A NIC is a network interface card that enables a device to connect to a network using a wired or wireless medium. A NIC has a specific speed and bandwidth capacity that determines how much data it can transmit and receive per second. A higher-throughput NIC can handle more traffic than a lower-throughput NIC.
LACP is a link aggregation protocol that allows multiple physical links to be combined into a single logical link. LACP can increase the bandwidth, reliability, and load balancing of a network connection by distributing traffic across multiple links. LACP is also known as IEEE 802.3ad or port channeling.
A network administrator can install an additional NIC on a server and configure LACP to combine the two NICs into one logical link. This can effectively double the throughput of the server's network connection and allow it to handle more traffic without exceeding 1GB. This is the best solution for this issue because it improves the performance and availability of the server without affecting its functionality or requiring additional hardware.
The other options are not the best solutions for this issue because they either do not increase the throughput of the server's network connection, or they have negative impacts on the server's functionality or performance. Removing some of the applications from the server may reduce the traffic generated, but it may also affect the server's role and service delivery. Configuring the NIC to use full duplex may improve the efficiency of the network communication, but it does not increase the bandwidth capacity of the NIC. Configuring port mirroring to send traffic to another server may help with monitoring or troubleshooting, but it does not reduce the traffic load on the original server. Installing a SSD may decrease the data processing time of the server, but it does not affect the network throughput of the server. Reference:
CompTIA Network+ N10-008 Study Guide, Chapter 2: Network Devices and Technologies, Section 2.2: Network Device Functions and Features, Subsection: Network Interface Cards, pp. 72-74.
CompTIA Network+ N10-008 Study Guide, Chapter 2: Network Devices and Technologies, Section 2.3: Network Cabling and Connectors, Subsection: Link Aggregation, pp. 87-88.
Professor Messer's CompTIA N10-008 Network+ Course Notes, Section 2.2: Network Devices, Subsection: Network Interface Cards, p. 28.
Professor Messer's CompTIA N10-008 Network+ Course Notes, Section 2.3: Network Cabling and Connectors, Subsection: Link Aggregation, p. 31.