This LFCS practice question tests your understanding of storage management. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An administrator is configuring LVM and wants to display information about physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes. Which two commands provide this information? (Choose two.)
pvscan, vgscan, lvscan
Why wrong: Scan for devices, not display info.
pvck, vgck, lvck
Why wrong: Check consistency, not display info.
pvcreate, vgcreate, lvcreate
Why wrong: Create objects, not display.
pvdisplay, vgdisplay, lvdisplay
Provide detailed information.
pvs, vgs, lvs
Provide summary information.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
pvdisplay, vgdisplay, lvdisplay
Options D and E are correct because both `pvdisplay`, `vgdisplay`, `lvdisplay` (option D) and `pvs`, `vgs`, `lvs` (option E) are standard LVM commands that display detailed or summary information about physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes, respectively. Option D provides verbose output with attributes like PE size, allocation policies, and device paths, while option E offers a compact, customizable tabular view ideal for scripting or quick inspection.
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.
pvscan, vgscan, lvscan
Why it's wrong here
Scan for devices, not display info.
pvck, vgck, lvck
Why it's wrong here
Check consistency, not display info.
pvcreate, vgcreate, lvcreate
Why it's wrong here
Create objects, not display.
pvdisplay, vgdisplay, lvdisplay
Why this is correct
Provide detailed information.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
pvs, vgs, lvs
Why this is correct
Provide summary information.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the 'scan' commands (option A) with 'display' commands, assuming that scanning also shows detailed information, when in fact `pvscan` only lists discovered PVs without showing attributes like PE size or free space.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, `pvdisplay` reads the LVM metadata from the physical volume label (stored in the second sector of the device) and reports PE size, total PEs, and allocation status, while `pvs` queries the same metadata but formats output using liblvm2's report system, allowing custom columns via `-o`. In real-world scenarios, `pvs` is preferred for automation because its output can be parsed with `--noheadings` and `--separator`, whereas `pvdisplay` is better for human-readable troubleshooting when you need to see allocation details like `PV UUID` or `PE ranges`.
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Storage Management — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Storage Management practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All LFCS questions
513 questions across all exam domains
Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator LFCS study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
LFCS practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise LFCS questions linked to User and Group Management.
Practise LFCS questions linked to Operation of Running Systems.
Practise LFCS questions linked to Essential Commands.
Practise LFCS questions linked to Networking.
Practise LFCS questions linked to Service Configuration.
Practise LFCS questions linked to Storage Management.
Practise LFCS questions linked to LFCS fundamentals.
Practise LFCS questions linked to LFCS scenario.
Practise LFCS questions linked to LFCS troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Storage Management — This question tests Storage Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: pvdisplay, vgdisplay, lvdisplay — Options D and E are correct because both `pvdisplay`, `vgdisplay`, `lvdisplay` (option D) and `pvs`, `vgs`, `lvs` (option E) are standard LVM commands that display detailed or summary information about physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes, respectively. Option D provides verbose output with attributes like PE size, allocation policies, and device paths, while option E offers a compact, customizable tabular view ideal for scripting or quick inspection.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.