CompTIA Cloud+ Practice Test

When you start network troubleshooting by testing the server's connection to a database, what approach are you implementing?

1. Top-down

2. Bottom-up

3. Divide-and-conquer

4. Evaluation

The correct answer is: Bottom-up

The approach of testing the server's connection to a database falls under the bottom-up methodology. In bottom-up troubleshooting, you start with low-level components of the system and work your way up towards higher levels. This is particularly effective in scenarios where the problem could be located in the underlying infrastructure, such as network connections, servers, or storage systems. By checking the database connection, you are focusing on a fundamental element of the environment. If the server can successfully connect to the database, it indicates that the lower layers of networking—like the physical connection and protocol communication—are functioning correctly. If issues arise at this level, it helps isolate the problem before moving up the stack to applications or user interfaces. In contrast, top-down approaches begin troubleshooting from the user's perspective or application level and move downward. Divide-and-conquer entails breaking down the problem into smaller parts to solve it more easily, while evaluation involves assessing information, which doesn't specifically pertain to the ordered process of troubleshooting network connections. Thus, bottom-up is the most suitable choice in this context, as it reflects the systematic method of validating connections at the foundational layer first.