CompTIA A+ 220-1101 PDF Study Notes

CompTIA A+ Study Notes...

CompTIA A+ Study Notes CompTIA A+ A+ ▪ CompTIA A+ certified professionals are proven problem solvers. They support today’s core technologies from security to networking to virtualization and more. CompTIA A+ is the industry standard for launching IT careers into today’s digital world. (CompTIA.org) Exam Description ▪ CompTIA A+ 220-1101 covers mobile devices, networking technology, hardware, virtualization and cloud computing. Five Domains o 15% Mobile Devices o 20% Networking o 25% Hardware o 11% Virtualization and Cloud Computing o 29% Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Exam Details o Up to 90 questions in 90 minutes ▪ Multiple-choice ▪ Drag and drops ▪ Performance-based/Simulations Requires a 675 out of 900 Recommended Experience: 9 to 12 months hands-on experience in the lab or field o Released: April 2022 Are You Ready? o Take practice exams o Did you score at least 85% or higher? o If you need more practice, take additional practice exams to hone your skills before attempting the exam What kind of jobs can I get? -1- https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes Introduction Objective 5.1 OBJ 5.1: Given a scenario, apply the best practice methodology to resolve problems Personal Computers o Workstation ▪ Computer desk o Server ▪ Used to host a file and print sharing server o Laptop ▪ Mobile version of a workstation o Tablet ▪ Portable computer that consists of a touchscreen and computing hardware o Smartphone ▪ Smaller version of tablets o Smart Device ▪ Device that has the ability to compute o Internet Of Things (IOT) Devices ▪ Devices that connect to a network o Hardware ▪ Parts of the computer that can be picked up, moved around, opened, and closed o Storage ▪ Saving the data for future use -2- https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o Software ▪ Provides the instructions for the hardware o Operating System ▪ Provides a method for saving, retrieving, changing, printing, and transmitting information o Application System ▪ Used to create, store, modify, and view information or data o Driver ▪ Used to translate commands from the operating system to hardware o Firmware ▪ Specialized type of software on a chip Safety Procedures o Personal Safety ▪ Trip hazard avoidance ▪ Proper lifting techniques ▪ Safety gear usage Trip hazard occurs when there is an object where people walk o Component Safety ▪ Actions taken to prevent damage to components Electrostatic discharge (ESD) occurs when electrons rush from the body to a component o Antistatic bag o ESD wrist strap o ESD mat o Electrical Safety o Chemical Safety ▪ Chemical safety includes proper handling and disposal of hazardous materials and chemicals Troubleshooting Methodology -3- https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o Use these six steps to answer the questions on test day ▪ Identify the problem ▪ Establish a theory of probable cause ▪ Test the theory to determine the cause If the theory is not confirmed, re-establish a new theory ▪ Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the solution ▪ Verify full system functionality ▪ Document the findings, actions, and outcome -4- https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes Cable Types Objective 3.1 OBJ 3.1: Explain basic cable types and their connectors, features, and purposes. Cable Types o A single “bit” can store one of two values: 1 or 0 o “Nibble” is 4 bits o “Byte” is 8 bits o 1000 bits ▪ 1Kilobit (1Kb) o 1Kbps ▪ (8bits per byte) ▪ 125KB o b = bits o B = bytes o 1,000,000 bits = 1 Megabit (Mb) o 1,000,000 bytes = 1 Megabyte (MB) o 1,000,000,000 bits = 1 Gigabit (Gb) o 1,000,000,000 bytes = 1 Gigabyte (GB) o 1,000,000,000,000 bits = 1 Terabit (Tb) o 1,000,000,000,000 bytes = 1 Terabyte (TB) -5- https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o Types of cables o Types of video cables Exterior of a PC o CD Drive ▪ The ability to read and write information to the system using an optical device o Power Button ▪ A physical button, that when pushed, sends an electrical signal from a cable directly to the motherboard that tells the computer to turn on o Audio Jack -6- https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ Used to connect headphones and microphones to the computer using a 1/8th inch Mini-Jack o SuperSpeed USB Connectors ▪ Used to connect other peripherals, like a mouse, a keyboard, a webcam, a printer, or other devices to a computer o Cooling Fan ▪ Blows hot air out of the CPU, the motherboard, and the case which expels the extra heat out of the system to keep the component insides cool o HTML Connector ▪ Used to connect a monitor, TV, or another device for a video output display o RJ 45 Connector ▪ Provides net access to local area networks over a wired connection o SPDIF Connector ▪ An optical connector that allows high quality audio to a surround sound system ▪ USB 2.0 speeds are good for a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard o Kensington Lock ▪ Allows the ability to place a metal cable from the desk to the computer tower to ensure the computer tower is not stolen USB Cables o DB 25 Connector ▪ A D-shaped sub miniature pin that goes into the back of a computer and has two thumb screws on the side o Serial Cable -7- https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ A cable that sends data in ones and zeros in a straight line, but it can only send one bit at a time, which is measured at the speed of cables in bits per second o DB9 Connector ▪ A slow speed connection for much older mice keyboards and other external modems ▪ A USB 1 and a USB 2 run at a much slower speed and should be split across a hub ▪ A USB 1.0 has the slowest speed out of a USB with a maximum speed of 1.5 megabits per second o USB 1.1 ▪ Known as full speed and runs at 12 megabits per second o USB 2.0 ▪ Known as high speed and runs at 480 megabits per second o USB 3.0 ▪ Known as super speed and is at least 5 gigabits per second o USB 3.1 Gen One ▪ Runs at 5 gigabits per second o USB 3.1 Gen Two ▪ Runs at 10 gigabits per second o USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ▪ Runs at 20 gigabits per second o USB 4 ▪ The most modern version of USB and can run at 40 gigabits per second ▪ A USB 4 and a USB 3.2 gen 2x2 must have a shorter cable because that is going to give the best performance -8- https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ The longer a cable, the more likelihood that the cable would not work as efficiently, or even at all Type A Type C Type B Type B Mini Type B Micro Video Cables o HDMI ▪ Known as high-definition multimedia interface and it is the most widely used video interface in the world ▪ Lower resolution HDMI can support HD standard, but higher resolution HDMI can support up to 4k Full-Size (Type A Connector) Mini Connector (Type C) Micro Connector (Type D) ▪ Category 1 The standard HDMI that is used for video content ▪ Category 2 The high-speed HDMI that uses higher resolutions o HDMI Version 2 ▪ Higher speeds that are specified for data transfer using HDMI o Display Port Interface ▪ Used for digital displays with a high-performance replacement Full-Size Display Port Mini Display Port -9- https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ Display Ports can support high speed data transfer over its cables starting off with 2.7 gigabits per second, but can go up to 20 gigabits per second o DVI ▪ Used to support both analog and digital outputs DVI A DVI D DVI I ▪ DVI A only supports analog signals, DVI D only supports digital signals, and DVI I support both signals o VGA ▪ The graphic standard that used a 15-pin standard analog video interface port that would connect to the computer o Thunderbolt ▪ A display interface that is used for data transfer Thunderbolt version 1 and 2 used a physical connector that were backwards compatible All thunderbolt version 3 will support USB-C, but not all USB-C we'll support Thunderbolt 3 Storage Cables o Thunderbolt ▪ Supports speeds of up to 40 gigabits per second for data transfer over cables o Lightning Cable ▪ A specific proprietary connector that was created by apple their mobile devices - 10 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o SATA Cable ▪ The standard cables that are the main method of connecting a storage device to a motherboard inside of a desktop computer ▪ The SATA cable has two cables, one is a seven-pin data cable, which does not supply any power, and the other is a 15-pin SATA power connector to provide the power to the device ▪ SATA version 1 can support speeds of up to 1.5 gigabits per second, version 2 can support speeds of up 3 gigabits per second, and version 3 can support speeds of up to 6 gigabits per second o External SATA ▪ A SATA cable on the outside of the case o PATA ▪ The old IDE connectors with the exact same cables and connectors and standards but renamed for branding ▪ Parallel devices have each cable support up to two devices and they both can communicate at the same time o Molex Power Connector ▪ A 4-pin connector that would attach from the power supply directly to a device o SCIS ▪ A legacy parallel bus connector that allows multiple devices to be Daisy chained together ▪ A narrow SCIS can support up to 7 devices, but a wide SCIS can support up to 15 devices - 11 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes Motherboards Objective 3.4 OBJ 3.4: Given a scenario, install and configure motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), and add-on cards Motherboards o Motherboard ▪ Printed circuit board that contains computer components and provides connectors o Input ▪ Process of accepting data in a form that the computer can use o Output ▪ Process of displaying the processed data or information o Processing ▪ Actions performed by the CPU when receiving information ▪ Processing is conducted by the CPU or GPU o Storage ▪ Process of saving or retaining digital data, temporarily or permanently Temporary storage o Non-persistent Permanent storage o Persistent ▪ Data transferred across the motherboard measures the speed of data in MHz or GHz Volatile storage o Speed is fast Non-volatile storage o Speed decreases rapidly - 12 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes Form Factors o Advanced Technology eXtended (ATX) ▪ Full-size motherboard and measures 12” x 9.6” in size (305mm x 244 mm) o Mini-ATX ▪ Smaller than ATX but contains the same features (11.2” x 8.2” / 284mm x 208 mm) o Micro-ATX (mATX) ▪ Measures 9.6 inches squared (244mm x 244mm) ▪ Micro-ATX is the same as ATX but only has 4 expansion card slots o Information Technology eXtended (ITX) ▪ Designed as a replacement for the ATX but never produced o Mini-ITX ▪ Measures 6.7” x 6.7” with only one expansion slot (170 x 170mm squared) Nano-ITX Pico-ITX Mobile-ITX o Form Factor ▪ Shape, layout, and type of case in a power supply ATX o Full-size ATX o Mini-ATX o Micro-ATX ITX o Mini-ITX CPU Architecture o CPU - 13 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ The brains of the computer that execute the different programing codes in the software and firmware ▪ The CPU is performing the basic operations for every instruction in the computer ▪ Once the processor has done the execution of the instruction, it will send that information back to the memory so that it can be stored and used for later use o X86 ▪ Can support a maximum of 4 gigabytes of Ram o X64 ▪ An extension of the X86 instruction set to be able to support 64-bit operations ▪ 32 bit systems can only run 32 bit programs, but 64 bit processors can run 64 bit programs and 32 bit programs because they are fully backwards compatible o Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) ▪ Used for low-power devices (tablets and cell phones) Extended battery life Produces less heat ▪ RISC systems use code to do tasks CPU Sockets o ZIF ▪ The ability to insert the CPU without pressing down and applying pressure to it ▪ If you bend, snap, or break a pin from a processor, the entire processor is no longer functional o LGA Socket ▪ A form factor that positions all the pins to be able to connect the CPU processor into the socket - 14 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o PGA Form Factor ▪ The processor has the pins and the socket have holes which allows the holes to align when installing the processor o Multi-Socket ▪ Multiple CPU's or processors installed on a motherboard ▪ You cannot upgrade or change out the processor on a mobile device ▪ The two main types of CPU sockets are LGA, which is made by Intel, and we have PGA, which has made by AMD. CPU Features o Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) / Hyper-threading ▪ Single stream of instructions is being sent by a software application to a processor ▪ Manufacturers developed a way to allow software to run multiple parallel threads at the same time o Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) ▪ Traditional workstation and servers have multiple processors o Multi-core Processors ▪ Single CPU with multiple processors inside ▪ Multiple processors have multiple cores inside the CPU - 15 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o Dual-core Processor ▪ Two CPUs inside a single chip o Quad-core Processor ▪ Four CPUs inside a single chip o Hexa-core Processor ▪ Six CPUs inside a single chip o Octa-core Processor ▪ Eight CPUs inside a single chip Hyper-threading / SMT Symmetric Multiprocessing Multi-core Processors Virtualization o VT and AMD-V provide processor extensions to support virtualization o Virtualization allows running multiple systems on a single physical host ▪ Extended Page Table (EPT) Intel ▪ Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI) AMD o Second Level Address Translation (SLAT) ▪ Features of software virtualization are underlying and supported by the hardware processor Installing the Motherboard & CPU 1. Review the motherboard’s documentation 2. Place the motherboard aligned at the rear of the case 3. Insert standoffs that match the hole in the motherboard 4. Install the processor and memory modules before installing the motherboard 5. Verify the standoffs are properly aligned prior to installing the motherboard 6. Secure the standoffs using the appropriate screw type 7. Install the power supply, disk drives, and add-on cards Expansion Cards - 16 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o PCI ▪ 32-bit expansion card PCI 32-bit cards support only a maximum bus speed of 33 MHz or 133 MBps o PCI-X ▪ 64-bit expansion card (133 MHz) o PCI-X 2.0 ▪ 266 MHz up to 533 MHz PCI and PCI-X are used for networking cards and audio cards o Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) ▪ Used for video graphics cards AGP 1x AGP 2x AGP 4x AGP 8x o PCIe (PCI Express) replaces PCI, PCI-X, and AGP ▪ PCIe x1 ▪ PCIe x4 ▪ PCIe x8 ▪ PCIe x16 PCIe x1 is used for modems, network cards, wireless cards, input/output devices, and audio cards PCIe x16 is used for graphics cards o Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) ▪ Connects to the bus to get data to and from the motherboard for external devices ▪ PCIe bus is determined by the motherboard and its form factor 16 PCIe lanes 24 PCIe lanes 32 PCIe lanes ▪ PCIe x16 and PCIe x1 maximize the number of lanes used on a motherboard - 17 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes PCIe 1.0 PCIe 2.0 PCIe 3.0 PCIe 4.0 PCIe 5.0 ▪ All PCIe slots provide 25 watts of power ▪ PCIe x16 card slot provides up to 75 watts of power Up-plugging o Putting smaller card in a larger slot Down-plugging o Putting larger card in a smaller slot o Mini PCIe ▪ Standard PCIe card with smaller form factor ▪ Mini PCIe cards are used inside of laptops, specifically for wireless networking PCIe x1 o Modems o Networking cards o Wireless cards o Audio cards PCIe x16 o Graphics and video cards (3D) o Gaming systems Expansion Card Types o Video Card/Graphic Adapter ▪ Gives quality signal for monitors o Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) ▪ A specialized processor designed to accelerate graphics rendering o High Speed Memory - 18 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ Embeds the memory to give additional capability to offload from the system o Graphical Ports ▪ Installed outside of the card (Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, and HDMI) o Video Capture Card ▪ Takes video signals and processes them inside the computer ▪ used for recording footage and for security devices o TV Capture Card ▪ Cables are plugged into a computer to get all cable TV channels o Sound/Audio Card ▪ Gives better output through audio RJ45 Port o 1 Gbps Install NIC into PCIe x1 slot o 10 Gbps ST / SC / MT-RJ connector o Supports fiber card o Riser Card ▪ Special type of expansion card on a motherboard - 19 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes Cooling and Power Objective 3.4 and 3.5 OBJ 3.4: Given a scenario, install and configure motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), and add-on cards OBJ 3.5: Given a scenario, install or replace the appropriate power supply Cooling the System o Thermal Load ▪ Heat from different components inside the computer o Passive Cooling ▪ Type of cooling that doesn’t rely on moving parts or power o Heat Sink ▪ Finned metal device that radiates heat away from the processor o Thermal Paste ▪ Compound that ensures heat transfer by eliminating air gaps Passive cooling requires no power to operate and is silent when operating o Active Cooling ▪ Uses a fan to cool down the heat from the device Liquid Cooling o Closed Loop System ▪ Cooling of a single component o Open Loop System ▪ Liquid cooling based system of different components o Liquid Cooling ▪ High performance systems - 20 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes Power Supply Unit (PSU) o Alternating current (AC) ▪ Cycled between positives and negatives repeatedly o The main purpose of power supply is to deliver DC to all components inside the PC when receiving an AC power supply o Modular PSU / Modular Power Supply Unit ▪ Allows to unhook the connectors and detach from the unit ▪ Modular power supply frees up space inside of the computer Power Supply Connectors o Main Board / Motherboard Adapter ▪ Provides power to the motherboard ATX Standard o 20-pin connector ATX 12V o 24-pin connector 20+4 Pin o Two connectors are coupled together before plugging into a 24-pin connector o Processor Power/ CPU Power ▪ Has a four, six, or eight-pin connector o Molex Connector ▪ Used for IDE and PATA hard disks, CDs, and DVD drives - 21 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o Y Connector ▪ One connector that can support multiple devices Input and Output Voltages o 120V AC (Low Line Power) ▪ US-based power supply o 230V AC (High Line Power) ▪ Europe and Asia power supply o Most power supplies will support multi-voltage outputs o Voltage Sensing / Dual Voltage Power Supplies ▪ Detects the outlet and converts it into the voltage of DC o Rail ▪ Wire that provides current at a particular voltage 12 VDC Rail o Cable or wire that provides 12 VDC o The 12 VDC rail is the most commonly used voltage in the PC Wattage Rating o Wattage Rating ▪ Power supply’s output capacity or capability ▪ The devices inside a computer require power from a power supply o Amperage to Wattage ▪ AxV ▪ IxV - 22 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o The power supply has increments of 50 or 100 Watts ▪ Buy a power supply that is bigger than calculated o How much power is being drawn out of a wall outlet? ▪ A 500 watt power supply that is 70% efficient will draw 714 watts ▪ A 500 watt power supply that is 80% efficient will draw 625 watts o Power supplies are not 100% efficient - 23 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes System Memory Objective 3.2 OBJ 3.2: Given a scenario, install the appropriate RAM System Memory o Random Access Memory (RAM) ▪ Used to load applications and files into a non-persistent and fast storage area Addressing Memory o Cache ▪ High-speed memory o Storage ▪ Mass storage device that holds more data but is slower than a cache o Mass Storage Devices ▪ Permanent storage area o Random Access Memory (RAM) / System Memory ▪ Temporary storage area/non-persistent storage o Disk Cache ▪ Pulls the files from the disc into memory and replaces the old file o Mechanical system ▪ Uses an electronic system that can access the RAM with instant speed o Addressing Memory ▪ Processor reaching the files inside RAM Single Channel Memory Controller - 24 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o 32 or 64 bits x86 o 32-bit x64 o 64-bit ▪ An x86 or 32-bit processor can address a maximum of 4 GB of RAM ▪ An x64 or 64-bit processor can access more than 4 GB of RAM (8, 16, 32, or 64 GB) Memory Modules o Single Bank ▪ Can put any size of module in any slot Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) o With 240 or 184 pin connector o Dual Data Rate (DDR) ▪ Most common type of memory PC133 o 133 MHz o Throughput ▪ Calculated based on the bus speed and the width of the data bus o Dynamic RAM (DRAM) ▪ Oldest type of memory that requires frequent refreshing DRAM storage cell is dynamic o Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) ▪ First memory module that operates at the same speed as the motherboard bus (168-pin connector) PC66 (66 MHz bus) PC133 (133 MHz bus) PC266 (266 MHz bus) - 25 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DDR SDRAM) ▪ Doubles the transfer speed of an SRAM module (184-pin connector) o Double Data Rate 2 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DDR2 SDRAM) ▪ Higher latency and has faster access to the external bus (240-pin connector) PC2-4200 o 4200 MB/s or 4.2 GB/s o Double Data Rate 3 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DDR3 SDRAM) ▪ Runs at a lower voltage and at a higher speed than DDR2 (240 keyed pin connector) PC3-10600 o 10600 MB/s or 10.6 GB/s ▪ DDR3 throughput is 6.4 to 17 GB/s with a maximum module size of 8GB per memory module o Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module (SODIMM) ▪ Classified as DDR3, DDR4, or DDR5 Multi-Channel Memory o Multi-Channel Memory ▪ Uses two different memory modules to increase the performance and throughput Single-channel Memory o 64-bit data bus Dual-channel Memory o 128-bit data bus ▪ Interleaving Provides increased performance - 26 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes In multi-channel configurations, use the same model, speed, and throughput of memory ▪ Single-Channel Uses one memory module on one bus (64-bit data bus) ▪ Dual-Channel Requires two memory modules and two memory slots on the motherboard (128-bit data bus) ▪ Triple-Channel Uses three memory modules and three memory slots (192-bit data bus) ▪ Quad-Channel Uses four memory modules and four memory slots (256-bit data bus) ▪ Multiple modules Give faster speeds and add memory for storage ECC Memory o Non-Parity Memory ▪ Standard memory that does not check for errors and allows data to be put in or taken out o Parity Memory ▪ Performs basic error checking and ensures the memory contents are reliable A parity check does basic calculation o Every bit has an associated parity bit ▪ Bits can only be a zero or one o Error Correcting Code (ECC) ▪ Detects and corrects an error o Buffered / Registered Memory - 27 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ Additional hardware (register) between memory and CPU The system requires buffering or registering the data to reduce the electrical load o Motherboard ▪ Supports ECC modules o DDR5 ▪ Has an internal error checking for its modules DDR5 modules can still be sold as ECC or non-ECC modules Virtual Memory o Virtual Memory/Page File ▪ Space on a hard drive that is allocated by the OS and pretends to be memory Check the available memory and the free memory o Page File or Swap Space ▪ A file that is hidden on a storage device and pretend as system memory - 28 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes BIOS/UEFI Objective 3.4 OBJ 3.4: Given a scenario, install and configure motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), and add-on cards BIOS and UEFI o Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) ▪ Program that a CPU uses to start the computer system ▪ BIOS serves as a method of configuring the motherboard using a text- based interface o Firmware ▪ Software on a chip and contains BIOS program code in the flash memory of a motherboard o User Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) ▪ Supports 64 bit processors and provides a GUI Boot Options o Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) ▪ Program a computer’s microprocessor uses to start and boot after being turned on ▪ BIOS is an example of firmware Power-on self-test Hardware configuration Boot order setup o Read-Only Memory (ROM) ▪ Type of chip embedded in the motherboard and can be upgraded through flashing o The new CMOS uses an internal lithium-ion battery that can last up to 10 years - 29 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o Power-On Self-Test (POST) ▪ Diagnostic testing sequence to check the computer’s basic input/output system o Variable beeps are used as a way to tell what is wrong with the system ▪ Keyboard is not detected Two short beeps and one long beep o The BIOS has a low-level OS which allows to take input and give output to the basic components ▪ To configure the settings inside CMOS, enter the BIOS configuration environment ▪ BIOS relied on a text-based menu system and a keyboard as its system of input o Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) ▪ Updated form of BIOS that allows keyboard and mouse as input and provides a GUI Supports 64-bit systems Supports larger HDDs and SSDs (9.4 zettabytes ~ 9.4 x 10^21 bytes) Supports the new GUID Partition Table (GPT) format Faster boot-up system Uses a larger ROM size ▪ Disable booting from an optical drive or USB drive ▪ Configure the system to boot from the installed hard drive using the installed OS ▪ Boot the OS using PXE as the primary option - 30 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o Flashing ▪ Performed during upgrades, security fixes, or feature improvements Back up the configuration and information Use a USB flash drive to flash the firmware The BIOS or UEFI will copy the firmware to the system and overwrite the old code BIOS/UEFI Security o BIOS and UEFI are used during loading and booting up the OS o Computers that rely on BIOS use MBR to hold the boot information o Computers that rely on UEFI use GPT to hold the boot information o Supervisor/Administrator/Setup Password ▪ Used to protect access to the BIOS or UEFI configuration program and prevents access from unauthorized users o User/System Password ▪ Used to lock access to the computer o Storage/Hard Drive Password ▪ Password that locks access to a hard drive connected to the system and requires the end user’s password o Secure Boot ▪ Enabled in the UEFI interface and settings and is not supported by BIOS o Root kit ▪ a special type of malware o Modern systems are configured to enable or disable the USB ports on the motherboard o Disable the ability of USB to read and write from mass storage devices ▪ Set passwords ▪ Enable secure boot - 31 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ Restrict or disable USB ports TPM and HSM o Hardware RoT is the foundation of all secure operations of a computing system o Hardware Root of Trust (RoT) ▪ Cryptographic module embedded in a computer system that endorses trusted execution and attests to boot settings and metrics o A hardware RoT is used to scan the boot metrics in the OS files to verify signatures and then use them to sign the report o Trusted Platform Module (TPM) ▪ Specification for hardware-based storage of digital certificates, keys, hashed passwords, and other user and platform identification information TPM is a hardware RoT Secured boot-up Provides encryption ▪ A TPM can be managed in Windows via tpm.msc console or through group policy - 32 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o Hardware Security Module (HSM) ▪ Appliance for generating and storing cryptographic keys that is less susceptible to tampering and insider threats BIOS/UEFI Cooling Options o BIOS and UEFI have the ability to configure fans ▪ Quiet mode Reduces the fan speed and allows higher temperatures to occur ▪ Balanced mode Normal setting on most computers by default ▪ Cool mode Able to run the fans harder and faster to create more air flow o Overclocking the processor generates excess heat o The motherboard has built-in temperature sensors ▪ Temperature is rising Speed up ▪ Temperature is lower than set point Turn off or slow down - 33 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes Storage Devices Objective 3.3 OBJ 3.3: Given a scenario, select and install storage devices Hard Disk Drive (HDD) o Hard Disk Drive (HDD) ▪ Form of mass storage device o Mass Storage Device ▪ Non-volatile storage device that holds the data when the system is powered down (GB or TB) o Internal Device ▪ Device that is placed inside the computer case or tower o External Device ▪ Device that is placed outside the computer case or tower and connected to an external port Solid State Drive (SSD) RAID o Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) ▪ Combination of multiple physical hard disks that is recognized by the operating system RAID 0 o RAID 0 is great for speed but provides no data redundancy o RAID 0 has no loss of space on the disks RAID 1 o RAID 1 provides full redundancy RAID 5 RAID 6 RAID 10 o Failure Resistant ▪ Protection against the loss of erased data (RAID 1/RAID 5) o Fault Tolerant - 34 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ Raid can function even when a component fails (RAID 1/RAID 5/RAID 6) o Disaster Tolerant ▪ RAID with two independent zones with full data access (RAID 10) ▪ RAIDs provide redundancy and high-availability Removable Storage o Hot-Swappable ▪ Capable of being removed or replaced without disruption or powering off the device ▪ Hot-swappable drives are safe to remove without losing the data This feature gives the ability to add/remove additional storage o Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) ▪ Technical standard developed by Intel that allows hot-swappable capability with SATA devices o SATA was developed as a replacement for PATA as an internal connector o The newest versions of USB have speeds of 10, 20, or 40 Gbps o Drive Enclosure ▪ Takes an internal hard drive and puts it in an enclosure Memory Stick o Proprietary protocol that is used on Sony devices The original secure digital (SD) cards had a maximum capacity of 2 GB o Original (Up to 25 MB/s) o UHS-1 (Up to 108 MB/s) o UHS-2 (Up to 312 MB/s) o UHS-3 (Up to 624 MB/s) A tape drive uses a magnetic tape and is placed into a reader o Standard Tape ▪ 140 GB data - 35 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o LTO Ultrium Tape ▪ 3 TB data o A removable mass storage device is any device that can store data and can be carried o An external hard drive or SSD is the same type of device that is used inside a system Optical Drives o CD (Compact Disc) ▪ Oldest form of optical drive that stores 74 to 80 minutes of music (650- 700 MB) o DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) ▪ Stores 4.7 GB or 8.4 GB (DL) o BD (Blu-ray Disc) ▪ Stores 25 GB or 50 GB (DL) o Read-only (ROM) o Write-once (R) o Write-many/Erasable (RW/RAM/RE) o The CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or BD-ROM is a read-only disc ▪ Write-once (R) Writing that cannot be erased (CD-R, DVD-R, DVD+R, and BD-R) o CD-RW allows to write and erase the file to create a new one ▪ DVD-RW versions are similar to the CD-RW versions ▪ The DVD-RAM discs are similar to DVD-RW but have a different type of form factor ▪ Blu-ray Disc (BD-RE) Has write-many type of disc called erasable disc BD-RE is similar to CD-RW or DVD-RW - 36 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o The optical drive speeds are measured using the X-rating ▪ CD (1X = 150 KB/s) 1X = Music 2X/44X/16X/24X =Data 52X drive is 150 KB/s multiplied by 52 (7800 KB/s or 7.6 MB/s) ▪ DVD (1X = 1.385 MB/s) ▪ Blu-ray (1X = 4.5 MB/s) - 37 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes Virtualization Concepts Objective 4.2 OBJ 4.2: Given a scenario, select and install storage devices Virtualization o Virtualization ▪ Host computer installed with a hypervisor that can be used to install and manage multiple guest operating systems or virtual machines (VMs) Type I Hypervisor (Bare Metal) o Runs directly on the host hardware and functions as the operating system Type II Hypervisor o Runs within the normal operating system ▪ Ensure that each virtual machine runs its own copy of an operating system Server-based (Terminal services) o Server-based solution that runs the application on servers in a centralized location Client-based (Application streaming) o Client-based solution that allows an application to be packaged up and streamed directly to a user’s PC Containerization o Containerization ▪ Type of virtualization applied by a host operating system to provision an isolated execution environment for an application Docker - 38 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes Parallels Virtuozzo OpenVZ 1. When a physical server crashes, all the organizations hosted on that same server are affected 2. An organization’s failure to secure the virtual environments hosted on a shared server poses a security risk for the other organizations ▪ Set up virtual servers in the cloud with proper failover, redundancy, and elasticity ▪ Hosting all VMs on the same type of hypervisor can also be exploited Proper configurations Patched and up-to-date hypervisor Tight access control Purposes of VMs o Hypervisor ▪ Manages the distribution of the physical resources of a server to the VMs Type I o Bare metal Type II o Hosted o Container-Based Virtualization (Containerization) ▪ Each container relies on a common host OS as the base for each container ▪ Container-based virtualization has less resources because it doesn’t require its own copy of the OS for individual container o Hyperconverged Infrastructure ▪ Allows for the full integration of the storage, network, and servers without hardware changes o Application Virtualization - 39 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ Encapsulates computer programs from the underlying OS on which they are executed o Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) ▪ Hosts desktop OSs within a virtualized environment hosted by a centralized server or server farm o Sandbox ▪ An isolated environment for analyzing pieces of malware o Cross-Platform Virtualization ▪ Allows for the testing and running of software applications for different operating systems Emulation o System imitation Virtualization o New “physical” machine Resource Requirements o Second Level Address Translation (SLAT) ▪ Improves the performance of virtual memory when running multiple virtual machines on a single physical host Intel o Extended Page Table (EPT) AMD o Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI) ▪ x86 32-bit processor 32-bit operating system can only access 4GB of RAM ▪ x64 16 exabytes of RAM - 40 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes 32-bit processor cannot run a 64-bit application o ARM ▪ Reduced instruction set and computer architecture in a computer processor o System Memory ▪ Amount of physical memory installed on a physical server ▪ Barebones Windows installation takes 20-50 gigabytes of space ▪ Linux installation takes 4-8 gigabytes of space ▪ Mac environment takes 20-40 gigabytes of space o NIC teaming configuration allows multiple cards for higher speeds ▪ CPU, processor, and capabilities ▪ System memory ▪ Networking ▪ Storage Security Requirements o VM Escape ▪ Threat attempts to get out of an isolated VM and send commands to the underlying hypervisor ▪ VM escape is easier to perform on a Type II hypervisor than a Type I hypervisor Patched Up-to-date o VM Hopping ▪ Threat attempts to move from one VM to another on the same host VM Hopping o VM to VM VM Escape - 41 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes o VM to hypervisor or host OS ▪ Up-to-date ▪ Patched ▪ Securely configured o Sandbox ▪ Separates running processes and programs to mitigate system failures or software vulnerabilities o Sandbox Escape ▪ Occurs when an attacker circumvents sandbox protections to gain access to the protected OS or other privileged processes o Patched o Up-to-date o Strong endpoint software protection o Limited extensions or add-ons o Live Migration ▪ Migrates the virtual machine from one host to another while it is running ▪ Ensure that live migration only occurs on a trusted network or utilizes encryption o Data Remnants ▪ Leftover pieces of data that may exist in the hard drive which are no longer needed Encrypt virtual machine storage location Destroy encryption key o VM Sprawl ▪ Uncontrolled deployment of virtual machines - 42 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes Cloud Computing Objective 4.1 and 2.2 OBJ 4.1: Summarize cloud-computing concepts OBJ 2.2: Compare and contrast common networking hardware Cloud Computing o Cloud Computing ▪ The practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet Characteristics of the Cloud o High Availability ▪ Services experience very little downtime when using the cloud ▪ Availability is the percentage of uptime versus downtime o Scalability ▪ Ability to increase the number of items in a system at a linear rate or less than a linear rate o Vertical Scaling (Scaling Up) ▪ Increasing the power of the existing resources in the working environment o Horizontal Scaling (Scaling Out) ▪ Adding additional resources to help handle the extra load being experienced o Rapid Elasticity ▪ The ability to quickly scale up or down Elasticity is the system’s ability to handle changes to demand in real time o Metered Utilization - 43 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ Being charged for a service on a pay per use basis ▪ The benefit of using the cloud is that most things are done on a metered basis o Measured Services ▪ Charging is based upon the actual usage of the service being consumed ▪ Measured services are charged based on the actual usage of the service being consumed o Shared Resources ▪ The ability to minimize the costs by putting VMs on other servers ▪ Shared resources is pooling together all the hardware to make a cloud provider o File Synchronization ▪ The ability to store data that can spread to other places depending on the configuration Cloud Deployment Models o Public Cloud ▪ Systems and users interact with devices on public networks, such as the Internet and other clouds o Private Cloud ▪ Systems and users that only have access with other devices inside the same private cloud or system o Hybrid Cloud ▪ Combination of private and public clouds o Community Cloud ▪ Collaborative effort where infrastructure is shared between several organizations from a specific community with common concerns o Multitenancy - 44 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes ▪ The ability for customers to share computing resources in a public or private cloud o Single-Tenancy ▪ Assigns a particular resource to a single organization Cloud Service Models o On-Premise Solution ▪ The need to to procure hardware, software, and personnel necessary to run the organization’s cloud ▪ On-premise solution allows the ability to control all the physical and logical access to servers o Hosted Solution ▪ Third-party service provider that provides all the hardware and facilities needed to maintain a cloud solution - 45 - https://www.DionTraining.com © 2021 Dion Training Solutions, LLC is a Platinum Delivery Partner for CompTIA. CompTIA ® is a registered trademark of the Computer and Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. V1.0  CompTIA A+ Study Notes Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) o Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) ▪ Hosts d