N10-009 Question 292
Single answerEstablish a plan of action to resolve the problem and identify potential effectsA network administrator confirms that users in a remote office lose access to internal applications several times a day because the WAN router's CPU spikes to 100% during large file transfers. Monitoring shows the issue began after QoS and new logging rules were added the previous week. The administrator has identified the likely cause and must now establish a plan of action to resolve the problem while minimizing business impact. Which action is the BEST next step?
- A
Schedule a maintenance window, document the proposed rollback of the recent QoS and logging changes, notify affected users of expected impact, and define validation steps plus a backout plan before implementation
- B
Immediately reboot the WAN router during business hours to clear the CPU condition, then monitor to see whether the issue returns before documenting anything
- C
Replace the WAN router with a higher-performance model as soon as possible, because hardware upgrades are the fastest way to eliminate utilization issues
- D
Disable all logging and QoS features permanently to reduce CPU load, since restoring performance is more important than preserving policy and audit visibility
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best answer is the option that reflects the Network+ troubleshooting methodology step: establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and identify potential effects. Once the likely cause has been identified, the administrator should prepare a controlled remediation plan that includes change documentation, communication to affected users, maintenance scheduling, validation testing, and a backout plan if the change fails. This approach is consistent with standard IT operational best practices such as formal change management, risk assessment, and post-change verification. In real environments, recent changes are a common starting point for remediation, especially when symptoms began immediately after configuration updates. The goal is not just to fix the problem, but to do so in a way that minimizes downtime, preserves required services, and reduces the risk of creating additional issues.
- A. Correct.
Correct. After identifying the probable cause, the next troubleshooting step is to establish a plan of action that addresses the issue and identifies potential effects. In this scenario, that means planning a controlled rollback of the recent changes, scheduling implementation to reduce disruption, communicating expected impact, and defining both validation and backout procedures. This aligns with common troubleshooting best practices used in Network+ scenarios: assess risk, plan change control, notify stakeholders, implement carefully, and verify full system functionality.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Rebooting may temporarily relieve CPU load, but it does not constitute a proper plan of action and introduces unnecessary outage during business hours. It also skips change management, user communication, impact assessment, and rollback planning. This is a common mistake when troubleshooting under pressure: taking immediate action without considering operational effects.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Replacing hardware is premature because the issue began after specific configuration changes, making those changes the more likely root cause. Good troubleshooting practice favors the least disruptive and most evidence-based corrective action first. Hardware replacement also requires more cost, lead time, and risk than a planned rollback or configuration adjustment.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Permanently disabling all logging and QoS is too broad and ignores business and security requirements. Logging may be needed for auditing and troubleshooting, and QoS may be required for voice or critical application traffic. A proper plan of action should evaluate the impact of changes and restore service with minimal negative side effects, not remove controls indiscriminately.