This LFCS practice question tests your understanding of storage management. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 system administrator is setting up a high-availability cluster using shared storage. Which filesystem is best suited for this environment where multiple nodes need simultaneous read-write access to the same filesystem?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Btrfs
Why wrong: Btrfs is not a clustered filesystem.
GFS2
GFS2 is a shared-disk filesystem for Linux clusters.
XFS
Why wrong: XFS does not support simultaneous writes from multiple hosts.
ext4
Why wrong: ext4 is not designed for concurrent access from multiple nodes.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
GFS2
GFS2 (Global File System 2) is a shared-disk cluster filesystem designed for high-availability environments where multiple nodes require simultaneous read-write access to the same filesystem. It uses a distributed lock manager (DLM) to coordinate access across nodes, ensuring data consistency without requiring a single metadata server. This makes it ideal for active-active cluster configurations with shared block storage.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Btrfs
Why it's wrong here
Btrfs is not a clustered filesystem.
GFS2
Why this is correct
GFS2 is a shared-disk filesystem for Linux clusters.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
XFS
Why it's wrong here
XFS does not support simultaneous writes from multiple hosts.
ext4
Why it's wrong here
ext4 is not designed for concurrent access from multiple nodes.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse a filesystem's ability to be mounted on multiple nodes (e.g., via NFS) with true cluster-aware filesystem support, or they assume that any journaling filesystem like XFS or ext4 can be used on shared storage without a distributed lock manager.
Detailed technical explanation
GFS2 relies on the Distributed Lock Manager (DLM) to manage locks across nodes, using a lock space that is shared via a cluster manager like Pacemaker or Corosync. Under the hood, GFS2 uses a journal per node to recover from crashes without requiring a full fsck, and it supports direct I/O for database workloads. In real-world scenarios, GFS2 is often paired with CLVM (Cluster Logical Volume Manager) to manage shared LVM volumes, and it requires a fencing mechanism (e.g., STONITH) to prevent data corruption from split-brain conditions.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Storage Management — This question tests Storage Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: GFS2 — GFS2 (Global File System 2) is a shared-disk cluster filesystem designed for high-availability environments where multiple nodes require simultaneous read-write access to the same filesystem. It uses a distributed lock manager (DLM) to coordinate access across nodes, ensuring data consistency without requiring a single metadata server. This makes it ideal for active-active cluster configurations with shared block storage.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This LFCS practice question is part of Courseiva's free Linux Foundation certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the LFCS exam.
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