CompTIA Cloud+ Practice Test

What type of provisioning allows for allocating more storage space than physically exists?

1. Thin provisioning

2. Thick provisioning

3. Overprovisioning

4. None of the above

The correct answer is: Overprovisioning

Thin provisioning is the correct answer, as it refers specifically to a method used in storage management where more storage space is allocated than is actually available on disk. This is possible because thin provisioning allows the storage system to allocate storage on a per-needs basis rather than pre-allocating a fixed amount of storage upfront. As data is written to the disk, additional storage can be allocated dynamically, allowing for efficient utilization of physical storage without wasting resources. Thick provisioning, on the other hand, involves pre-allocating the full amount of storage requested right from the start, even if it isn’t immediately used. This method can lead to inefficient storage usage because it reserves space that may not be utilized. Overprovisioning relates to the practice of allocating more resources than are typically needed to prevent potential performance issues; however, this is not specific to storage allocation beyond physical limits. The concept of "none of the above" does not apply in this context as there is a specific method that matches the description provided in the question.