This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of administrative tasks. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A small business runs a Linux server hosting a web application and a PostgreSQL database. The server uses LVM for storage, with a single volume group vg_data containing two logical volumes: lv_web (50GB) and lv_db (100GB). The root filesystem is on a separate disk. The administrator receives alerts that the database volume is at 95% capacity. The server has additional unused space from a recently added disk that was added to the volume group as an additional physical volume, but the space has not been allocated. The administrator runs 'vgs' which shows VG vg_data with total size 500GB, allocated 150GB, and free 350GB. The administrator wants to increase the size of lv_db by 50GB. Which course of action should the administrator take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Run 'lvextend -L +50G /dev/vg_data/lv_db' and then 'resize2fs /dev/vg_data/lv_db' (if filesystem is ext4).
Option C is correct because the administrator needs to extend the existing logical volume lv_db by 50GB using 'lvextend -L +50G /dev/vg_data/lv_db' (the '+' is critical for relative growth), and then if the filesystem is ext4, 'resize2fs /dev/vg_data/lv_db' resizes the filesystem to use the newly allocated space. The volume group already has 350GB free, so no new physical volume needs to be added.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Run 'lvresize -L 50G /dev/vg_data/lv_db' and then 'xfs_growfs /mount/point'.
Why it's wrong here
lvresize with -L sets absolute size, not +50G; also assumes XFS.
✗
Run 'lvcreate -L 50G -n lv_backup vg_data' and mount it.
Why it's wrong here
Creates a new LV, does not extend the database volume.
✓
Run 'lvextend -L +50G /dev/vg_data/lv_db' and then 'resize2fs /dev/vg_data/lv_db' (if filesystem is ext4).
Why this is correct
Correct: extends both the LV and filesystem.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Run 'vgextend vg_data /dev/sdb1' and then 'lvextend -L 50G /dev/vg_data/lv_db'.
Why it's wrong here
Unnecessary vgextend; free space already exists.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often forget the '+' sign in 'lvextend -L +50G' (which means add 50GB) versus '-L 50G' (which sets absolute size to 50GB), and they may also incorrectly assume a new physical volume must be added even when free space already exists in the volume group.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, LVM logical volumes are block devices that can be extended online if the underlying physical volumes have free extents; the 'lvextend -L +50G' command allocates those extents to the logical volume, and then the filesystem must be resized to match. For ext4, 'resize2fs' can grow the filesystem online without unmounting, but for XFS, 'xfs_growfs' is required and must be run on the mount point. A real-world scenario where this matters is when a database volume fills up during peak hours—knowing the correct resize commands prevents downtime and data corruption.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the LPIC-1 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Administrative Tasks — This question tests Administrative Tasks — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Run 'lvextend -L +50G /dev/vg_data/lv_db' and then 'resize2fs /dev/vg_data/lv_db' (if filesystem is ext4). — Option C is correct because the administrator needs to extend the existing logical volume lv_db by 50GB using 'lvextend -L +50G /dev/vg_data/lv_db' (the '+' is critical for relative growth), and then if the filesystem is ext4, 'resize2fs /dev/vg_data/lv_db' resizes the filesystem to use the newly allocated space. The volume group already has 350GB free, so no new physical volume needs to be added.
What should I do if I get this LPIC-1 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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