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.
Which two statements are true about LVM snapshots? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Snapshots use copy-on-write technology.
Option C is correct because LVM snapshots use copy-on-write (COW) technology, which means that only the data blocks that are changed after the snapshot is created are copied to the snapshot volume. This makes snapshots space-efficient, as they do not duplicate the entire original volume at creation time.
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.
✗
Snapshots require the same amount of space as the original volume.
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots allocate space only for changed blocks, typically much smaller.
✗
Snapshots are read-only by default.
Why it's wrong here
LVM snapshots are writable by default.
✓
Snapshots use copy-on-write technology.
Why this is correct
COW ensures original data is preserved until overwritten, then copied to snapshot.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Snapshots can be used to restore the original volume.
Why this is correct
Merging a snapshot reverts the original volume to the snapshot's state.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Snapshots are only supported on ext4 filesystems.
Why it's wrong here
LVM snapshots work with any filesystem.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume snapshots are read-only (like many other snapshot implementations) or that they require full duplication of the source volume, but LVM snapshots are read-write by default and use copy-on-write to minimize space usage.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, LVM snapshots create a separate logical volume that tracks the original volume's block changes via a COW table. When a write occurs to the original volume, the original block is first copied to the snapshot's COW store before the write proceeds. This allows the snapshot to present a consistent point-in-time view. In real-world scenarios, snapshots are used for backup consistency (e.g., with `lvcreate --snapshot`) but can degrade performance if the COW store fills up, causing the snapshot to become invalid.
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: Snapshots use copy-on-write technology. — Option C is correct because LVM snapshots use copy-on-write (COW) technology, which means that only the data blocks that are changed after the snapshot is created are copied to the snapshot volume. This makes snapshots space-efficient, as they do not duplicate the entire original volume at creation time.
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.
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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