EX200 Configure local storage Practice Question
A volume group vg_data has no free extents. An admin adds a new disk /dev/sdc and wants to extend the logical volume lv_data (ext4 filesystem) by 5GB. Which sequence of commands is correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often forget the filesystem resize step for ext4, assuming lvextend alone is sufficient, or they incorrectly add unnecessary partitioning and filesystem creation steps, which wastes time and can cause errors in a real environment.
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
✓
pvcreate /dev/sdc → vgextend vg_data /dev/sdc → lvextend -L+5G /dev/vg_data/lv_data → resize2fs /dev/vg_data/lv_data
It follows the proper sequence: first create the physical volume with pvcreate, then extend the volume group with vgextend, then extend the logical volume with lvextend, and finally resize the ext4 filesystem with resize2fs. Since the filesystem is ext4, the resize2fs command is required after lvextend to make the additional space available to the 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.
- ✗
pvcreate /dev/sdc → vgextend vg_data /dev/sdc → lvextend -L+5G /dev/vg_data/lv_data
Why it's wrong here
This sequence correctly adds /dev/sdc as a physical volume, extends vg_data, and grows lv_data, but it omits the critical filesystem resize. After lvextend, the ext4 filesystem still has its original superblock and inode tables, so the added 5G is visible to LVM but not to the filesystem, and df will not reflect it. You must run resize2fs /dev/vg_data/lv_data to grow the filesystem online.
- ✓
pvcreate /dev/sdc → vgextend vg_data /dev/sdc → lvextend -L+5G /dev/vg_data/lv_data → resize2fs /dev/vg_data/lv_data
Why this is correct
This is the complete and correct workflow: pvcreate initializes the new disk for LVM, vgextend adds that capacity to the volume group, lvextend allocates the extra extents to lv_data, and resize2fs expands the ext4 filesystem to fill the enlarged LV. Each step operates on the next layer, and because ext4 supports online resizing, resize2fs can be run while the filesystem is mounted. The result is that both the logical volume and the filesystem now use the full 5G.
- ✗
lvextend -L+5G /dev/vg_data/lv_data → pvcreate /dev/sdc → vgextend vg_data /dev/sdc
Why it's wrong here
lvextend is attempted first, but vg_data has zero free extents, so the command cannot allocate the requested 5G and will exit with an 'insufficient free space' error. The physical volume must be created and added to the volume group before any allocation can occur. Even if lvextend were somehow deferred, running pvcreate and vgextend afterward does not retroactively grant the LV the five gigabytes, so the required ordering is strict.
- ✗
fdisk /dev/sdc → mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdc1 → pvcreate /dev/sdc1 → vgextend vg_data /dev/sdc1 → lvextend -L+5G /dev/vg_data/lv_data
Why it's wrong here
This option unnecessarily creates a partition and even formats it with a filesystem before LVM setup. LVM can use an entire raw disk as a physical volume without a partition table, and mkfs.ext4 is pointless because pvcreate will overwrite the filesystem signature with LVM metadata — the new filesystem is destroyed before the LV is extended. A single LUN or disk should be given directly to pvcreate; partition creation and especially mkfs on a PV candidate add error-prone steps without any benefit.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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