LFCS Service Configuration Practice Question
A junior administrator has written a custom systemd service unit file named backup.service in /etc/systemd/system/. The unit is intended to run a backup script once per day. After placing the file, the administrator runs systemctl start backup.service, but systemd reports 'Unit backup.service not found.' The file exists and has correct syntax. Which command should the administrator run to make systemd aware of the new unit file?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that placing a unit file in /etc/systemd/system/ is immediately recognized by systemd without a daemon-reload.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
systemctl daemon-reload
systemd maintains an in-memory cache of unit files and does not watch /etc/systemd/system/ for new files. After adding or modifying a unit, systemctl daemon-reload must be run so systemd re-reads unit definitions and rebuilds dependencies. Only then does systemctl start recognize the new backup.service unit.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
systemctl reload backup.service
Why it's wrong here
reload asks a running service to re-read its own configuration without a full restart. It requires the unit to already be known and active. Since systemd cannot find the unit at all, reload returns 'Unit not found' and does nothing to make the new file visible to the manager.
- ✓
systemctl daemon-reload
Why this is correct
systemd caches unit files and does not automatically detect new or changed units in /etc/systemd/system/. Running systemctl daemon-reload forces systemd to re-scan all unit directories and rebuild its dependency tree, making backup.service available for systemctl start. Without this, systemctl start fails with 'Unit not found' even though the file is present and valid.
- ✗
systemctl reset-failed backup.service
Why it's wrong here
reset-failed clears the failed state of a unit so it can be started again. It only applies to units systemd already knows about that have entered a failed state. It does not cause systemd to discover new unit files, so it will not resolve the 'Unit not found' error for a newly added file.
- ✗
systemctl enable backup.service
Why it's wrong here
enable creates symlinks for automatic start at boot, but it does not load the unit into the current systemd manager's runtime configuration. If systemd has not yet re-scanned unit files, enable itself may fail with 'Unit not found' or succeed without making the unit startable immediately. It does not address the missing unit in the running manager.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Linux Foundation exam blueprint
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.