Users at a remote site have reported that a regularly used server is inaccessible. The systems administrator knows users at another site also use the same server, so the administrator contacts them…

Establishing a plan to resolve the issue is a later step in troubleshooting, performed after understanding the problem's scope and probable cause.

Establishing a theory of probable cause involves hypothesizing what might be causing the problem, which typically follows initial data gathering but is distinct from defining the problem's extent.

By contacting users at another site that uses the same server, the administrator is gathering information to understand if the problem is localized to the remote site or is a broader issue affecting all users of the server, thereby establishing the scope of the problem.

Testing the theory of probable cause is a step that occurs after a theory has been formulated and requires actions to validate or invalidate that hypothesis, not gather initial scope information.