LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
A company wants to migrate a database server from ext4 to XFS to support larger files and better scalability. The current data resides on a single partition /dev/sda1 mounted at /data. Which procedure ensures a successful migration with minimal downtime?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often think `dd` or `tune2fs` can convert filesystem types, but `dd` only clones raw data and `tune2fs` is ext-specific, so the only safe method is to create a new XFS filesystem and copy the data.
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
✓
Add a new disk, create a partition with mkfs.xfs, mount it at /mnt, copy /data contents using cp -a, update /etc/fstab to use the new device, and remount.
It provides a safe, low-downtime migration path: create a new XFS filesystem on a separate disk, copy the existing data with `cp -a` to preserve permissions and metadata, update `/etc/fstab` to mount the new XFS device at `/data`, and remount. This avoids modifying the original ext4 partition and ensures the database files are intact on a supported filesystem.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use dd if=/dev/sda1 of=/dev/sdb1 bs=4M to clone the partition, then change fstab to use /dev/sdb1.
Why it's wrong here
dd copies raw data including the ext4 filesystem; the target will still be ext4, not XFS.
- ✓
Add a new disk, create a partition with mkfs.xfs, mount it at /mnt, copy /data contents using cp -a, update /etc/fstab to use the new device, and remount.
Why this is correct
This creates a fresh XFS filesystem, preserves permissions with cp -a, and updates fstab for persistence.
- ✗
Run tune2fs -O xfs /dev/sda1 to change the filesystem type.
Why it's wrong here
tune2fs only works for ext filesystems; XFS conversion is not possible in-place.
- ✗
Mount an NFS share, use rsync to copy data to the NFS mount, then unmount and reformat the original partition with XFS.
Why it's wrong here
This introduces unnecessary network dependency and risk of data inconsistency.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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This LPIC-1 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI 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 LPIC-1 exam.