LPIC-1 System Architecture Practice Question
A company runs a critical database server on Linux. The server has a hardware RAID controller with two logical volumes: one for the operating system (LV1) and one for the database data (LV2). The server uses LVM on top of the RAID volumes. Recently, the database performance has degraded. The administrator suspects that the file system on LV2 is heavily fragmented. The server uses the ext4 filesystem. The administrator wants to check the fragmentation level and, if necessary, defragment the filesystem without unmounting it or causing downtime. What should the administrator do to minimize fragmentation impact while maintaining availability?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume ext4 has no online defragmentation support at all, but e4defrag provides a limited online capability, or they may confuse e4defrag with e2fsck, which requires unmounting.
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
✓
Use the e4defrag command with the -v option on the mount point to check and defragment files online.
e4defrag is a userspace tool that provides online defragmentation for ext4 filesystems. It can check fragmentation levels and defragment files without unmounting the filesystem, thus avoiding downtime. This allows the administrator to minimize fragmentation impact while maintaining availability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a new filesystem on LV2, copy data back, and symlink the old mount point to the new one.
Why it's wrong here
This requires downtime to recreate and copy data.
- ✗
Use tune2fs to set the reserved block percentage to 0 and increase the inode size.
Why it's wrong here
tune2fs does not perform defragmentation.
- ✗
Schedule a maintenance window, unmount LV2, run e2fsck -fn, then run e2fsck -D to defragment.
Why it's wrong here
e2fsck -D only optimizes directories, not file defragmentation, and requires unmounting.
- ✓
Use the e4defrag command with the -v option on the mount point to check and defragment files online.
Why this is correct
e4defrag can defragment files on a mounted ext4 filesystem, reducing fragmentation without downtime.
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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