority of troubleshooting steps. If a location implies a specific hazard (e.g., dust, moisture, vibration), prioritize maintenance actions related to that hazard over generic hardware checks.
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