CompTIA Cloud+ Practice Test

If a systems administrator can't connect to new VMs using network credentials, what is the most likely cause?

1. Directory services requires the use of NTP servers

2. The VMs are insufficiently licensed

3. There is a directory services outage

4. There is a time synchronization issue

The correct answer is: There is a time synchronization issue

The most likely cause for a systems administrator being unable to connect to new VMs using network credentials is a time synchronization issue. In cloud environments, proper time synchronization is crucial for authentication processes, especially when using directory services like Active Directory. If the virtual machines are not synchronized with the network time, it can lead to authentication failures because the timestamps of the authentication request do not match those expected by the directory service. When authentication requests include a timestamp, discrepancies due to time misalignment can result in the service denying access because it assumes the request might be fraudulent or replayed. This is a common security measure to prevent attacks, making it essential to have the correct time settings on both the directory services and the VMs. In contrast, while directory services can indeed require NTP servers for time synchronization, that choice does not directly explain the inability to connect using credentials. Licensing issues may not directly affect credential authentication, as they typically concern the functionality or features of the VMs. A directory services outage would also cause issues, but it would likely lead to an inability to authenticate users on any VMs, not just new ones. Therefore, when troubleshooting new VM connectivity regarding credentials, focusing on time synchronization is key to resolving access issues.