CompTIA Server+ Study Guide

Exam SK0-004

Troy McMillan

• Publisher: Sybex
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781119137832
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Certification Guides in Computer Science
• Index: Computer Science

NOTE: The correct URL to access the Sybex interactive online test bank and study tools is www.wiley.com/go/sybextestprep. The book's back cover, Introduction, and last page in the bookprovided the wrong URL. We apologize for any confusion and inconvenience this may have caused you.
Comprehensive interactive exam preparation plus expert insight from the field

CompTIA Server+ Study Guide Exam SK0-004 is your ideal study companion for the SK0-004 exam. With 100% coverage of all exam objectives, this guide walks you through system hardware, software, storage, best practices, disaster recovery, and troubleshooting, with additional coverage of relevant topics including virtualization, big data, cloud storage, security, and scalability. Get an 'in the trenches' view of how server and data storage administration works in a real-world IT environment. From the basics through advanced topics, you'll learn how to deliver world-class solutions in today's evolving organizations by getting under the hood of technologies that enable performance, resiliency, availability, recoverability, and simplicity. Gain access to the Sybex interactive online learning environment, which features electronic flashcards, a searchable glossary, test bank, and bonus practice exams to reinforce what you have learned.

Using and understanding in-house storage devices and the cloud has become an urgent skill for any IT professional. This is your comprehensive, expert driven study guide for taking the CompTIA Server+ exam SK0-004

• Study 100% of exam objectives and more
• Understand storage design, implementation, and administration
• Utilize bonus practice exams and study tools
• Gain a real-world perspective of data storage technology

CompTIA Server+ Study Guide Exam SK0-004 is your ticket to exam day confidence.

Chapter 1
Server Hardware

COMPTIA SERVER+ EXAM OBJECTIVES COVERED IN THIS CHAPTER:

• ✓ 1.1 Explain the purpose and function of server form factors
  • Rack mount (dimensions [1U, 2U, 4U], cable management arms, rail kits)
  • Tower
  • Blade technology (blade enclosure [backplane/midplane, power supply sockets, network modules/switches, management modules], blade server)
• ✓ 1.2 Given a scenario, install, configure and maintain server components
  • CPU (Multiprocessor vs. multicore, socket type, cache levels: L1, L2, L3, speeds [core, bus, multiplier], CPU stepping, architecture [x86, x64, ARM])
  • RAM (ECC vs. non-ECC, DDR2, DDR3, number of pins, static vs. dynamic, module placement, CAS latency, timing, memory pairing)
  • Bus types, bus channels and expansion slots (height differences and bit rate differences, PCI, PCIe, PCI-X)
  • NICs
  • Hard drives
  • Riser cards
  • RAID controllers
  • BIOS/UEFI (CMOS battery)
  • Firmware
  • USB interface/port
  • Hotswap vs. non-hotswap components
• ✓ 1.3 Compare and contrast power and cooling components
  • Power (voltage [110V vs. 220V vs. -48V, 208V vs. 440V/460V/480V], wattage, consumption, redundancy, 1-phase vs. 3-phase power, plug types [NEMA, Edison, twist lock])
  • Cooling (airflow, thermal dissipation, baffles/shrouds, fans, liquid cooling)

While servers and workstations have many of the same hardware components and in many cases use the same or similar operating systems, their roles in the network and therefore the requirements placed upon them are quite different. For this reason, CompTIA has developed the Server+ certification to validate the skills and knowledge required to design, install, and maintain server systems in the enterprise. Although many of the skills required to maintain workstations are transferable to maintaining servers, there are certainly enough differences both in the devices themselves and in the environment in which they operate to warrant such a certification. This book is designed to prepare you for the SK0-004 exam, otherwise known as the CompTIA Server+ exam.

Server Form Factors

When we use the term form factor when discussing any computing device or component, we are talking about its size, appearance, or dimensions. Form factor is typically used to differentiate one physical implementation of the same device or component from another. In the case of servers, we are talking about the size and dimensions of the enclosure in which the server exists.

In this section we’ll look at the major server form factors: the rack mount, the tower, and the blade. Each has its own unique characteristics and considerations you need to take into account when deploying.

Rack Mount

Rack mount servers are those that are designed to be bolted into a framework called a rack and thus are designed to fit one of several standard size rack slots, or bays. They also require rail kits, which when implemented allow you to slide the server out of the rack for maintenance. One of the benefits of using racks to hold servers, routers, switches, and other hardware appliances is that a rack gets the equipment off the floor, while also making more efficient use of the space in the server room and maintaining good air circulation. A rack with a server and other devices installed is shown in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1 Server in a rack

Dimensions

As you may have noticed in Figure 1.1, there are several items in the rack and they take up various amounts of space in the rack. While both 19 and 23 inch wide racks are used, this is a 19 inch wide rack. Each module has a front panel that is 19 inches (482.6 mm) wide. The dimension where the devices or modules differ is in their height. This dimension is measured in rack units, or U for short. Each U is 1.75 inches (44.45 mm) high. While in the diagram the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) takes up 7U, there are four standard sizes for servers:

1U These are for very small appliances or servers that are only 1.75 inches high. In the diagram, there is a KVM switch (which provides a common keyboard, mouse, and monitor to use for all devices in the rack) and an Ethernet switch or hub that uses a 1U bay.

2U This is the middle of the most common sizes. In the diagram there is a server in the bottom of the rack that is using a 2U bay.

3U While not as common, 3U servers are also available.

4U Although there are no devices in the rack shown in Figure 1.1 that use 4U, this is a common bay size for servers. A 4U ser...