EX200 Create and configure file systems Practice Question
A server running RHEL 9 has an LVM logical volume /dev/vg00/lvol0 formatted with XFS, mounted at /data. The administrator needs to increase the file system size from 100GB to 150GB. Which command sequence should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume all filesystems require unmounting before resizing (as with some older tools), or they may confuse XFS with ext4 and try to use resize2fs, or they may think xfs_info is a growth command instead of an info command.
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
✓
lvextend -L +50G /dev/vg00/lvol0; xfs_growfs /data
It first extends the logical volume by the exact amount needed (+50G) using lvextend, then grows the XFS filesystem to match using xfs_growfs. XFS filesystems can be grown online (no unmount required), and xfs_growfs expands the filesystem to fill the available space in the logical volume.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
xfs_info /data; lvextend -L 150G /dev/vg00/lvol0
Why it's wrong here
The xfs_info command only prints XFS filesystem geometry (block size, allocation group counts, etc.) and performs no modification; calling it before lvextend does nothing to grow the filesystem. Additionally, lvextend -L 150G sets the LV to exactly 150G rather than adding 50G, so if the current size is not exactly 100G the outcome differs from the intended +50G increment. Only lvextend followed by xfs_growfs /data will extend both the block device and the XFS filesystem.
- ✗
umount /data; lvextend -L +50G /dev/vg00/lvol0; mount /data; xfs_growfs /data
Why it's wrong here
Unmounting /data before extending the LV is unnecessary because XFS supports online growth while the filesystem remains mounted; forcing an unmount introduces avoidable downtime and may fail if the filesystem is busy. The sequence would technically work after remounting, but xfs_growfs can be run against the mounted filesystem immediately after lvextend, making umount and mount extra, risky steps. A correct minimal procedure is lvextend -L +50G /dev/vg00/lvol0; xfs_growfs /data.
- ✗
resize2fs /dev/vg00/lvol0
Why it's wrong here
The resize2fs utility is designed for ext2, ext3, and ext4 filesystems, not XFS; on RHEL 9 the default filesystem is XFS, so resize2fs will fail because it cannot interpret the XFS magic number. XFS filesystems are grown with xfs_growfs, which expands the filesystem to consume the newly available space in the underlying logical volume. Running resize2fs against /dev/vg00/lvol0 would not change the XFS filesystem and is the wrong tool for this task.
- ✓
lvextend -L +50G /dev/vg00/lvol0; xfs_growfs /data
Why this is correct
This is the correct sequence: the lvextend -L +50G /dev/vg00/lvol0 command first extends the logical volume by 50GB, giving the underlying block device more space; then xfs_growfs /data online-grows the mounted XFS filesystem to fill the expanded LV. XFS can only grow, not shrink, and growth must happen after the LV is enlarged, not before. Because xfs_growfs defaults to using all available space, no size argument is required after extending the LV.
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