LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
A company is setting up a database server that requires high reliability and support for snapshots. The storage will be on a single large disk. Which filesystem is best suited for this requirement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers choose XFS for its high performance with large files, but they overlook that XFS lacks native snapshot support, while btrfs is specifically designed for advanced features like snapshots and self-healing on a single disk.
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
✓
btrfs
Btrfs (B-tree filesystem) is best suited for this requirement because it natively supports snapshots, checksumming, and copy-on-write (CoW) for high reliability, all on a single disk. Unlike other Linux filesystems, btrfs provides built-in snapshot and rollback capabilities without requiring an external volume manager, making it ideal for database servers needing consistent point-in-time backups.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
ext4
Why it's wrong here
ext4 lacks native snapshot capability; snapshots require LVM or a volume manager beneath the filesystem, so it does not meet the stated requirement on its own. It is tempting because ext4 is a stable, well-supported default for general-purpose Linux volumes, which suits ordinary database storage without snapshot needs.
- ✗
NTFS
Why it's wrong here
NTFS is Microsoft's filesystem; Linux cannot mount it natively for a database workload, and it lacks the snapshot integration the scenario demands. It is tempting because NTFS supports snapshots via Volume Shadow Copy on Windows, where it would suit a Windows database host.
- ✗
XFS
Why it's wrong here
XFS offers high reliability and, via LVM or Btrfs-style tooling, snapshot support on a single large disk, matching the database requirement. It is tempting because XFS excels at large files and parallel I/O, but the question's snapshot emphasis points to a filesystem with native snapshotting.
- ✓
btrfs
Why this is correct
btrfs provides copy-on-write snapshots and checksummed data with RAID support on a single disk, directly meeting the stated reliability and snapshot requirements. ext4 lacks native snapshots, and XFS snapshot support is limited, so btrfs is the best fit.
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