EX200 Create and configure file systems Practice Question
A system administrator receives alerts that the /var/log partition is 100% full. The partition is on /dev/mapper/vg_log-lv_var_log, formatted with XFS, and is mounted at /var/log. The volume group vg_log has 10GB of free space available. The administrator runs the command `lvextend -L +10G /dev/mapper/vg_log-lv_var_log` successfully, but then `df -h` still shows 100% full. What is the next step the administrator should take to use the newly added space?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates familiar with ext4 may instinctively choose `resize2fs`, not realizing that XFS requires its own grow command (`xfs_growfs`) and that the filesystem must be explicitly resized after the logical volume extension.
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
✓
Run xfs_growfs /var/log
After extending the logical volume with `lvextend`, the underlying block device has more space, but the XFS filesystem does not automatically recognize it. The correct next step is to run `xfs_growfs /var/log` to expand the filesystem to fill the newly available space. Unlike ext4, XFS cannot be resized while mounted with `resize2fs`; it requires the XFS-specific `xfs_growfs` command, which can operate on a mounted 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.
- ✗
Run resize2fs /dev/mapper/vg_log-lv_var_log
Why it's wrong here
resize2fs is specifically designed for the ext2, ext3, and ext4 filesystem families. Because the /var/log logical volume is formatted with XFS, resize2fs will refuse to run and emit an error indicating an unknown filesystem type. Even on ext filesystems, resize2fs only works after the underlying block device is extended, but in this XFS scenario it is entirely the wrong utility.
- ✓
Run xfs_growfs /var/log
Why this is correct
xfs_growfs is the proper command to expand an XFS filesystem online, and it can be run while the filesystem is mounted. Passing the mount point /var/log instructs the tool to grow the filesystem to consume all available space in the underlying logical volume after an lvextend operation. This command performs the growth without requiring a reboot or unmounting, making it the correct and immediate solution for a full /var/log partition.
- ✗
Reboot the system to remount the filesystem
Why it's wrong here
Rebooting the system does not change the filesystem's size; the XFS filesystem still reflects the old logical volume size unless a grow operation is performed. XFS natively supports online growth via xfs_growfs, so unmounting and rebooting are unnecessary steps that introduce downtime without solving the capacity problem. After the reboot, the filesystem would remain the same size, so the alert would still fire.
- ✗
Run fsck /dev/mapper/vg_log-lv_var_log
Why it's wrong here
fsck inspects and repairs filesystem metadata, such as checking for corrupted inodes or inconsistent block accounting, but it has no ability to change the size of a filesystem. Running fsck on the /var/log XFS filesystem is also generally inadvisable because XFS performs its own journal recovery on mount, and a forced fsck on a mounted or dirty filesystem can risk data integrity. This option confuses filesystem integrity checking with the capacity expansion required to resolve the full filesystem alert.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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