This LFCS practice question tests your understanding of storage management. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company's database server uses LVM for storage. The system administrator notices that the logical volume /dev/vg_db/lv_data is at 95% capacity. The server is in production and cannot be taken offline. The volume group vg_db has free physical extents. Which command sequence should the administrator use to safely increase the size of the logical volume and filesystem without unmounting?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Option D is correct because it first extends the logical volume using `lvextend -L +10G` to allocate additional physical extents from the volume group, then resizes the ext4 filesystem online with `resize2fs` to utilize the new space. Both operations can be performed without unmounting the filesystem, as ext4 supports online resizing and LVM allows live extension of logical volumes.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Correct: lvextend increases LV capacity, resize2fs expands the filesystem online.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think `mount -o remount` resizes the filesystem or that `mkfs.ext4` can be used to expand an existing filesystem, when in fact a filesystem-specific resize command is required after extending the logical volume.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
LVM uses a layered architecture where physical volumes (PVs) are combined into volume groups (VGs), from which logical volumes (LVs) are carved. The `lvextend` command updates the LV metadata to map additional physical extents, and `resize2fs` adjusts the ext4 superblock and block group descriptors to reflect the new size. A real-world scenario is a production database where downtime is unacceptable; online resizing avoids service interruption, but the filesystem must support online resize (ext4, xfs with `xfs_growfs`, etc.).
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the LFCS exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Storage Management — This question tests Storage Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: lvextend -L +10G /dev/vg_db/lv_data; resize2fs /dev/vg_db/lv_data — Option D is correct because it first extends the logical volume using `lvextend -L +10G` to allocate additional physical extents from the volume group, then resizes the ext4 filesystem online with `resize2fs` to utilize the new space. Both operations can be performed without unmounting the filesystem, as ext4 supports online resizing and LVM allows live extension of logical volumes.
What should I do if I get this LFCS question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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