CompTIA Server+ (SK0-005)Server Hardware Installation and ManagementMedium
A technician is preparing to install a new operating system on a server that will boot from an NVMe drive larger than 2TB. Which firmware component must first be updated or configured correctly to support booting from a GPT-partitioned drive of this size?
- ANetwork interface card firmware
- BUEFI/BIOS system firmware
- CBaseboard management controller (BMC) firmware
- DRAID controller firmware only
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. UEFI/BIOS system firmware
Legacy BIOS with MBR partitioning cannot boot from drives larger than 2TB. The server's UEFI/BIOS firmware must support UEFI mode with GPT partitioning to properly boot an OS from an NVMe drive exceeding this size.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. NIC firmware affects network functions, not boot drive partitioning limits.
- C. BMC firmware manages out-of-band remote management, not OS boot processes.
- D. RAID controller firmware matters for RAID arrays, but the boot mode limitation is a system firmware issue.
UEFI Boot and GPT for Large Drives
Legacy BIOS with MBR partitioning is limited to 2TB boot volumes; UEFI firmware with GPT partitioning is required to boot from larger drives.
- MBR partition tables limit drives to 2TB (using 512-byte sectors)
- GPT supports drives far larger than 2TB
- UEFI firmware mode is required to boot from GPT system disks
Memory trick: BIOS/MBR hits a 2TB wall; UEFI/GPT breaks right through it.