LFCS Storage Management Practice Question
A system administrator receives a report that a server with an ext4 filesystem becomes unresponsive when a particular process writes a large file. The root filesystem is not full. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume a full filesystem is the only cause of write-related hangs, overlooking that filesystem corruption can cause the kernel to stall on journal replay or metadata operations even when space is available.
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
✓
The filesystem has experienced a corruption; running 'fsck' may resolve the issue.
Filesystem corruption can cause the system to hang when a process attempts to write to a damaged area, even if the filesystem is not full. The ext4 journal may replay inconsistent metadata, leading to an I/O stall. Running 'fsck' can detect and repair such corruption, restoring normal operation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The journal size is too large and causes excessive disk writes.
Why it's wrong here
Journal size does not cause unresponsiveness.
- ✗
The filesystem is mounted with the 'noatime' option, causing frequent access time updates.
Why it's wrong here
noatime reduces writes, not causing unresponsiveness.
- ✓
The filesystem has experienced a corruption; running 'fsck' may resolve the issue.
Why this is correct
Corruption can cause I/O hangs.
- ✗
The hard disk has developed bad sectors that affect only that file's location.
Why it's wrong here
Bad sectors cause errors, but likely affect more than one file.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.