LPIC-2 Practice Question: Block Devices, Filesystems and Advanced Storage
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. # lsblk NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT sda 8:0 0 100G 0 disk ├─sda1 8:1 0 1G 0 part /boot ├─sda2 8:2 0 49G 0 part / └─sda3 8:3 0 50G 0 part /home sdb 8:16 0 100G 0 disk └─sdb1 8:17 0 100G 0 part sdc 8:32 0 100G 0 disk └─sdc1 8:33 0 100G 0 part
The administrator wants to create a RAID 1 array using /dev/sdb1 and /dev/sdc1, then create a filesystem and mount it at /mnt/raid1. Which command sequence should be used first?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the order of operations, thinking they can format the array before it exists, or they mistakenly apply LVM or partitioning commands when the devices are already prepared as partitions.
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
✓
mdadm --create /dev/md0 --level=1 --raid-devices=2 /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1
The first step in creating a RAID 1 array is to assemble the underlying block devices into a RAID device using mdadm. The command `mdadm --create /dev/md0 --level=1 --raid-devices=2 /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1` initializes the RAID metadata and creates the array at /dev/md0. Only after the array is created can a filesystem be built on it and then mounted.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
mkfs.ext4 /dev/md0
Why it's wrong here
Filesystem can only be created after RAID array exists.
- ✓
mdadm --create /dev/md0 --level=1 --raid-devices=2 /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1
Why this is correct
Creates RAID 1 array from two partitions.
- ✗
pvcreate /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1
Why it's wrong here
pvcreate is for LVM physical volumes, not software RAID.
- ✗
fdisk /dev/sdb && fdisk /dev/sdc
Why it's wrong here
Partitioning may be needed but does not create RAID array.
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
This LPIC-2 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-2 exam.