What to Do When a Critical Firmware Update is Available for Your File Server

C.

The BEST course of action for the technician in this scenario would be option C: Download the firmware update and test it on a non-production server.

Here's why:

Firmware is a software program that runs on a hardware device, and it is responsible for controlling the device's functions. Firmware updates are released periodically by hardware manufacturers to address security vulnerabilities, improve performance, or add new features.

However, installing firmware updates can be risky, as they can potentially cause hardware malfunctions or even render the device unusable. Therefore, it's important to test firmware updates thoroughly before deploying them in a production environment.

Option A, downloading and installing the firmware update from a centralized server, could be risky because the update hasn't been tested yet. Installing untested firmware directly on the production server can result in system downtime and data loss.

Option B, downloading the firmware update and testing it on a virtual machine (VM), is a step in the right direction. However, a VM may not accurately reflect the actual hardware configuration of the file server, and so the testing results may not be reliable.

Option D, downloading the firmware update and immediately running it on the company's file server, is very risky because there is no testing involved. Installing untested firmware directly on the production server can result in system downtime and data loss.

Therefore, option C, downloading the firmware update and testing it on a non-production server, is the BEST course of action. A non-production server can be used to simulate the production environment without risking any disruption to the actual production environment. Once the firmware update has been thoroughly tested and deemed stable, it can be deployed to the production server.