This LFCS practice question tests your understanding of operation of running systems. 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.
To permanently mount an ext4 filesystem at /data with noatime option, which entry should be added to /etc/fstab?
/dev/sdb1 /data ext4 defaults,noatime 0 0
Correct entry with proper options and flags.
/dev/sdb1 /data ext4 noatime 0 0
Why wrong: Missing default mount options; may omit rw, suid, etc.
/dev/sdb1 /data ext4 defaults,noatime 1 0
Why wrong: Dump=1 enables backup with dump, unnecessary.
/dev/sdb1 /data ext4 defaults,noatime 0 1
Why wrong: Pass=1 is usually reserved for root filesystem.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
/dev/sdb1 /data ext4 defaults,noatime 0 0
Option A is correct because the /etc/fstab entry for a permanent mount requires the filesystem device, mount point, type, options, dump frequency, and fsck pass order. The 'defaults,noatime' option string includes 'defaults' (which implies rw, suid, dev, exec, auto, nouser, async) and then overrides the access time update behavior with 'noatime'. The dump field (5th column) is 0 to disable backups, and the fsck pass order (6th column) is 0 to skip filesystem checks at boot, which is appropriate for a non-root data partition.
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.
/dev/sdb1 /data ext4 defaults,noatime 0 0
Why this is correct
Correct entry with proper options and flags.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
/dev/sdb1 /data ext4 noatime 0 0
Why it's wrong here
Missing default mount options; may omit rw, suid, etc.
/dev/sdb1 /data ext4 defaults,noatime 1 0
Why it's wrong here
Dump=1 enables backup with dump, unnecessary.
/dev/sdb1 /data ext4 defaults,noatime 0 1
Why it's wrong here
Pass=1 is usually reserved for root filesystem.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the dump and fsck fields, incorrectly assuming that a non-root data partition should have a non-zero fsck pass order, or they omit 'defaults' thinking 'noatime' alone is sufficient, but the LFCS exam expects the standard 'defaults,noatime' format with dump=0 and fsck=0 for a data mount.
Detailed technical explanation
The /etc/fstab file is read by the mount command at boot and by systemd's mount unit generator; the 'noatime' option disables updating the inode access time on every read, which significantly reduces disk writes and improves performance, especially on SSDs. The fsck pass order field (6th column) uses values 0 (skip), 1 (root filesystem), and 2 (other filesystems) to control the order of filesystem checks; setting it to 1 for a non-root partition would cause fsck to run on it at the same time as the root filesystem, which is incorrect and can lead to boot delays or errors.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Operation of Running Systems — This question tests Operation of Running Systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: /dev/sdb1 /data ext4 defaults,noatime 0 0 — Option A is correct because the /etc/fstab entry for a permanent mount requires the filesystem device, mount point, type, options, dump frequency, and fsck pass order. The 'defaults,noatime' option string includes 'defaults' (which implies rw, suid, dev, exec, auto, nouser, async) and then overrides the access time update behavior with 'noatime'. The dump field (5th column) is 0 to disable backups, and the fsck pass order (6th column) is 0 to skip filesystem checks at boot, which is appropriate for a non-root data partition.
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Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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