Red Hat Certified Specialist in High Availability Clustering exam Free Sample Questions

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EX436 Sample Questions

  1. Question 1

    Q1

    As a system administrator for NovaTech, you are deploying a new Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) High Availability cluster. Before creating the cluster, you must authenticate the nodes so that the pcs command can communicate with the pcsd daemon across all systems. Which command is the correct standard method in RHEL 8/9 to accomplish this?

    Show answer & explanation

    Correct answer: A

    In RHEL 8 and 9, the command to authenticate nodes for the pcsd daemon is pcs host auth. The older syntax (pcs cluster auth) was deprecated and replaced to better reflect that the authentication happens at the host level before the cluster is formally created.

  2. Question 2

    Q2Multiple answers

    You are automating the deployment of a Pacemaker cluster using the Red Hat Enterprise Linux ha_cluster Ansible system role. Which TWO variables must be defined in your playbook to successfully set the cluster name and the authentication password for the hacluster user? (Select TWO)

    Show answer & explanation

    Correct answers: D, E

    The ha_cluster system role uses specific variable naming conventions. ha_cluster_cluster_name is required to define the name of the Corosync cluster.

    The ha_cluster_hacluster_password variable is explicitly used by the ha_cluster role to set the password for the hacluster user on all nodes, which is necessary for pcsd authentication.

  3. Question 3

    Q3

    AcmeCorp operates a critical two-node High Availability cluster. The network link between Site A (Node 1) and Site B (Node 2) completely fails, but both nodes remain powered on and functioning.

    To prevent a split-brain scenario where both nodes attempt to mount the shared storage concurrently, how does Corosync's votequorum subsystem handle this by default in a properly configured two-node setup without a qdevice?

    graph TD subgraph Site A Node1[Node 1] end subgraph Site B Node2[Node 2] end Node1 -.-x|Network Link Failed| Node2
    Show answer & explanation

    Correct answer: C

    In a two-node cluster, strict majority voting is impossible. Setting two_node=1 tells votequorum to allow a single node to retain quorum, but ONLY if it can successfully fence the other node. This race condition ensures that only the node that wins the fencing race survives and mounts the storage, preventing split-brain.

  4. Question 4

    Q4

    True or False: In a standard 3-node RHEL HA cluster without a qdevice, if two nodes fail simultaneously, the single remaining node will maintain quorum and continue running resources because it is the 'last man standing'.

    Show answer & explanation

    Correct answer: B

    False. By default, standard votequorum requires a strict majority (>50% of total votes) to operate. In a 3-node cluster, 2 votes are required for quorum. If two nodes fail, the single remaining node has only 1 vote and will lose quorum, stopping all resources to prevent data corruption.

  5. Question 5

    Q5

    You need to completely wipe out an existing Pacemaker/Corosync cluster configuration on a node and return it to a clean state. Select the correct sub-command to complete this operation: pcs cluster _____

    Show answer & explanation

    Correct answer: B

    The pcs cluster destroy command permanently removes the cluster configuration files (like corosync.conf) and stops the cluster services, effectively wiping the node's cluster state.

  6. Question 6

    Q6

    What is the primary architectural purpose of configuring STONITH (Shoot The Other Node In The Head) in a Red Hat High Availability cluster?

    Show answer & explanation

    Correct answer: B

    STONITH (fencing) is the only definitive way to ensure a non-responsive node is actually powered off or physically disconnected. This guarantees it cannot write to shared storage, thereby preventing split-brain data corruption.

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