An SAS RAID array has severely degraded and gone offline A systems administrator examines the...

Clicking and grinding noises indicate mechanical drive failure.

SMART data provides insights into the health and status of drives, helping identify failing components in the RAID array.

Why Not A (Run a magnet): This would damage drives.

Why Not B (Check if one drive is not level): Physical leveling is irrelevant.

Why Not D (Check OS logs): OS logs may provide limited information for RAID arrays.

Why Not E (Update RAID controller firmware): While important, it does not diagnose drive failure.

CompTIA A+ Exam Reference: Core 1 (220-1201), Section 3.3, storage troubleshooting​.